Food Stamps Used To Buy Guns and Drugs

This could be why I am so damn cynical about the whole welfare system and the welfare slugs who suck the life out of this country.
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Please note, I am not saying there are not noteworthy temporary welfare recipients who genuinely need and deserve assistance until they can get back on their feet.
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Food Stamps Used to Buy Drugs and Guns
Food stamp recipients have traded their benefits with corrupt retailers in exchange for cash they used to buy drugs and weapons.
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That’s just one of the outrageous examples of abuse in the food stamp program revealed when Phyllis Fong, the Department of Agriculture’s inspector general, testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Thursday.
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“In terms of fraud, we have seen many types of trafficking in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits,” she said in prepared remarks.
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“By giving a recipient $50 in cash for $100 in benefits, an unscrupulous retailer can make a significant profit. Recipients, of course, are then able to spend the cash however they like.
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“In some cases, recipients have exchanged benefits for drugs, weapons, and other contraband.
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“When trafficking occurs unchecked, families do not receive the intended nutritional assistance, and unscrupulous retailers profit at the expense of the American public.”
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The latest estimate places the number of food stamp recipients in this fiscal year at about 46.3 million, up from 30.8 million at the beginning of fiscal year 2009.
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The sale or purchase of food stamp benefits for monetary gain is punishable by disqualification from receiving future benefits, fines, and criminal prosecution, according to CNS News.
However, it came to light in Fong’s testimony that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the food stamp program, does not have a policy to ban food stamp retailers from the program even when they have been convicted of defrauding the government.
Fong said: “‘Suspension and debarment’ is a legal tool that Federal agencies can use to protect programs from repeat abusers and ensure that the Government does business only with responsible parties.
“If FNS (the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service) took steps to debar retailers with a proven record of dishonesty, those individuals would be prevented from abusing other Federal programs.
“However, in a recent audit, we determined that FNS did not debar any of the 615 wholesalers and retailers convicted in relation to 208 cases, even though a conviction is adequate grounds for debarment."
She also testified that the USDA does not review the criminal background check on food stamp retailers and "therefore cannot comply with its own requirement to deny SNAP authorization to any retailer with a criminal history."
In addition, the food stamp program does not even check the Social Security number of some of its recipients, many of whom are using the numbers of dead people and invalid SSNs to get benefits that potentially total $1.1 million a month" Fong said.

 

Yep, Even the sheeple are trading government dollars for guns.

contraband like bullets? MRE's? vitamins?

 

It used to be woorse when food welafare was paper coupons. I have even had people approach me wanting to sell their coupons.

As far as fraud ......... its what the whole system is baised on.

 

On top of it, retailers are not asking for I.D. to make sure that the Food Stamp debit card is being used by the person receiving benefits. WTF, if I use a credit/debit card I get asked for I.D. but those who are receiving free benefits do not. Same thing goes for drug testing, I can not get a job without pissing in a cup.

 

Note what I retyped verbatium in bold. The freakin' worhtless government workers on all levels ignore the problem, and the solutions, and seriously prosecute next to no one. CRAP ... CRAP ..... CRAP
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I want to go postal on someone.

 

Some days I think I'm the only stupid person in the US because I'm not on the take for something. It's a good thing though because I'd be sure to get caught and they WOULD prosecute me, I don't vote Democrat.

 

They are still doing it with the EBT cards....also the "gas cards".....you guys know they have a card for po' folks to buy gasoline now ? I didn't until the other day when I saw one being sold....100 bucks worth of gas for 50 in cash.

 

Of course they aren't going to do something about it. Those are votes that will vote for more free benefits and larger governmental agencies.

You do realize that if we were to bitch enough about the fraud that would lead to more government jobs to investigate themselves. We can't win for losing.

I am so sick and tired of working to help pay for these life sucking leeches that take advantage of the system and those that help to protect and educate them on how to acquire the free meal ticket plus all the other assortment of benefits we work hard to provide for.

I have no problem giving a lending hand to those who truly need the help.

 

I have arrested dope dealers and upon searching the suspect I have found multiple EBT cards that comes to 3 or 4 thousand dollars. The dope dealer takes $2.50 to $3.00 per dollar on dope. We turn the people in to DHHR and they lose benifits for $30.00 days then get them back. My opinion the bastards should lose them forever along with the children. Be charged with welfare fraud and child abuse. I hate most people I really believe in mercy killings for the betterment of the human race. Our taxes pay for crackhead zombie's to get high!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![elim]
Then when they OD our tax dollars pay to save them puut them through rehab and give them a legal fix at the methadone clinic. Lace the methadone with arsnic I would mind my tax dollars paying for that.

