Have funds, will travel for those on the dole

Multiply this times 50 and you get a real picture of welfare fraud. Combine that with the $125 billion wasted by the Pentagon and hundreds of billions more frittered away by the Federal, State, and local governments – and you’ve got a true picture of government in action. And we want to give them more power?
Guest Post by Howie Carr
 

Massachusetts’ EBT card holders are spending welfare cash in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, while patronizing or at least accessing ATMs in liquor and tobacco stores, beauty salons and tattoo parlors.

In response to my public records request, the state’s Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) turned over 18 months of EBT records from Jan. 1, 2015, to July 1, 2016.

In all, the taxpayers shelled out $321 million in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) to welfare recipients.

Liquor Stores, Beauty Shops, and Bars where EBT cardholders are accessing welfare cash at HowieCarrShow.com.

In the 18-month period, more than $7.3 million in Bay State welfare funds were spent outside the state, including $2.4 million in New Hampshire, $780,000 in Connecticut and $549,000 in the Sunshine State of Florida.

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In that period, Mass. EBT cards were also used 1,335 times in Puerto Rico to access more than $110,000 in welfare cash.

State Rep. Shaunna O’Connell (R-Taunton) has long campaigned in the Legislature against welfare fraud and abuse.

“I continue to advocate for an end to out-of-state usage and to limit cash access,” she said. “Taxpayer-funded EBT cards should not be paying for vacations. The state should revoke cards used out of state.”

Another $134,000 in welfare cash was accessed in the cities and towns around Walt Disney World in Florida, more than $11,000 in Las Vegas and another $2,289 in Hawaii.

Welfare recipients also accessed $2,054 in Atlantic City, N.J., and another $2,144 in Uncasville, Conn., home of the Mohegan Sun casino, including $600 accessed at 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd.

TANF benefits, which are basically cash, are supposed to go only to the state’s neediest residents. The program was formerly known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).

EBT cards also provide money from a different fund, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), which used to be known as food stamps.

Eligibility for TANF benefits enables a recipient to access a number of other welfare programs, including Mass Health.

The records provided by the DTA do not differentiate between actual spending at the businesses, or whether those on the dole just accessed ATMs at the addresses.

In the 18-month period, state welfare recipients accessed nearly $100,000 at liquor stores across New England. At one liquor store in Lawrence, there were three separate $500 withdrawals on a single day in January 2015.

Welfare recipients accessed $7,800 at a liquor store in Springfield, $7,706 at one in Lakeville and $6,586 at another package store in Fall River.

State law prohibits those on the dole from squandering their handouts on alcohol, tobacco or tattoos. Spending on pet food is allowed; welfare recipients accessed over $2,200 at various pet stores over the 18-month period.

In response to an inquiry, the DTA said that if the agency suspects welfare cash is being spent on prohibited items, a “site inspection” is conducted.

“If an establishment is determined to be predominantly an establishment which sells liquor or other prohibited items,” a DTA spokesman said in an email, “DTA will block EBT transactions from being accepted through their (point of sale) system and/or any ATM on their premises.”

The spokesman said DTA recorded 308 “intentional program violations” by various stores over the 18 months.

“Many of these purchases are illegal,” O’Connell said, “and should cause cards to be suspended.”

Other findings from the DTA’s public records:

• $22,700 in welfare funds for “needy families” was accessed at stores with the words “Tobacco,” “Smoke,” “Cigar” and “Cigarette” in their names, including stores in Pineville and Cut Off, La., Moultrie, Ga., as well as stores in North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama.

• Almost $10,000 was accessed in one tobacco store in Dorchester alone.

• About $19,000 cash was accessed in beauty stores and nail salons, mostly in Boston and other urban areas in Massachusetts, but also including four in Brooklyn and two in the Bronx.

• More than two dozen bars, clubs and taverns have recorded EBT transactions totaling $7,200 with lounges in Lawrence and Springfield leading the way.

• An EBT tab of $14 was run up at a Pennsylvania lounge called “the Swingers’ Club.”

• More than $4,500 in state welfare benefits were accessed at one jewelry store in Springfield, Conn.

• Massachusetts welfare recipients spent nearly $6,000 in the Virgin Islands, including $1,374 at a single restaurant in St. Thomas. A woman who answered the phone there Monday said the restaurant has an ATM.

Follow the money

The state’s Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) turned over 18 months of EBT records from Jan. 1, 2015, to July 1, 2016, and this is what the data showed:

$134,000 in welfare cash was accessed in the cities and towns around Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

$110,404 in Puerto Rico

$11,404 in Las Vegas

$2,054 in Atlantic City, N.J.

$2,289 in Hawaii

$2,144 in Uncasville, Conn., home of the
Mohegan Sun casino

 

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IndenturedServant

Around here there are several Indian casinos plus numerous smaller privately owned casinos and the FSA is allowed to use on site ATM’s to withdraw cash to gamble with. I know people who run part time daycares in their section 8 apartments (or some other small biz), work regular jobs full or part time or work under the table for cash plus they steal shit whenever/wherever to sell on the black market AND they get welfare. At the end of the day, some of them make more than I do. I know one Indian who uses multiple SSN’s to get multiple annual distributions from his tribe (something to with their casino). That alone brings in $45k/yr.

