Selling Foodstamps For Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs, Gambling

Grabbed this piece on food stamps from Doug Ross. Love his site. http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2011/05/exhibit-food-stamp-fraud.html

I have seen estimates anywhere from 40 million to 44 million people using food stamps. That's the kind of great economy we have. About 13 or 14% of all people in this country are receiving food stamps. http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/05/07/us-food-usa-stamps-idUSTRE6465E220100507 A large number of these people are out of work. Many are addicts. I know several of them, at least 50.

Normal people do not understand addicts and alcoholics. They will feed their addiction before they will feed themselves. Addicts will find a way to score whatever they are addicted to. Eating is a secondary concern. They can score food for free. They don't need to use valuable food stamps. That's just how it is. So every week, I have folks on food stamps offering to buy my groceries and sell them back to me for cash at 1/2 price. They need the cash for cigarettes and booze, sometimes drugs. Government subsidized medications, some of them from the Veteran's Administration, are sold as well.

Fraud estimates range from 10 to 25% on the SNAP program. I agree with the high end of those estimates. Interestingly enough, the TBTF Bank-JP Morgan, issues SNAP cards. I've never been able to find out how much government money they receive per card or per reload. With record numbers receiving SNAP cards- it's been worth a look but I'll be damned if I can find it anywhere. I've also heard that Californians have been able to use welfare cards in casinos. http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread588034/pg1
 
How many billions have we lost? Who knows? How long can this go on? Until the apathy in this country dissolves and people start demanding some measure of accountability- prosecuting and shit canning those politicians who allow this type of fraud and waste to continue. Maybe we should all just quit paying taxes until we see some reform. Conscientious objectors. What are they going to do? Lock 180 million of us up and try to feed us with no tax revenue? We'll receive a different kind of food subsidy. That one comes with trays, servers, and guards...we don't even have to cook or do dishes. Things to like.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Welfare fraud goes back to the late 60's. I experienced it personally. I was married with two children and we ran out of money three months before I would start graduate school and receive a stipend for my research. it was either drop out of school before graduating or swallow my pride and accept food stamps. I swallowed my pride for three months. I don't recall how much we received in food stamps but I remember that the stamps could buy more food than we could eat. So I would, for example ask a neighbour to buy us laundry detergent in exchange for some food items they could use. I was never so glad as the day I received my first research stipend and could stop getting food stamps. Accepting food stamps made me feel worthless.

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