Pay off your credit card bill, homeland security comes calling.

[QuettaKid]

They paid down some debt. The balance on their JCPenney Platinum MasterCard had gotten to an unhealthy level. So they sent in a large payment, a check for $6,522.

And an alarm went off. A red flag went up. The Soehnges' behavior was found questionable.

And all they did was pay down their debt. They didn't call a suspected terrorist on their cell phone. They didn't try to sneak a machine gun through customs.

They just paid a hefty chunk of their credit card balance. And they learned how frighteningly wide the net of suspicion has been cast.

After sending in the check, they checked online to see if their account had been duly credited. They learned that the check had arrived, but the amount available for credit on their account hadn't changed.

So Deana Soehnge called the credit-card company. Then Walter called.

"When you mess with my money, I want to know why," he said.

http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=RAISEALARM-02-28-06

[kenny blankenship]

1. Being free of debt is unAmerican

unless you were born rich.

[MADem]

3. Shit, I'm unAmerican, then!!

I refuse to get on that horse....if I can't afford it, I save till I can.

[villager]

5. slaves are *not* allowed to buy their way off the plantation!

Who will be left to pick the cotton?

[Redstone]

2. America turns into Soviet Russia more every day. Any arguments?

Redstone

[neweurope]

4. There is a difference. Innocents and dissidents or whatever

stood a chance - when they could flee to another country - to be accepted as political persecutees and so had a right on political asylum. Since the government of the USA is much more subtle than that of the USSR it would be absolutely impossible for you (at least at this stage of the game) to move to, let's say, the EU and be accepted as political refugee. Because nobody in the EU believes it has gotten this far yet.

--------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[acmejack]

6. A good citizen does not ask questions comrade.

I am afraid I must report you to the proper authorities for violation of that rule.

[Redstone]

14. Oh, shit. Guess I got big trubba now, huh? Also, I just deposited $14,900

into my checking account. Guess I shouldn't write any checks against that any time soon.

Redstone

[MindPilot]

7. I guess I know what I'm NOT going to do with my tax refund

This is the kind of shit that makes me want to go off on a "Falling Down" style rampage.

[MindPilot]

10. on second thought...

I wonder how much "homeland security" is being used as an excuse for poor service and incompetence. Could it be that was a nice delaying tactic to use while they found the lost payment?

I was in Lowe's a couple weeks ago searching for a replacement motion detector for my patio lights. I was told they no longer stocked the motion detectors separately because DHS had determined they could be used to build bomb triggers. I thought "yeah right, you guys fucked up the last order."

[frylock]

13. say what?!!

DHS had determined they could be used to build bomb triggers?!? What the damn? What's next? Security clearance required to purchase a cell phone? After all, those are also used to trigger bombs.

I'm completely disgusted by what has happened to our country in such a short period.

[In_The_Wind]

8. That's just really great.

We should all continue to squander our money paying interest on the debt instead. :sarcasm:

[lonestarnot]

9. WTF!!!!! Another bushitler outrage!

[dusmcj]

11. I think I'll move some money between accounts and pop some flags.

A surveillance society is its own reward.

Especially when it's run by dumbasses, blowhards, amateurs and wannabe playas.

God help the United States.

[Jayhawk Lib]

12. Being in debt makes very little sense

With the exceptions being your home, school loan, and maybe small debt on your car.

With your house you are either going to be paying rent or making a house payment providing you are buying a house well within your means.

A school loan is really an investment in your future earnings. But before you can capitalize on the investment you have to pay the school. Then when you are able to capitalize you need to get it paid off asap.

A person needs a dependable car to get to work. Being dependable does not mean going over your head in debt.

Any other debt that would take over 3 months to pay off is really inexcusable for the most part. For the most part it should be paid off at the end of the month. A person can not borrow themselves into prosperity.