-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The Food Stamp program, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is a target for Republicans who voted to cut $40 billion from the program. The reasons that Republicans have given are so divorced from reality that one can reasonably suspect their true motivations lie elsewhere. The primacy of fantasy in the GOP has been recently evidenced by Michele Bachmann who sees signs of the End Times, a wished-for global apocalypse.
First up on the list of fantasies is by Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Arkansas) who said “the food stamp program [grew] exponentially because the government continues to turn a blind eye to a system fraught with abuse.” In reality, SNAP participation closely tracks the long term unemployment rate, prolonged by Republicans. The sale of SNAP benefits for cash, called “trafficking,” has been cut to $1 in every $100 of SNAP benefits. The reality is a one percent abuse rate, the fantasy is SNAP is “fraught” with abuse.
The next fantasy is that able-bodied people are getting food stamps instead of working. The reality is that 83% of all SNAP benefits go to households that include a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person. The average individual gets $133 a month in SNAP benefits. It is ridiculous to imagine that a person is going to quit their job for $133 a month that can only be spent on food, but Republicans bear ridicule well.
The next fantasy is that SNAP recipients use their benefits to buy cigarettes and alcohol. The SNAP program uses Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, similar to debit cards, that can be used in the supermarket checkout line only to purchase food. The Right likes to point to Jackie Whiton, a Peterborough, New Hampshire, store cashier who declined to accept an EBT card as payment for a pack of cigarettes. In reality, the EBT card contained state assistance money, not SNAP benefits, which can be used to purchase tobacco products. The store she worked for has a policy of accepting EBT cash benefits. In reality, Whiton was fired for violating the company’s policies.
The Republican war on programs that benefit Americans in need isn’t based on a philosophical commitment to small government. If it were, the $20 billion in farm subsidies, a welfare program for agribusiness, would be near the top of their hit list. According to a Greenberg report, the Republicans “are very conscious of being white in a country that is increasingly minority.” The report goes on to say that the “race issue [is] very much alive.” There you have it. Obama is taking their money and giving it to “Those People.”
H/T: Dave Johnson, Paul Krugman, Dottie Rosenbaum, Amanda Marcotte, Brian Tashman, WMUR.
Nick… thank you… I live near Youngstown, Ohio…. that should sum it up. I agree with you and appreciate your reply.
Is anyone else having epileptic seizures from the way the screen is jumping? ‘Yumpin’ Yimminy!
Tina, I apologize for the inside reference. There are folks here, who believe there is only “a little” fraud here, who also believe there should be no photo ID for voting, same reason. There’s little or no fraud. I lived in Chicago so imagine my incredulity. And, the folks who think there is no fraud in the aforementioned categories, SCREAM about fraud in military spending. There is unquestionably more fraud and corruption in military spending. William Proxmire was my Senator and he screamed @ fraud everywhere. A great US Senator who would really scream if he saw his Democratic Party now.
Yeah Rummy was always good for a laugh… Let him tell you what happened to $8.9b USD gone missing during Iraqi CPA with Ambassador Paul Bremer and future CT-gov hopeful Tom Foley. And then tried to cover the glitch up with a $8.9b US Patriot missile boondoggle, “Now you’re comparing lies to more lies..uhhh I meant apples to oranges…” – Donald Rumsfeld
@michaelmca66 – What you fail to see (and if my last posting would PLEASE COME OUT OF THE SPAM FILTER) you’ll see what the correct definition of SNAP card abuse is. The USDA is clamping down of stores that you know of. Those idiots sign TOU agreements and could be liable for fines and/or jail terms. You can only go so long ostensibly making your own hang-men’s rope.
The investigators are probably aware of your local 5 stores. They may just be allowing them to continue so that DoJ can prefer charges that will stick. Some of the SNAPers abusing at your stores may be UC (undercover) agents. They will be caught as the computer ferrets them out with trend analysis. You know the store owner is not only doing it with one person. He has many. So he is digging his own hole.
My Walmart posting was more about someone at Walmart HQ IT Dept doing something fraudulent maybe in a misguided egalitarian effort. But it appears the Walton’s were aware of it and let it slide for some really good PR. However, yes the SNAPers did show the dark-side of human nature: materialism. But some might say it was driven by hunger or the V for Vendetta public disobedience so often seen in America these days.
One definition of the noun ‘abuse’ is “the improper use of something…” I’m sure those poor folks will be enjoying that big turkey and ham tonight. Apparently Sam Walton is saying “enjoy yourself folks, we’re not pressing charges!”
Thanks Mike S; for the actual numbers.
MichaelArm: Yes, ammunition. Do you not understand that word?
When you claim abuse is rampant when it really is not rampant, that factual error gives others the ammunition to point at you, as an EBT recipient, as their “proof” that the program needs to be overhauled or shut down. So 1.3% abuse the system. 98.7% do not. Overhauling the program would create hardships for the 98.7%, and would be a waste of money. Terminating the program would create hardships for the 98.7% it is currently benefiting.
