The incessant screwing of the unemployed........

WASHINGTON -- Many states shortchange the jobless by distributing unemployment benefits on debit cards loaded with obnoxious fees, according to a new study by the National Consumer Law Center.

Of the 40 states that have switched from paper checks to prepaid debit cards, 22 states' cards charge ATM fees, 24 charge balance inquiry fees, and 28 charge inactivity fees. The cards in Arkansas, Idaho, Nebraska, Ohio, and Oregon come with overdraft fees ranging from $10 to $20.

And in Connecticut, Iowa, Rhode Island, and Tennessee, cardholders "must pay for every ATM inquiry or pay a denied transaction fee if they request cash when their balance is insufficient," the study says.

Tennessee stands out for having the card with the most "junk fees," the study says. Tennessee's card, provided by JPMorgan Chase, charges $1 for initial ATM withdrawals, 40 cents for balance inquiries, and 25 cents whenever someone swipes the card at checkout. It's one of just four states that doesn't provide even one free ATM withdrawal per deposit. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/11/states-shortchange-the-un_n_860606.html

I'm in Tennessee and am currently drawing UI. They do give you the option of a bank account direct deposit (my personal option), but even that isn't available for a LARGE group of poor people.

This greed and exploitation is why capitalism will NEVER work for the vast majority of the working class/poor. Hopefully, more and more of this exploited class are seeing that.

It made me think about how vital it is for us to get out of this system. I've read and listened to David Korten's work as well, but reading Jensen this morning made me feel naked and alone.

We are stuck in this damned system. I'm glad you are getting some UI, but it's got to be terrifying to be without work in this current political climate. To live at the sufferance of these arrogant fools who don't realize how close to homelessness or death we all are.

And you're right, capitalism cannot be reformed. Fast or slow, this value system is killing all of us, and the world.

in 4 years or so, that I've had to go to the next UI tier without getting a contract work gig. I've used my times on UI to look for a "real" job, i.e., W-2, but towards the end of each tier, I've been offered and taken a contract position. At the end of this tier I haven't even gotten a CONTRACT offer yet. For me, that's scary because I've got pretty good skills at inside sales.

I'm not sure the economy is improving. At least not on the jobs front.

As far as I know benefits here are by paper check or direct deposit. I have direct deposit.

JP Morgan Chase makes off of the unemployed with this scam.

Among other things, I objected to the fact that we suddenly had an account at a bank that was not our usual bank, and that a bank that was not my own knew someone in our household was unemployed. GAH!