Debit Fees: A Government Lemon Is Really Lemonade in Disguise

In a highly annoying self-righteous liberal justification for government price-fixing of debit card fees, the Washington Post's personal finance columnist, Michelle Singletary has the nerve to condescend to the rest of us: 

But you know what? Maybe this trend to charge for debit-card purchases is a blessing for struggling households. Maybe it's time we wean ourselves off using plastic so heavily. I've repeatedly cited university studies that show when consumers use credit or debit cards, they spend more than when they use cash or checks.

So stop whining - government imposed inconvenience is good for you. 

See also my colleague Peter Suderman's post on debit card social engineering, You Can't Call It an Unintended Consequence If You Knew It Was Going to Happen.