Crazy Government

Government sent 3,900 economic stimulus checks to prison inmates -- 2,200 got to keep them

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The federal government sent about 3,900 economic stimulus payments of $250 each this spring to people who were in no position to use the money to help stimulate the economy: prison inmates.

Prison inmates are generally ineligible for federal benefits. However, 2,200 of the inmates who received checks got to keep them because, under the law, they were eligible, said Mark Lassiter, a spokesman for the Social Security Administration.

Checks were sent to those inmates because they government records didn't accurately showwere in prison, Lassiter said. He said most of those checks were returned by the prisons.

"We are currently reviewing each of those cases to determine whether or not the recovery payment was due," Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue said in a statement issued Wednesday evening. "Where we determine payment was not due, we will take aggressive action to recover each of these erroneous payments."

What?

Awhile back I posted about Free Money. Wasted Money is another matter. Didn't anybody pay attention when the sent out checks? Can they blame "the computer" Sweet Gertrude! What were they thinking?

$250 to fritter away

If I had $250 that didn't go to charity, bills, friends in need or any other noble what I do?

I'd buy flowers and give them to people who looked grouchy.

Then, if they were still mean I would take the flowers and smack them over the head with them.

Blog reader(s) if you had $250 to waste what would you do?