Members of Congress Clueless About ATMs and Fees

Here’s one reason that Congress seems unsure about whether to limit ATM transaction fees to 50¢, as it’s been suggested: Some Senators aren’t exactly sure what ATM cards are, or how they work. “I’ve never used an ATM, so I don’t know what the fees are,” says one Senator. “It’s true, I don’t know how to use one.”

But, says Ben Nelson, the 69-year-old Senator from Nebraska in question, as reported in the Omaha World-Tribune:

“I could learn how to do it just like I’ve . . . I swipe to get my own gas, buy groceries. I know about the holograms.”

By “holograms,” Nelson clarified that he meant the bar codes on products read by automatic scanners in the checkout lanes at stores such as Lowe’s and Menard’s.

“I go and get my own seating assignment on an airplane,” Nelson said. “I mean, I’m not without some skills. I just haven’t had the need to use an ATM.”

The Washington Post followed up on the initial report by stating that other Senators rarely or never use ATMs, and that, basically, Congress is as old and out of touch as it’s ever been (and that’s saying a lot):

The remarks also appear to provide further evidence of a generation gap in the halls of an aging Congress. The average age of members is among the highest of any Congress in the past century, according to a February report from the Congressional Research Service. The CRS found that the average age of senators at the start of the session was 63.1 years, which is three years higher than it was four years ago; the average for the House was 57.2 years, which is up by two years. The Senate’s longest-serving member, Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), is 92.

Age shouldn’t matter, I suppose, so long as you “know about the holograms.”

As Gas Prices Go, So Go Prices for Used Cars

What do prices at the pump have to do with prices at the used car lot? They actually tend to mimic each other. Higher gas prices tend to cause drivers to want to spend less out of pocket on their automobiles. That means rising demand, as well as rising prices, for used cars—fuel-efficient used cars especially. Used car prices spiked last summer as gas prices soared, and then spiked again earlier this year as the national average neared $4 a gallon. Now that gas prices are retreating, relief is also in sight for consumers in the market for used cars.