- Dec 18, 2011
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Welfare for Weed: EBT Recipients Can Use Benefit Cards To Buy Pot
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell wrote, "HHS has no authority to prescribe policies and practices for the states to implement in order to prohibit the use of TANF benefit cards at marijuana stores."
Rep. Libby Szabo (R-CO) joined Tucker Carlson on Fox and Friends Weekend today and explained that the state's hands are tied because they cannot regulate a federal program.
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/09/13/welfare-weed-ebt-recipients-can-use-benefit-cards-buy-marijuana
Here is another article claiming that FOX made up the story, but FOX correctly stated that EBT cards can be used. People can also use EBT cards to get money from ATM machines.
The difference is that those who only receive EBT cards for food stamps are supposed to be restricted from using them for anything but food. However, those who receive other benefits have the money on the same EBT card used for food stamps and they can be used at ATM machines and most stores with no restrictions. Some states did manage to restrict them, but not until millions were wasted on stupid shit that people have no business buying with EBT cards. One clerk at a convenience store was fired after refusing to allow someone to use their EBT card to purchase cigarettes. It was allowed because the EBT card had more than the food stamp money on it. Most don't check. People were using the cards at ATM machines at gambling casinos and the cards also purchased things like tattoos and were used at nail salons. In California alone, millions in cash were taken out of ATM machines at casinos using EBT cards.
Dishonest store owners have accepted them for a lot of things. Even at our local store, there is fraud constantly. My friend who works at check out said often two people come in and one with an EBT card will pay for both people's groceries. The one who pays with the EBT card gets money from the friend. For instance, one pays the other $100 in cash for $200 worth of groceries charged to the card. They both benefit. The EBT card holder has cash to spend however they want and the other got a hell of a deal on their groceries. This goes on all the time. You can only hope that the one trading EBT money for cash doesn't have hungry children going without so the parent can support a drug habit or something.
Bottom line is there isn't enough effort to oversee the program to ensure the cards are being used honestly. So, fraud, waste and abuse will continue. Most on the left say we should tolerate the cheaters in order to help those who need it. I say put restrictions on the cards, have stiff penalties for those who break the rules and cut down on the fraud to ensure we can help those who need it. How many people wouldn't bother trying to game the system if they knew they would face charges if caught? If there was a good chance of getting caught, it wouldn't be so attractive to take advantage of the tax payers.
It's disingenuous to claim that pointing out fraud is dissing all needy people. It's not that simple. Crooks are crooks and they hurt everyone. The tax payers lose when people misuse the system and that cannot be tolerated. There is no such thing as 100% when it comes to keeping the system honest, but we can do a hell of a lot better. We're talking billions spent each year and the percent that goes to crooks adds up fast. We don't have money to blow and enforcing the rules by making examples out of those who game the system might discourage some from cheating. As it is, no one is worried about misusing the cards and getting caught. That should change. Fraud should be something both sides are concerned about. Only reason I can think of for ignoring it is if some are afraid that they'll piss people off for clamping down on stealing. I don't care who gets pissed or who they vote for. We're talking big money here.
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/01/21/fox-pretends-coloradans-can-buy-pot-with-food-s/197666
Even CBS news discovered that welfare money buys pot in some states. HHS admitted it. Nice try to blame FOX for lying, liberalmediamatters, when the truth is that there is a major problem with the system. States can restrict how the EBT cards are used, but many don't until they realize how much fraud there is. And all that money is just gone. How insane that they have to take time to legislate to stop people from using the cards for ridiculous things. If something is offered for free, people will find a way to take advantage of that. Businesses screen people before offering credit. Maybe we should screen people before handing over billions each year. It doesn't help the truly needy when scammers can so easily get their hands on tax payer money. It just hurts everyone.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hhs-federal-law-allows-marijuana-purchases-with-welfare/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell wrote, "HHS has no authority to prescribe policies and practices for the states to implement in order to prohibit the use of TANF benefit cards at marijuana stores."
Rep. Libby Szabo (R-CO) joined Tucker Carlson on Fox and Friends Weekend today and explained that the state's hands are tied because they cannot regulate a federal program.
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/09/13/welfare-weed-ebt-recipients-can-use-benefit-cards-buy-marijuana
Here is another article claiming that FOX made up the story, but FOX correctly stated that EBT cards can be used. People can also use EBT cards to get money from ATM machines.
The difference is that those who only receive EBT cards for food stamps are supposed to be restricted from using them for anything but food. However, those who receive other benefits have the money on the same EBT card used for food stamps and they can be used at ATM machines and most stores with no restrictions. Some states did manage to restrict them, but not until millions were wasted on stupid shit that people have no business buying with EBT cards. One clerk at a convenience store was fired after refusing to allow someone to use their EBT card to purchase cigarettes. It was allowed because the EBT card had more than the food stamp money on it. Most don't check. People were using the cards at ATM machines at gambling casinos and the cards also purchased things like tattoos and were used at nail salons. In California alone, millions in cash were taken out of ATM machines at casinos using EBT cards.
Dishonest store owners have accepted them for a lot of things. Even at our local store, there is fraud constantly. My friend who works at check out said often two people come in and one with an EBT card will pay for both people's groceries. The one who pays with the EBT card gets money from the friend. For instance, one pays the other $100 in cash for $200 worth of groceries charged to the card. They both benefit. The EBT card holder has cash to spend however they want and the other got a hell of a deal on their groceries. This goes on all the time. You can only hope that the one trading EBT money for cash doesn't have hungry children going without so the parent can support a drug habit or something.
Bottom line is there isn't enough effort to oversee the program to ensure the cards are being used honestly. So, fraud, waste and abuse will continue. Most on the left say we should tolerate the cheaters in order to help those who need it. I say put restrictions on the cards, have stiff penalties for those who break the rules and cut down on the fraud to ensure we can help those who need it. How many people wouldn't bother trying to game the system if they knew they would face charges if caught? If there was a good chance of getting caught, it wouldn't be so attractive to take advantage of the tax payers.
It's disingenuous to claim that pointing out fraud is dissing all needy people. It's not that simple. Crooks are crooks and they hurt everyone. The tax payers lose when people misuse the system and that cannot be tolerated. There is no such thing as 100% when it comes to keeping the system honest, but we can do a hell of a lot better. We're talking billions spent each year and the percent that goes to crooks adds up fast. We don't have money to blow and enforcing the rules by making examples out of those who game the system might discourage some from cheating. As it is, no one is worried about misusing the cards and getting caught. That should change. Fraud should be something both sides are concerned about. Only reason I can think of for ignoring it is if some are afraid that they'll piss people off for clamping down on stealing. I don't care who gets pissed or who they vote for. We're talking big money here.
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/01/21/fox-pretends-coloradans-can-buy-pot-with-food-s/197666
Even CBS news discovered that welfare money buys pot in some states. HHS admitted it. Nice try to blame FOX for lying, liberalmediamatters, when the truth is that there is a major problem with the system. States can restrict how the EBT cards are used, but many don't until they realize how much fraud there is. And all that money is just gone. How insane that they have to take time to legislate to stop people from using the cards for ridiculous things. If something is offered for free, people will find a way to take advantage of that. Businesses screen people before offering credit. Maybe we should screen people before handing over billions each year. It doesn't help the truly needy when scammers can so easily get their hands on tax payer money. It just hurts everyone.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hhs-federal-law-allows-marijuana-purchases-with-welfare/
