Fashionable Katrina refugees?

ultramarine · 11-09-2005

From the NY Daily news:

Lavish tastes of card-carrying lowlifes

Profiteering ghouls have been using debit cards distributed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina - intended to buy essentials for evacuated families - in luxury-goods stores as far away as Atlanta.

"We've seen three of the cards," said a senior employee of the Louis Vuitton store at the Lenox Square Mall in affluent Buckhead, who asked not to be named. "Two I'm certain have purchased; one actually asked if she could use it in the store. This has been since Saturday."

The distinctive white cards were distributed by the Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and carry a value of up to $2,000.

"It doesn't say anything on the card other than alcohol, tobacco and firearms cannot be purchased with it," the store employee told me. "There's nothing legally that prevents us from taking it, unfortunately. Other than morally, it's wrong."

The source told me that the two women who had made purchases with the card each bought a signature monogrammed Louis Vuitton handbag in the $800 range.

"They didn't look destitute by any stretch. You would never have said, 'They must be one of the evacuees.' … The one that I dealt with yesterday was 20. She'll be 21 next month." The source described the reaction of other store-keepers in the mall - which includes luxury brands Ferragamo, Burberry, Judith Leiber and Neiman Marcus - as "outrage." "It doesn't say anywhere on there, but it would have to be a good amount to be shopping in here," the source said with a dark chuckle

CelineChic · 11-09-2005

If you're going to use government money to buy designer handbags at least use it on something that is still in style. Then again some people just have no taste.

tastes_like_chic · 11-09-2005

tastless greedy wenches.

CelineChic · 11-09-2005

Can you please give the link to this article.

CharlottefromCA · 11-09-2005

thats horrible...

well I guess its good to remember that.. these are probably really rare instances (hopefully!...)... and that most of the people who get the cards are really in need..

but still.. thats just.. low low loww

tiffany · 11-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlottefromCA

but still.. thats just.. low low loww

agreed, how horrid, wasting money that is really in need by individuals without adequate food and provisions for their families

. What a heartless thing to do. And to buy "monogrammed Louis Vuitton",

they are greedy, selfish, cruel and without taste

Fashion Puss · 11-09-2005

Wow, just when I thought it wasn't possible for mankind to stoop to a new low...Am totally digusted at these individuals.

tweedy · 11-09-2005

That's sick.

susie_bubble · 11-09-2005

These stores should just instigate a new policy of not accepting these Red Cross cards.

As for the ppl using them to buy lux goods.......well, I can't even articulate how WRONG that is on SO many levels!

Erin · 11-09-2005

Ugh. I'm tired of people from our country making us look bad. Greedy and selfish in a time of horror for many down South.

I thought they nixed the plan on giving these out? Nonetheless, obviously some were distributed, these debit cards. There's definitely a mixed reaction toward them. I don't think it's the best idea, simply because of this. I think it would have been smart to place heavier restrictions on the purchasing power of these debit cards. Or made them solely spendable at Wal Mart, for example, just to avoid something like this. Then, course, you would still have the people that would use them to purchase alcohol, or video games, or items of the sort... but I'd like to think if they were solely for one place, Wal Mart/Target/large retail chain, that would have been the best and smartest bet.

mishahoi · 11-09-2005

i'm disgusted....how terrible... and to think the tax dollars will probably be paying for that!

Erin · 11-09-2005

^ Agreed. Americans will start feeling the pinch from Katrina financially soon, debit cards aside anyway.

fezbatik · 11-09-2005

I'm just going to play devil's advocate here:
I don't know anything about these cards - and I'm sure they were not meant to be used on luxury items - but perhaps, think about it this way:
These people have been left with nothing - and if a Louis Vuitton monogram is going to make someone feel better than say - Cheerios, then let them buy their handbag.

plasticine20 · 11-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by fezbatik

I'm just going to play devil's advocate here:
I don't know anything about these cards - and I'm sure they were not meant to be used on luxury items - but perhaps, think about it this way:
These people have been left with nothing - and if a Louis Vuitton monogram is going to make someone feel better than say - Cheerios, then let them buy their handbag.

Designer anything will make a lot of people happy, regardless of their situation. I wouldn't want any of my taxdollars or donations to go to someone's LV bag.

Ella · 11-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by fezbatik

I'm just going to play devil's advocate here:
I don't know anything about these cards - and I'm sure they were not meant to be used on luxury items - but perhaps, think about it this way:
These people have been left with nothing - and if a Louis Vuitton monogram is going to make someone feel better than say - Cheerios, then let them buy their handbag.

