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The Spectacle Blog
Welfare recipients in New York have been using their government benefits at some seedy establishments, according to a NY Post investigation. The Post revealed yesterday that Electronic Benefits Transfer cards are being activated inside porn shops, liquor distributors, and infamous nightclubs.
A Republican bill proposed by the state Senate last year seeks to limit welfare spending to goods and services that would benefit a family. “Sinful spending” done at a casino, bar, or strip joint, for instance, would not qualify for a place on the government’s tab.
The Democrats, with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver at the helm, are arguing that the government shouldn’t dictate how the checks are spent. It’s refreshing finally to find some on the Left who think that a person’s money is his own to spend—though less refreshing when that person’s money was first taken from someone else.
The bill has been awaiting passage by the state assembly, but that won’t be easy. Democrat Assemblyman Richard Gottfried went so far as to equate welfare recipents to firemen, policemen, and other muncipal employees.
“Last I checked, this is America, and if somebody wants to propose that policemen, firefighters, sanitation workers, state legislators and other people paid with government funds be restricted as to what they use their money for, let them propose it,” Gottfried said, according to the Post. “I wouldn’t support it.”
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More Blog Posts by Teresa Mull
http://spectator.org/blog/2013/01/07/promoting-the-party
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Albert Constantine Jr.| 1.7.13 @ 6:35PM
I believe at last Mr. Gottfried has revealed what he believes government jobs are created to do; not to provide necessary services determined by statute and constitution at the lowest level that it efficient and effective to deliver them, but rather as one of the tools available to redistribute the wealth to members of the favored classes.
CJW| 1.7.13 @ 8:13PM
Gottfried believes that receiving welfare from NYC is the same as receiving a paycheck from NYV as a policemen, firefighter, sanitation worker, state legislators and others paid with government funds. Probably Gottfried would support the unionazation of welfare receipients so they can bargain for more benefits.
We can agree with Gottfried about state legislators in New York being similar to welfare receipients.
Bob K| 1.7.13 @ 6:53PM
This is one of the reasons that New York is one of eleven states which have more people on Welfare than they have employed.
Here they are, East to West: ME, NY, SC, OHIO, KY, AL, MS, IL, NM. CA. AND HI.
167 electoral votes!
mike 3/505| 1.7.13 @ 8:31PM
Over in C.I.D. they'd call that a clue.
Pecos Pete| 1.7.13 @ 8:58PM
And, most of those "employed" in NM work for either the feds or state, county or city. Ain't life grand?
Occam's Tool| 1.8.13 @ 12:15AM
I love Alabama, but there are a lot of people who don't work hard there.
Kentucky is fairly obvious to anyone who has spent time in KY (5 years). I left Cali,NM,IL. MN has a lot of Lutherans. I like it here.
CarlS| 1.8.13 @ 12:06AM
The EBT cards were used at ATM's in these establishments, not for payment at those establishments. Suppose the ones in the strip clubs or porn shops were used by employees, not customers. Liquor stores are often the only ATM's in some neighborhoods without bank branches.
spike59| 1.8.13 @ 5:42AM
1-"The EBT cards were used at ATM's in these establishments, not for payment at those establishments." And you know this HOW??????
2-"Suppose the ones in the strip clubs or porn shops were used by employees, not customers."
Strip club and porn shop employees on EBT?????
3."Liquor stores are often the only ATM's in some neighborhoods without bank branches."
I call BS...much like Moochelle's vaunted 'urban food deserts', this doesn't pass the smell test.
Of course, I can see why committed leftists would WANT welfare recipients to spend our money at liquor stores and bars...a drunk voting base is a compliant voting base
JP| 1.8.13 @ 12:08PM
I think what he meant was that no bank would be foolish enough to have an ATM in many of the most violent neighborhoods. ATMs, therefore are only safe in strip joints and porn shops.
markenoff| 1.8.13 @ 2:31PM
Because nobody ever thought of puting an ATM in a convenience store or at a gas station.
markenoff| 1.8.13 @ 2:35PM
Why are they even allowed to draw any cash on these cards? They should be for food period.
Used to work at a bakery next to a liquor store back when the food stamps were still stamps. Lowest denomination was $1. People would come in, buy a .45 cent donut with a $1 food stamp, get the .55 cents change, leave, come back and continue the cycle until they had enough money for beer and cigarettes.
Once had a woman pay for a $300 wedding cake with food stamps. Others would buy sheet cake birthday cakes with candy appliques of cartoon characters (Power Rangers etc) and be upset when they had to pay cash for the applique (cake could be bought with food stamps) because the government didn't consider the applique to be food.
In CA you can use EBT at Pizza Hut. No wonder the poor are so obese.
Occam's Tool| 1.8.13 @ 12:13AM
The likelihood that they were NOT used for fun in those establishments beggars description, CarlS. I TREAT those people for psychiatric illnesses and drug addictions.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 1.8.13 @ 7:07AM
This article is mean!
No one should stop anyone from getting laid, having a smoke or getting drunk.
Redfray | 1.8.13 @ 9:51AM
Mr. Bill Hussein O'Stalin, would you give me some of your money so I could get all three of these pleasures?
Kingofthenet| 1.8.13 @ 12:25PM
It's a cash benefit, restricting where you can 'cash out' is nuts. You can simply go to a bank ATM and walk next door to the liquor store, this is nothing but stupid GOP grandstanding.
markenoff| 1.8.13 @ 2:36PM
Stop giving them cash. Period, end of story.