[Fwd: Iraq Dispatches: Inside Abu Hanifa mosque during attack

[Lan Barnes]

On Fri, Dec 10, 2004 at 12:05:14PM -0800, James E. Henderson wrote:
> 
> 
> Lan Barnes wrote:
> 
> >On Wed, Dec 08, 2004 at 09:18:02PM -0800, James E. Henderson wrote:
> > 
> >
> 
> In addition, I once read a report from a woman who escaped from the 
> control of a cult and who claimed that the cult leaders had sent her and 
> other recruited members out to panhandle. She claimed that her part-time 
> begging, something like fifteen hours per week, was bringing in about 
> $45,000 per year, all of which went to the cult. She said they would 
> drop her off and pick her up in good, new cars and sometimes in 
> limousines, which could carry more members per trip.
> 

Now _that_ rings true. Organized begging is a fact of life in many
places, including the USA. I don't know if it violates any fraud
statutes, but it should. It's the kind of thing that gives poverty a bad
name (have fun with that thought).

I do need to point out that $45k/yr is not the stuff of regular limo
rides, even tax free. So the beggar in this case gets transportation as
part of a larger conspiracy, and in some ways may still be considered a
victim.

-- 
Lan Barnes                    lan at falleagle.net
Linux Guy, SCM Specialist     858-354-0616