The article is from a crappy source, and it also clearly states the woman QUIT her job and was not fired which means we will save plenty of money because she cannot claim unemployment for quitting.
I do agree with her. Food stamps cannot be used to pay for smokes, and most people are not eligible for further assistance. I think you actually have to have dependents in most states to be given further welfare than just food. I do agree that alcohol, tobacco, and other non-living essentials should not be sold to anyone on public assistance, but that is something to take up with the state governments as they decide what assistance is given, who gets it, and how much they get. The fed does not actually provide much aside from a block grant the state is allowed to decide how it is used. So don't get all huffy with Obama or any congresspeople over that, you have your state government to blame, and this may not apply to all states.
Oh, and get a better source that does not lie and distort facts.
Nope, she was fired, according to the Boston Herald.
And,
NH happens to have two EBT cards - food stamps on one and simple cash on the other.
Cash assistance does not necessarily mean poverty. Your unemployment benefits now come on a state issued debit card, though I do not know if that is linked to an EBT debit card, but it may show up as such. People on unemployment are not really claiming poverty as unemployment only goes to people who have been employed and paid taxes into the system for the limited times they are out of work. The woman clearly had no idea as to why that person was being given cash assistance, and it certainly was way out of her job description top be deciding who does or does not get that assistance. if she wants that job she needs to get employed by the state. Even the article admits he was not using EBT food assistance which is the main form of welfare people get, and that can only be used to purchase edible foods, and they even limit you there as certain foods and drink are not able to be purchased with EBT. One of the main limitations i know is expensive energy drinks are not able to be purchased by the EBT food system, and tobacco products cannot be charged to the card.
before you get your panties in a bunch you should really know the states have done a lot to limit and lower abuses that exist to the welfare system, and modern POS and inventory systems that do not allow clerks any choice to ring up non-food products under EBT are in place where EBT is accepted. The places that use EBT now have full electropnic inventory control systems and track employees and inventory very closely to limit shrinkage, and to limit employee abuses of the system for their friends. Clerks do not enter prices anymore, and if they do enter something it is an electronic ciode that corresponds to the item being purchased. When they need to have price corrections or go beyond that system it almost always requires a manager override and that means oversite to make sure employees are not doing anything odd. Bwefore you go flipping out like stupid woman in the article you should really educate yourself on the modern checkout systems, and fraud systems in place today that limit the old abuses to the system.
Modern welfare abuse often involves things like hiding income to become eligible for benefits, or things like claiming dependents when you have other friends or family members caring for your crotch droppings. If you were able to somehow scam smokes for food assistance you could smoke a pack a day and have nothing else left if you bought generic cigarettes, and you could only do that in certain states with the lowest taxes.
Oh, could you also link the boston herald article as the Blaze is a known bullshit site.