Umm... are you saying it's completely okay for these people to spend money that people have donated to the Red Cross so they could help victims of Katrina on something like this? I think this is disgusting, but I also think that there should've been, as Erin said, heavier restrictions.

FAQ	Calendar	Search	Today's Posts	Mark Forums Read	Rules	Links	Mobile	How to Join

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

11-09-2005	1
ultramarine chaos reigns Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Costa Rica Gender: homme Posts: 6,449	Fashionable Katrina refugees? From the NY Daily news: Lavish tastes of card-carrying lowlifes Profiteering ghouls have been using debit cards distributed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina - intended to buy essentials for evacuated families - in luxury-goods stores as far away as Atlanta. "We've seen three of the cards," said a senior employee of the Louis Vuitton store at the Lenox Square Mall in affluent Buckhead, who asked not to be named. "Two I'm certain have purchased; one actually asked if she could use it in the store. This has been since Saturday." The distinctive white cards were distributed by the Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and carry a value of up to $2,000. "It doesn't say anything on the card other than alcohol, tobacco and firearms cannot be purchased with it," the store employee told me. "There's nothing legally that prevents us from taking it, unfortunately. Other than morally, it's wrong." The source told me that the two women who had made purchases with the card each bought a signature monogrammed Louis Vuitton handbag in the $800 range. "They didn't look destitute by any stretch. You would never have said, 'They must be one of the evacuees.' … The one that I dealt with yesterday was 20. She'll be 21 next month." The source described the reaction of other store-keepers in the mall - which includes luxury brands Ferragamo, Burberry, Judith Leiber and Neiman Marcus - as "outrage." "It doesn't say anywhere on there, but it would have to be a good amount to be shopping in here," the source said with a dark chuckle __________________ Have you rated this thread yet?

11-09-2005	2
CelineChic fashion icon Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Montreal, Paris, and places in the UK Gender: femme Posts: 3,140	If you're going to use government money to buy designer handbags at least use it on something that is still in style. Then again some people just have no taste.

11-09-2005	3
tastes_like_chic backstage pass Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Just around the corner.... Gender: femme Posts: 861	tastless greedy wenches. __________________ Only great minds can afford simple style

11-09-2005	5
CharlottefromCA User Friendly Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Lala land Gender: femme Posts: 10,804	thats horrible... well I guess its good to remember that.. these are probably really rare instances (hopefully!...)... and that most of the people who get the cards are really in need.. but still.. thats just.. low low loww

11-09-2005	7
Fashion Puss backstage pass Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In the merry old Land of Oz Gender: femme Posts: 515	Wow, just when I thought it wasn't possible for mankind to stoop to a new low...Am totally digusted at these individuals. __________________ "Style is saying no"

11-09-2005	8
tweedy scenester Join Date: Feb 2005 Gender: femme Posts: 65	That's sick.

11-09-2005	9
susie_bubble V.I.P. Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London Gender: femme Posts: 4,072	These stores should just instigate a new policy of not accepting these Red Cross cards. As for the ppl using them to buy lux goods.......well, I can't even articulate how WRONG that is on SO many levels! __________________ 'A fashion that does not reach the streets is not a fashion.' Coco Chanel. MyStyleDiary My blog - Style Bubble - http://stylebubble.typepad.com/style_bubble/

11-09-2005	10
Erin Iowa Girl at Heart Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Los Angeles Gender: femme Posts: 14,556	Ugh. I'm tired of people from our country making us look bad. Greedy and selfish in a time of horror for many down South. I thought they nixed the plan on giving these out? Nonetheless, obviously some were distributed, these debit cards. There's definitely a mixed reaction toward them. I don't think it's the best idea, simply because of this. I think it would have been smart to place heavier restrictions on the purchasing power of these debit cards. Or made them solely spendable at Wal Mart, for example, just to avoid something like this. Then, course, you would still have the people that would use them to purchase alcohol, or video games, or items of the sort... but I'd like to think if they were solely for one place, Wal Mart/Target/large retail chain, that would have been the best and smartest bet.

11-09-2005	11
mishahoi loaded and locked Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: T-o-k-y-o Gender: femme Posts: 1,138	i'm disgusted....how terrible... and to think the tax dollars will probably be paying for that!

11-09-2005	13
fezbatik backstage pass Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Toronto Gender: femme Posts: 579	I'm just going to play devil's advocate here: I don't know anything about these cards - and I'm sure they were not meant to be used on luxury items - but perhaps, think about it this way: These people have been left with nothing - and if a Louis Vuitton monogram is going to make someone feel better than say - Cheerios, then let them buy their handbag.