"3,900 stimulus checks went to inmates" by Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press | August 27, 2009
WASHINGTON - 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.
Guess whose idea that was: What the Senate Snuck Into the Stimulus While You Were Sleeping
The checks were part of the economic recovery package approved by Congress and President Obama in February. About 52 million Social Security recipients, railroad retirees, and those receiving Supplemental Security Income were eligible for the one-time checks....
Checks were sent to those inmates because government records didn’t accurately show they were in prison, said Mark Lassiter, a spokesman for the Social Security Administration. He said most of those checks were returned by the prisons. The Boston Herald first reported that the checks were sent to inmates....
The Herald first reported it, Globe?
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WASHINGTON - Advocates say older people still face higher prices because they spend a disproportionate amount of their income on health care, where costs rise faster than inflation. Many also have suffered from declining home values and shrinking stock portfolios just as they are relying on those assets for income....
About 50 million retired and disabled Americans receive Social Security benefits. The average monthly benefit for retirees is $1,153 this year.
Gee, banks get a lot more than that!
