No Leisure Aid

From the BBC:
"No pools, concerts or lingerie on state aid, Kansas says"

 

The US state of Kansas has tightened its rules on how welfare recipients can spend their aid, banning the purchase of concert tickets, lingerie and dozens of other leisure items. US Governor Sam Brownback signed the law on Thursday, saying it would encourage people to get back to work. Other states prevent welfare recipients from buying alcohol and cigarettes with government aid. But the revised Kansas list appears to be the most extensive in the US. Senate Minority Leader Democrat Anthony Hensley called it "a punitive and highly judgmental piece of legislation" while national commentators such as The Daily Show's Jon Stewart have ridiculed the law. But other critics question whether such restrictions can be enforced.  Shannon Cotsoradis, president and CEO of the advocacy group Kansas Action for Children, said the list had attracted national attention because "it feels mean-spirited."  "It really seems to make a statement about how we feel about the poor," she said.

 

^ This is a no-brainer. It's sad that it even had to be included into a law. I am all for state and federal assistance programs as long as there are limits like what the money can be used for, mandatory drug testing and a definite term limit for receiving the money. If you are government-assistance you shouldn't be allowed to spend the money you receive on alcohol, hundred-dollar shoes, concerts, etc. It is there to help keep you fed and clothed until you can get back to a regular income - and then you can use your money for whatever you want. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32352319