From THE HILL, the DC publication
A Foxx in the luxury world
By Jeff Dufour
One of the most egregious examples of abuse that came to light last year during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was displaced people and other victims spending their government-issued debit cards on Louis Vuitton purses and other luxury goods.
And Rep. Virginia Foxx, the grandmotherly freshman Republican from North Carolina, has had enough. Foxx has introduced an amendment, known as the "Louis Vuitton Amendment," to the homeland-security appropriations bill that would specifically restrict that type of misuse of funds.
It reads, quite simply, "None of the funds made available to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in this act may be used to purchase a Louis Vuitton handbag."
Foxx spokeswoman Amy Auth explained that the language is designed to "highlight the abuse that occurred with the debit cards last year so that it doesn't happen again."
A spokeswoman for Louis Vuitton did not return phone calls. Perhaps she's offended that anyone would pay for one of their bags with a debit card. How déclassé!
ATSRTWT
An interesting question, from an economics/libertarian perspective: suppose that a destitute person thinks that an LV handbag is THE most important possession of all, and would spend food money to get said bag. Should the state outlaw this? The debit cards were not food vouchers, but rather are simply subsidized cash.
So, is the problem the LV handbags, or the debit cards themselves? Libertarian minds want to know....
(Nod to JP, who rumor has it wears Louis Vuitton boxers)
3 comments:
Well, part of the problem is the same as food stamps for vodka - you give food stamps to the parents largely so they can care for their kids, and then they make decisions of which you don't approve and the kids go hungry. So you restrict the decisions, to enable them only to make ones in the range you approve of.
Let's go to the authority on the New Orleans tragedy, Kanye West. After all it was 'ye who said, well, let's put it in his own words:
I'm Kan
The Louis Vuitton Don
Bought my mom a purse
Now she Louis Vuitton Mom
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kanyewest/lastcall.html
We all remember how Kanye gave us, with unsurpassed analytical precision, the breakdown of the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina
George Bush doesn't care about black people!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090300165.html
Kanye goes on to say:
But I ain't even gon act holier than thou
Cause f*** it,
I went to Jacob [the Jeweler] with 25 thou
Before I had a house and I'd do it again
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/All-Falls-Down-lyrics-Kanye-West/299FA2AAB70CB31848256E390008F312
Now if there's one thing that I've learned from a lifetime devoted the intense study of social sciences, poring over obscure scholarly journals in dank bowels of musty college libraries, allowing my skin to develop into a palor just short of actual translucence while the others played kickball, rocked the keg party, raised families, or enjoyed their golden years...the one thing that I've learned is that Kanye is always right and never to be questioned. Even thinking about questioning him is an offense in God's eyes and remember, the LORD knows what you're thinking.
So Kanye says hand over the cash or you're a racist. And even if you do show me the money, Kanye will still call you a racist, perhaps with a little less emphasis.
I've been reading informs about spokeswoman like her and I can't believe the language: something really impressive. I came across several websites, like this one today as I was browsing for Louis Vuitton and manufacturers. I read your blog and I found it interesting. Thanks for all this and I know you're good in this.
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