Let The Dead Bury The Dead—But They Can Pay For It With a Stimulus Check!

Nick Gillespie | May 15, 2009

Antoniette Santopadre of Valley Stream was expecting a $250 stimulus check. But when her son finally opened it, they saw that the check was made out to her father, Romolo Romonini, who died in Italy 34 years ago. He'd been a U.S. citizen when he left for Italy in 1933, but only returned to the United Stated for a seven-month visit in 1969.

The Santopadres are not alone. The Social Security Administration, which sent out 52 million checks, says that some of those checks mistakenly went to dead people because the agency had no record of their death. That amounts to between 8,000 and 10,000 checks for millions of dollars.

More here.

Hat tip: Instapundit.

In honor of zombie stimulus checks, I present for your edification and education, Miss Bette Davis performing as Miss Baby Jane Hudson performing "I've Written a Letter to Daddy," which somehow seems strangely on point re: the shape of the government.

Comments

! </a|5.15.09 @ 9:10AM|#

Nick,

Are you are ignoring the Mafia connection on purpose?

|5.15.09 @ 9:28AM|#

LOL, free stimulus for everyone! Yey!

R
www.whos-watching.net.tc

|5.15.09 @ 10:42AM|#

Another example of "easy come, easy go" attitude of the goons that work for the government. There is no incentive to get anything right. Are they gonna get fired? Hell no! Whoever did this will get a freakin' promotion! It's the old "screw up and move up" attitude.

|5.15.09 @ 10:47AM|#

The obvious solution here is to have every living person legally in America present themselves to a social security office with four pieces of acceptable notarized documentation so the government can get their books in order. All others will be declared officially deceased and dropped from the rolls. After this very minor inconvenience, the Social Security Administration will keep their records completely up to date because "the right people" are in charge now.
____________________________
Anonymity Spambot Creators- FOADIAF.

Xeones|5.15.09 @ 11:03AM|#

It's good to know that the big chunk of my paycheck that goes to SS every two weeks isn't, like, being wasted or anything.

Jordan|5.15.09 @ 11:12AM|#

But don't worry; they'll finally get it right when they try to provide healthcare for 300 million people.

|5.15.09 @ 11:14AM|#

A chip implanted in the skull could solve this problem. If the chip is broadcasting a signal showing that you are still alive, then you get a check.

ed|5.15.09 @ 11:19AM|#

healthcare for 300 million people

The census is coming up, and Obama apparatchiks are running it. I have a feeling that the "300 million" is about to become 340 million, many of them homeless (but somehow voting) Democrats.

creech|5.15.09 @ 11:23AM|#

I wonder how many s.s. recipients have died and their families don't inform s.s. and keep collecting and cashing the dead's check for years? Don't states forward death certicates to s.s., including s.s.#? [In the instant case, of course, the man died in Italy so it might be explainable why s.s. did not know.]

Grummun|5.15.09 @ 12:32PM|#

According to the article, the dead Italian dude wasn't even in the Social Security system. Hadn't been in the US since 1933, except for a visit in '69.