I don’t really care if some people would rather drink beer or smoke instead of eat and abuse the system; the cost of stopping that is far more than the cost of letting the idiots waste their benefit. The controls in place already, combined with the need for food the program addresses, are sufficient to reduce the abuse rate to an acceptable level.
If we had a 1.3% abuse rate in charging the US Government for military equipment and services, we’d be ecstatic and pay half as much in taxes.
Nick: No thanks, I will read what I feel like reading.
@sonofthunderboanerges, interesting story about walmart.
Forgive me if I am misunderstanding you but are you suggesting what all those people did was not abuse?
Hell, one woman only had 49 cents on her card and attempted to walk out of the store with $700 worth of food.
According to the story, the whole entire store was cleaned out, that is a shyt load of people and you say people don’t abuse their cards?
Not sure how this will play out, but if walwart was still accepting the cards even though the balance wasn’t showing, I assume that the purchase was still being made onto the card and its quite possible that all those peoples cards are now in the negative as a result.
Back to what you are saying about fraud though, you cant seriously believe that there is enough people in the fraud dept to personally monitor everyone’s purchases 24/7.
Plus, crooked store owners will not just let anyone abuse the cards at their stores, I personally know of 5 stores that will “buy” funds off the card, let people get things such as smokes,beer, cash and even gas for their cars, but I cant personally go there and do it, even though I don’t wish to.
But a few others stores have been busted in the past and they can no longer accept the card, nor coupons either.
But yah, you begin your post claiming you don’t see any out of control misuse of the cards, then link a huge misusage over a glitch in the system.
1) walmart said they monitored all purchases, meaning the cards apparently were charged
2) a ton of people flocked the store and completely emptied all the shelves knowing full well of this glitch and put their cards hundreds of dollars into the negative.
No abuse there.
Michael Arm,
“As I said before, i really have no life outside of the internet and I really enjoy a good debate, but there really isn’t one here,
Not even sure what those who are saying my previous food stamp fraud examples are lies, actually are saying anything relevant.”
I believe you. You have no life, and there’s no good debate here. You’re talking to yourself. Why not stop, and let others have a good debate? You could perhaps read, and learn.
I’d probably believe your second sentence, if you’d translate it for us.
Something about your previous food stamp fraud examples are lies? The sentence is unintelligible, from there on.
Why do you keep describing yourself as a liar? You’re the only person saying such a thing.
Normally I would just give you a url hyperlink to this story but since the federal shutdown started the USDA (in charge of SANP) website is down. (huh!!??). So any way here is the cut and paste of the recent story to address the present problem with SNAP card trafficking:
WARNING: Word wall alert!
Sorry I glitched on typing in the correct URL for KSLA-TV I guess. Try this one:
http://www.ksla.com/story/23679489/walmart-shelves-in-springhill-mansfield-cleared-in-ebt-glitch
Again… I do not see the truth behind “out of control fraud” with SNAP EBT cards. Yes there was a problem with the legacy paper-version food stamps as there was no tracking ability or accountability. But now that they are long gone it is a different story now.
Let’s say the scenario that an unscrupulous immigrant convenience store owner is taking EBT cards (with PIN #) from criminal-minded SNAP recipients looking to trade for OTHER non-food items in his store (such as liquor and smokes?). What you people who have no clue what you’re talking about don’t understand that the EBT system is not archaic like the old system of paper.
DSS (Dept of Social Service) state employees who are in the fraud division, can monitor ALL transactions for purchases, trend analysis, vendor tracking, time of day usage, etc. The system is like some sort of Ed Snowden NSA gadget but only for SNAP recipients. If a vendor is showing unusual transaction history like a lot of SNAPers are shopping at his store during liquor law times, too many purchases of same kind of food items, frequent transactions within a small window of time, etc then a follow up investigation is made. This thing is a data-miners dream.
They will send out undercover agents posing as drug-addicted SNAPers looking to do “business” for liquor, cigarettes, or other non-food items. I do not think an immigrant would want to put his green card in jeopardy with federal I.C.E. over some really dumb-azz move like what some of you are suggesting.
Someone said you can not buy toilet-paper with a SNAP card. Well, if DSS put the small cash allotment on it then yes you can. However, it’s only about 10% of your benefit. IOW $200/month SNAP benefit has a $2.00 cash allotment installed on it per month. It you can buy dollar store TP then you can get two rolls! 🙂
Also you need to know that your SNAP card is also your MEDICAID card. You can present this at any hospital or medical center for payment for covered medical services. And yes that can be defrauded by someone who found or stole your card and is using it for medical treatment. I don’t see a run on ER rooms by fraudsters do you?
Well the biggest abuser of Medicaid and maybe SNAP EBT is the richest retail company in the world, WALMART. They have been known to try and subsidize lower-income employees health care with it. But NOW as of Saturday 12-Oct-2013 they really did a crazy thing with SNAP cards in Louisiana. Maybe it was a stroke of generosity which you will not be seeing country-wide. WALMART has a heart now???