Everybody is on the take except for us idiots that still work and those who saved to retire.

Jason Calley
Jason Calley

Hey IS! “Everybody is on the take except for us idiots that still work and those who saved to retire.”

And they are coming for the 401Ks and any other retirement savings they can get.

While the post only deals with fraud within the supposed-poor sector, let us never forget the many other classes of parasites feeding off our labor; the corporations with cost-plus contracts, the companies which get the various special tax rebates and forgiveness, the companies bloating up the military budget by making ships that won’t float and planes that won’t fly, the non-governmental agencies sucking up grants to use “for the children!”, the wastrels who get good paychecks and fantastic benefits for manning pointless and unConstitutional airport checkpoints, the intelligence agencies funded lavishly for spying on all our personal communications, the schools being paid to subvert education and transform children into idiot zombies. The list can go on… They could all be replaced quite effectively and MUCH cheaper by simple cancer.

Bostonbob

I’ve been reading “The Paper Boy” since the early 1980’s. He is ruthless in the local politicians, and his depth of knowledge on the local crime families and there ties to the FBI is unmatched. Shauna O’Connell the Taunton Rep, who is one of the very few Republicans in the state house, and has been relentless at following up on this, attacking the coverup of the welfare fraud and waste. As recently as this week the state has been groaning about a shortfall of $100, 000,000 in state funds because “revenue has not met expectations”. Revenue my fat ass, the cannot steal enough of my money in order to keep up the grift.

I could go on for hours with regards to the waste, fraud and coverup that defines this states finances, $15 billion on healthcare costs, thank you Romneycare. When the Obamacare health care exchanges were open and failed miserably the state took it upon itself to put anyone who asked and some who did not immediately on to the state medicaid program qualified or not. Do you think there may have been a little abuse during this confusing transition. No one has ever done an audit to see what the real costs were and who the benefits went to. To bad, so sad, nothing to see here. Welcome to Massachusetts, where if it not nailed down, the politicians will steal it, and if it is they will bring a pry bar.

Bob.

ILuvCO2
ILuvCO2

So nice to see “Captain” Howie on TBP. I’ve been listening to him on my commute in the afternoon for over 20 years. Have also read a number of his books. If interested I would suggest “Hitman”. He has Shauna on quite often. Massachusetts is a mess. The problem is that Mass folks move to NH to get away from that crap and then vote for the same moonbats they did before. NH is turning into Mass. North. Sad.

hardscrabble farmer

How was the turkey?

ILuvCO2
ILuvCO2

The turkey was awesome. I brined it for 24 hours then slow cooked it. Lots of leftovers, made 3 batches of turkey bone broth, and turned half of that into turkey soup.
I almost had to buy a chicken from you also. When taking the pup for a walk around, she went after a couple of birds and chased them all the way into the coop. Luckily I caught her as she was laser focused on a barred rock perched on a fence post.
How much snow cover up in SooNipi land ?

Peaknic
Peaknic

In the grand scheme of how much money was distributed, the out of state “fraud” amounts to 2.24%, which is not out of control. I agree they should try to minimize this crap, but relatively speaking, this is chump change compared to the money pissed away by the Pentagon.

David
David

Yep, certainly all of the in state spending was for food. Sarcasm off.

M. I. A.
M. I. A.

One state down 49 states to go. Another project Trumps can work on in his first 100 days.

KaD
KaD

I’ve said it before, end the EBT program and give these people a food allowance. They can go in to the store and get only certain basic items in specific amounts only. Bread, butter, peanut butter, jam, milk, eggs, oats, raisins, oranges, apples, some veggies, beans, potatoes, so many pounds of ground beef a month and a few chickens. That’s IT. If they want better they go to work for it.

Jason Calley
Jason Calley

How about this, this will simplify it even more. The various foods are made into bite sized pellets, then loaded onto tractor trailers with each flavor in its own bin, and each bin with a chute and lever extending outside the trailer. Three times a day, the truck pulls into the neighborhood, and anyone who is hungry can press the lever and get a pellet. A simple spout with a ball valve can be licked to get water. Maybe have a water spray on the back that activates when the truck pulls off. Cheaper than napkins…

ILuvCO2
ILuvCO2

Now there’s an idea. HSF, get ahead of the curve and figure out how to turn your pigs and cows and chickens into food pellets. For breakfast I’d like 2 egg pellets and a bacon pellet. Wait, where is the vodka spout? What, no oxy pellets? Next thing you know they will be adding vaccines and infertility inducing drugs to the pellets. When the truck pulls up, they will come, just like when you put down a load of hay for your cattle.

Jason Calley
Jason Calley

Cattle? No, more like feeding sheep. 🙂

(By the way, nice idea with the vodka spout.)

TampaRed
TampaRed

You must be very young.Until just a few years ago there were physical coupons,or stamps that had to be handed over in exchange for food.Relatively few items could be purchased compared to today.
Big food is why so much is allowed to be purchased now.

Ms. Ciscero
Ms. Ciscero

Have Gun-Will Travel
“What you need is an umpire with a gun.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLhJhn5O3_4

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