The handout of $2000 debit cards in Houston’s Astrodome was a mess — officials locked down the dome and left thousands outside in the 95 degree heat, before discontinuing the plan.Confusion on Debit Card Aid from today’s New York Times:
Meanwhile, in Baton Rouge, David G. Passey, a FEMA spokesman, said he did not know why the program had been discontinued.But Mr. Passey said, “As we’ve looked at the logistics of expanding the debit card, we believe that our normal methods of delivery, checks and electronic funds transfer, will suffice.”Under questioning by reporters, he said he could not explain why traditional conduits of aid, which take from 10 days to two weeks to reach victims, provided they have addresses or working bank accounts, had been deemed more appropriate than the immediate relief offered by the debit cards.He said “program specialists” had made the decision.
But this is — chuckle — really working out well for them.