Those hoops you describe at the end are probably just there to keep poor people from getting aid. A buddy of mine worked for FEMA during some snowstorm in New England and the forms that were done perfectly and exactly what FEMA needed in order to release the funds were done by other government agencies such as police stations and firehouses as well as large corporations. The people whose claims were denied were all individuals who didn't know how to complete the convoluted paperwork that appeared to be designed to deny exactly these sort of applicants. The corporations that don't really need the money and the government agencies that are sharing the same bankroll as the government they are applying to aid for, always got approved. It's really shit.

As far as your one law away from being imprisoned is concerned, I agree. I know a lot of dolts who say "I'm not doing anything wrong so I have nothing to worry about." Ok, but what about when what is "wrong" gets changed? Are you going to be convicted for something that wasn't "wrong" before?