Watch this amazing video shot Saturday by KLSA-TV in LA about a WALMART Supercenter EBT glitch:
http://www.klsa.com/story/23679489/walmart-shelves-in-springhill-mansfield-cleared-in-ebt-glitch
Now maybe this is EBT fraud… who knows. But by whom?
As I said before, i really have no life outside of the internet and I really enjoy a good debate, but there really isn’t one here,
Not even sure what those who are saying my previous food stamp fraud examples are lies, actually are saying anything relevant.
It just seems like they are trying to out talk everyone else.
BTW, telling me you need me to provide evidence and claiming I am wrong, is calling me a liar.
Also, its disturbing that they actually believe that said studies are accurate info.
Can you please explain to me how on earth anyone would know if forsay I sell all my stamps illegally right now to someone else?
“studies show this and that”
You actually believe that there is any way possible for them to know that such and such crooked store owner takes the food card for non food items?
You actually believe that there is any way possible for them to know that such and such sells his card to his drug dealer each month?
You actually believe that there is any way possible for them to know that such and such works at a six figure job, isn’t married to his kids mother, nor on the lease and she doesn’t provide his info to the welfare office and therefore she gets full benefits for herself and the kids.
Also, my ex girlfriends neighbor runs a full time mechanics garage on his property and brings in very decent moneys that he does not claim nor does welfare know and they family gets full benefits.
It may appear that I am complaining about the fraud but I am not, I applaud anyone that gets over on our wonderful government.
Good for them, its our tax money they are getting, taxes they have paid too, taxes that line the pockets of those running the country into the ground.
We cant even afford medical for the elderly, nor afford housing for everyone, but we sure can afford to build bombs and fly our guys over seas to get the killed in wars that should not even be happening.
Plus take pictures on Mars of all the most useless things to be spending our tax money on.
A photo on the card might deter some fraud but then people will just go to the store with them and in the end, it will just hurt the disabled that rely on their family to do their shopping for them.
Not to continue to stir up things that those unable to understand reality will want to hear,but a ton of those I have been referring to are actually disabled but hooked on various drugs, such as heroin and crack cocaine.
I prefer not to be associated with Tina’s world-view, thanks.
Even I’m not that ignorant.
Tina,
OK, if that’s what you want to be called, you’re a bit ignorant.
Why not change your nom de plume to “A Bit Ignorant”?
Then, everyone here would address you as you requested.
Too simple?
Well, what a catch you are.. I was saying that I was “ignorant” to the comment… thus, lacking the meaning of the comment in reference to mine… Too simple for you? You have, I am quite sure, an extensive dictionary… one that thrills you to belittle those that do not satisfy your intellectual requirements… You are “ignorant” to your surroundings….. The topic here was in reference to the ebt/food stamp “crisis” (fraud).. Who better to comment and learn from than the common layman or do you put yourself in such a demented state that we, the layman, are just for argument sake?
Bob Kauten:
Just in case Mr Kauten missed my uneducated reply:
Well, what a catch you are.. I was saying that I was “ignorant” to the comment… thus, lacking the meaning of the comment in reference to mine… Too simple for you? You have, I am quite sure, an extensive dictionary… one that thrills you to belittle those that do not satisfy your intellectual requirements… My definition of this is… inadaptable, and ignorant to one’s surroundings.. The topic here was in reference to the ebt/food stamp “crisis” (fraud).. Who better to comment and learn from than the common layman or do you put yourself in such a demented state that we, the layman, are just for argument sake?
Funny how you put it: Common layman: Me… sees it as… Breitbart on the right, Media on the left, and a grey matter in the middle….or better known as “opinions”.. something like here. Truth… hidden in some keyless closet.
And call me a bit ignorant, but did not really get the hidden agenda attached to my “photo id” comment? hmmm.
Breitbart on the right, Media Matters on the left, the truth in the middle.
Tina, PHOTO ID!!!! Those are fightin’ words here. Now you’ve really stirred up the bees nest. Way to go.
It is quite easy to cut, not prevent, the food stamp fraud. Require a photo ID… or put the photo right on the ebt card… And, it is not the drug dealers, in my opinion, as Shannon wrote.. that is her own personal experience, just one. It is, mainly, the grocery stores that allow the purchase of non-food items to be bought with the ebt cards that only have food benefits on them. The food stamps are to help the needy… I am all for helping others….and as said time and time again on this everlasting blog: fraud will always exist where it can. Pretty simple if you ask me.. not that you did, just threw in my two cents anyways.
Read all of my comments Professor Tony.
(and this about not only Fox but CBS, and even NPR misreporting and allegding great fraud in disability program From media matters “Media coverage has real consequences. Policy by anecdote has in the past led to significant and needless harm to Social Security disability beneficiaries. The wellbeing and economic security of millions of people with disabilities and their families – for whom Social Security disability benefits are nothing short of a lifeline – hang in the balance.” http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/07/60-minutes-report-denounced-for-disability-misi/196317
This is the same kind of misinfo that gives impetus to movements to curtail disability,SNAP, and other safety net programs.