 

I came to the realization earlier today that the government WANTS every one they can get dependent upon it. Thats part of why if you work harder to try to make more $$$ you get taxed more!! To keep you from wanting to do better in life. Thats why those that don't try at all get so many government benefits. Scary thought I know, the Government of a Nation trying to weaken & destroy the values of the people that once made it great. I'd think I'd need to wear my tinfoil hat, but I see too much evidence to prove its TRUE!!!! God Help Us All!

Think about it. If you try to raise your children to be Responsible Persons, they take away your right to discipline them. You take care of your car for a long time, pollution laws to make you get rid of it & fuel it can't run on. Laws that say Banks must loan you money to buy more house than you can afford. Tax refunds for having too many kids. Liberal brainwashing of children in schools. Trophys not for winning but for just showing up!!!

 

Easier to control the sheeple they get the same plus more for being a pleg on society for not working than we do for working. Where we all made our mistake was our parents raised us wrong. They raised us that a man is judged by not his job title but by the quality of the job that he does when working. A man is a man by working for his family and for what he wants and needs by blood and sweat. For taking pride in being a man and making his way for him and his family. Then we go out and get our first job that knocks us out of the free ride. Plus I screwed my daughter up because I taught her what my dad taught me and she followed in my shoes started working at 15 and now she is 18 so no free ride for her. But I am Damn proud of her and for what my dad done for me and made me a man even though I can't use the goverment to buy my skoal and bud light.

 

I've seen 'em sell for less than .50 on the dollar, as low as .15 on the dollar when the seller is starting to kick.

Frankly I got no problem with a hard working citizen buying Lone Star cards for pennies on the dollar from some crackhead. The crackhead removes even more time off his/her useless lifespan by spending his handful of change on bathtub crank, and my tax dollars, which are already blown, are at least used to fill someone's freezer who deserves it more than said crackhead anyway. Not to mention it's one less month's worth of money that goes to a dope dealer.

Disclaimer: I am not advocating nor admitting to buying food stamp cards from crackheads. To do so would be illegal and I am a good comrade who follows all the rules and advises all around me to do the same.

 

I have to say i have been on food stamps twice in my life once back in the mid 90's era when my wife was in the last stages of her cancer before passing away and our bills where just overwheming on my pay and the state helped us with some food stamps keep us afloat intill things got better

The second time was in later 2007-2008-time frame when i was hurt on the job and going through about 6 diff surgery's on my right shoulder and neck and back area to fix the problem and the state of Ca put me on it because of beening at the time having more bills coming into the house and not enough money to pay them .


It shamed me to no end have to do that to make ends meet those times

 

Hank..+1 for your Honesty and no doubt that you are a Gentleman...!!!Gator

 

Hank, there is no shame in taking food stamps if indeed you really need them, and are doing everything in your power to legally support your family, and get back on your feet. I had hoped I made that clear in the second sentence of my original post. My ire is directed at those who abuse the system, or knowingly allow it to be abused. That includes anyone who buys food stamps or gas cards at a discounted price. There are things called "honor" and "integrity" and right and wrong. Some of us try like hell to walk on the right side of the line no matter what others around us are doing. jmho

 

Alpha its simple legalize drugs and drop the requirement of government assistance for overdose. Self solving problem.

 

You make the point for the real reason for gov aid. To help those who will help themselves not to support you for life. We are a tribe and must help our own, but help is not provide for.

 

To my way of thinking it just felt wrong and shamefull that i as a head of the house could not make my bills and support my family on what i was making at the time .The last two year of the cancer with my wife we had no medical insurance because of them droping us from there plan becaue of my wife beening termial and not beening able to make a full recovery and they went down to the barest payout of the medical bills that they could get away with and leaving me with the rest to take care of in the end .

I filed medical bankrupting in 1996 to get out from under all the medical bills i had from her illness

The second time was worse because of the whole getting hurt on the job and then going through alot of second guessing part of my boss and his higher ups in my fromer line of work along with why it happened the way it happened at the time .

I went through a second story landing and hit a diff things on the way down before i was stoped by ground and hitting my head and neck and shoulder on the way down and tearing and ripping up diff muscle groups in my neck and shoulder and back area .