Sheila Jackson Lee, as noted earlier today by our LU Staff, wants to change the term “welfare” to “transitional living fund.”
That’s apparently Ms. Jackson Lee’s contribution to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty. And I say, let’s go with the flow. Trying to “win” this war by eliminating “poverty” clearly isn’t working. So let’s keep our transitional living funds, declare victory in the War on Poverty, and all go to Disney World.
That, it turns out, is what some impoverished citizens of Maine have been doing with their transitional living funds. They’re also going to Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Las Vegas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
No doubt – no doubt – they’re in these places for job interviews.
Californians have, of course, been the undisputed 50-state champions of transitional-living-fund spending across state lines. At a stratospheric $69 million from 2007 to 2010: well, can’t touch that, transitional-living-fund-wise. The top out-of-state venue for poverty-stricken, transitional-living-fund-wielding Californians? Las Vegas. $11.8 million spent by starving California children, much of it at casinos and co-located ATMs.
But don’t miss the $12,000+ spent by California’s most down-and-out at the Ala Moana shopping center on Oahu, or the $2,000+ withdrawn by desperately poor Californians from ATMs on Lanai, the home of little more than a handful of high-end resort hotels.
As Larry the Cable Guy might say, that’s some transitional living, right there. And I think maybe I should just start some transitional living myself. And then go to Disney World.
