Welfare Money Spent On Luxury Items

[exboyfil]

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/27709217/detail.html?treets=atl

In Georgia this year, recipients will receive $52 million in
TANF dollars, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, commonly
known as welfare. A Whistleblower 2 Investigation revealed
thousands of dollars spent at liquor stores, strip clubs even
bowling alleys by TANF recipients.

****************
Interesting article.  What would be even more interesting
would be the use of data mining to really determine what is
going on in welfare spending.  It is easy to point to a few
examples of abuses and indict the system, but these data
mining techniques can be used to assess additional areas of
fraud (like unreported income etc).  What will eventually
happpen, if welfare fraud detection is done in this fashion,
is that the purchases on these cards will go towards necessary
goods and services once again?  If fraud is occuring, the off
the books income will be spent instead.  I really hate to
think that this spending is not fraud enabled, because this
means that desperately poor families are not spending money on
neccessities.

On the flip side aren't these welfare beneficiares entitled to
privacy in their spending decisions?

[GomezLives]

1. Liquor is a necessity.

[RC]

2. As are cigarettes, both serous and funny.

[notesdev]

4. as are strip clubs

without strip clubs a man can't really be said to live

[buddysmellgood]

3. I don't think welfare recipients ar entitled to privacy in their spending.

It's part of the deal that you surrender that in order to get the benefit. It sucks that people take advantage of the system, but it's tiny compared to the number that benefit honestly and miniscule compared to corporate welfare. We should aggressively work to limit fraud but that doesn't mean we should abandon the system.

[FSogol]

5. +1. Pennies compared to oil subsidies.

:shrug:

[physioex]

6. And all those illegal wars....

Funny how the poor are always the target.

[FSogol]

7. Exactly. And bowling is a luxury activity? n/t

[Glassunion]

15. Yes... Have you seen the shoes?

They are spiffy!

[Sadena Meti]

12. Relative Evils don't work.

It's like say "well he's not as bad as Hitler"

[WAFS]

20. +1 n/t

[phdmoma]

21. What should the people on food stamps buy?

I am hearing a lot of talk on this and I would like someone to make a list.

[jwirr]

23. So glad you would have demanded to see how I spend the money

I raised my children on. Somewhere out there today is someone like me - someone with a seriously disabled child who needs 24/7 care. Someone with two other children to raise. Someone who's husband did not want to provide for those children and never paid more child support than $20 a month. Someone who spent every single dime on those children. Someone who could never afford a home of her own. Someone who did not own a car and is today in deep poverty because she chose to take care of her children instead of dump them.

But you want to turn that person into the equivalent of a criminal. So glad you care so much.:sarcasm:

[provis99]

8. funny how rich people can do whateve they want with their government money.

But when we're talking about a pathetically low $52 million given to poor people, suddenly everyone wants lectures, drug tests, and supervision.

The values of America.

[a simple pattern]

9. Even bowling alleys?!

My monocle!

[exboyfil]

10. At least they are getting exercise

Assuming its bowling and not drinks.

[shraby]

11. Somebody should investigate the millions and millions

of oil and farm subsidies to see that they are spending the welfare money properly. Do I hear calls for it?? Do I? I think all I hear is crickets.

[peace17]

13. its non of any body's business how they gonna spend their money

they can spend it on alcohol, drug, stripper, cable TV, whatever they want , its their decision

[undeterred]

14. I think is when there are children involved.

If the money is going toward alcohol for adults instead of food and clothing for children, that's a problem.

[MrDiaz]

16. This is Ridiculous

First off NO. Welfare recipients are not entitled to privacy while spending the money they receive, because they give that right up when they choose to take the money from the government. And 2nd, It's the people that take advantage of the system, and abuse it that are the problem, they are the ones that give welfare the bad name.

[Name removed]

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[ATLdemocrat]

18. Outrage over the poor buying beer with welfare money

Meanwhile, the rich buy yachts and private jets with their welfare money, and they get praised for it.

[Name removed]

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[Antifa919]

22. Oh puh-lease

The majority of those on welfare don't abuse their rights.

The "welfare queen" stereotype has long been put to death.

Sure, there are people who are gaming the system, and they ruin it for everyone else, but the majority of the people are just not like that. We have to remember that every case is different and often times if they do spend it on liquor, they often have had a drinking problem long before they went on welfare.