Saturday, March 17, 2012

Food Stamps Exchanged For Drugs, Weapons, Contraband




While the Obama Administration promotes food stamps like there’s no tomorrow, the rolls are already higher than ever and so is the sort of fraud and corruption that often accompanies an out-of-control government program.

A record 46.3 million people—including some illegal immigrants—get taxpayer-funded food stamps at an annual cost of $76 billion, according to the agency that distributes the welfare benefit, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This represents an increase of more than 16 million over the previous year, according to USDA figures. That’s because the administration is on a mission to eradicate “food insecure households.”

The effort includes a multi-million-dollar federal initiative to recruit even more food-stamp participants and hefty cash rewards for states that sign up the most people. A few months ago Oregon officials bragged that the USDA gave the state $5 million in “performance bonuses” for ensuring that residents eligible for food benefits receive them and for its “swift processing of applications.”

As if that weren’t enraging enough, this week the USDA Inspector General, the agency’s watchdog, revealed that many food-stamp recipients use their welfare benefit to buy drugs, weapons and other contraband from unscrupulous vendors. Some trade food stamps for reduced amounts of cash, according to USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong.

Fong was testifying before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. She told the panel that in the last five years 779 probes have resulted in 1,356 indictments, 944 convictions and 792 sanctions against individuals and businesses that have cheated the system. The fraud has cost taxpayers nearly $200 million, Fong said.

The inspector general provided lawmakers with a number of examples. Among them is an illegal immigrant store owner in Connecticut who got deported after being convicted of food-stamp trafficking. He reentered the U.S. to open several stores using fake names. In Florida a group of criminals defrauded the USDA welfare program to the tune of $6.2 million, Fong said.

Additionally, thousands of people who are not eligible for food stamps are getting them by lying or using the social security number of dead individuals. In a check of just five states, the IG found that 8,594 recipients were receiving “improper payments.” In one unnamed state alone, Fong said the ineligible collectors are getting about $1.1 million each month.

The IG pointed out that, when this sort of fraud occurs, “families do not receive the intended nutritional assistance and retailers profit at the expense of the American public.” It also does nothing to help meet the president’s goal of eradicating “food insecure households.”

5 comments:

  1. I don't think any of us are opposed to helping those in need....

    It seems to me that the underlying failing is in the deterioration in ethical values of the participants.

    Our culture is rotting.
    JR

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  2. I am wondering,this blog is entitled "Food Stamps Exchanged For Drugs, Weapons, Contrabandtled".

    I haven't actually seen a physical foodstamp in a grocery line for some time? I have only seen people using foodstamp debit cards? I'm not certain how one could buy a weapon using food stamps unless first someone bought some food and traded for a weapon?

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  3. Folks trade cash for EBT transfers. On the street, it's 70/30 right now. Moreover, too many 'corner stores' that spring up like mushrooms in economically disadvantaged areas are complicit in this activity. I have nothing against a measure of social security for those who need it however the system, like DMV, SSI, and others, are prone to corruption due to lack of accountability. Buying 'weapons'? That's a little 'way' out there.

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  4. These "Facts" are but millions, imagine the food the BILLIONS of dollars wasted on WAR would provide? Imagine that for a moment.

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    1. Hell yeah. According to research, 'one day of modern warfare would eliminate poverty in America. It only takes 50 billion dollars'. Since Billy 'Bob' Clinton, there has been a resurrected a war against the poor.

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