$69 million in California welfare money drawn out of state

Los Angeles Times ^ | October 4, 2010 | Jack Dolan

[artichokegrower]

More than $69 million in California welfare money, meant to help the needy pay their rent and clothe their children, has been spent or withdrawn outside the state in recent years, including millions in Las Vegas, hundreds of thousands in Hawaii and thousands on cruise ships sailing from Miami.

State-issued aid cards have been used at hotels, shops, restaurants, ATMs and other places in 49 other states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam, according to data obtained by The Times from the California Department of Social Services. Las Vegas drew $11.8 million of the cash benefits, far more than any other destination. The money was accessed from January 2007 through May 2010.

Welfare recipients must prove they can't afford life's necessities without government aid: A single parent with two children generally must earn less than $14,436 a year to qualify for the cash assistance and becomes ineligible once his or her income exceeds about $20,000, said Lizelda Lopez, spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services.

Round-trip flights from Los Angeles to Honolulu on Orbitz.com Sunday started at $419 — more than 80% of the average monthly cash benefit for a single parent of two on CalWorks, the state's main aid program.

"How they can go somewhere like Hawaii and be legit on aid … they can't," said Robert Hollenbeck, a fraud investigator for the Fresno County district attorney's office. "This is money for basic subsistence needs."

The $387,908 accessed in Hawaii includes transactions at more than a thousand big-box stores, grocery stores, convenience shops and ATMs on all the major islands. At least $234,000 was accessed on Oahu, $70,626 on Maui, $39,883 on Hawaii and $22,170 on Kauai.

[Drew68]

An anti-fraud unit in Orange County, which won praise from state officials last year for saving the state millions, has since had to slash its budget and lay off 15 investigators, said Paul Bartlett, commander of the county district attorney's Bureau of Investigation.

Those cuts saved $900,000 in operating expenses but allowed "an estimated $9.6 million in suspected fraud payments out the door,"

SMASHING! HEAD! AGAINST! TABLE!

[Lurker]

I was in line behind a woman at the grocery store on Saturday. She had a case of Corona beer and six limes. (I counted them.)

She paid for the case of beer with two $20.00 bills. For the 6 limes she used a State of Illinois EBT card. I was as close to going sh** house rat crazy as I've ever been....

[Explorer89]

Those cards may be “pre-loaded” with money, but I would assume each is hooked to some account number, thereby identifying the user of each card. How hard could it possibly be to figure out who was misusing their card?

[Texas Eagle]

I feel your pain. I always get behind those people. I’d like to know why none of their money ever goes to deodorant.

[Drango]

State employees have an incentive to do this now, because they need to prove their worth and if money isn’t found somehow, their jobs could be on the chopping block.

Are you on drugs?

[MinuteGal]

I'd also like to see the data on how much welfare money is being wired out of the coffers of ALL our states to help support relatives y muchos bambinos in the old countries, i.e., Mejico y Sud America.

That giant sucking sound you hear.........

Leni

[Pan_Yan]

From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs

From each according to his ability, to each according to his WANTS

"From each according to his ETHICS and ability, to each according to his WANTS.

[kalee]

How many of those fraudsters have fake nails, fancy weave and braid hairdos, gold teeth, cell phones and cable or satellite at home?
I am not opposed to helping the poor, but many of our poor are NOT really poor.

[FlyVet]

Supposedly, in CA, farmers can't find US citizens willing to work the fields.

That would be a perfect opportunity for these welfare cheats to make restitution. Give them a choice between working the fields to pay it off, or prison.

Politicians are such idiots.

[Drew68]

How hard could it possibly be to figure out who was misusing their card?

Not hard at all except that California, in their infinite wisdom, only investigates accounts that have been used out of state for anywhere from 30-90 consecutive days. Who the hell vacations in Vegas for a month? Hawaii for three months? Withdrawing money from an ATM in Vegas on Saturday and Sunday and you're back in California on Monday won't trigger an investigation.

In their further infinite wisdom, investigations are hobbled by the fact that California decided to save the state money by laying off the state employees whose job it was to investigate welfare fraud.

[randita]

Are you on drugs?

You mean you don't believe that there is going to hope and change?

[Lockbox]

That you said, "thanks", was a dead giveaway that you're not a real sponge.

Damn outed.......

[Ditto]

I have a feeling that a lot of these cards are being exchanged for drugs and it’s the drug dealers spending the cash in Vegas and elsewhere.

[Qbert]

On top of the fact that California doesn’t even have this money to begin with...

[meadsjn]

One would think it would be very easy to denied access to those accounts outside of California.

Three lines of code max, in any language.

[Sparky1776]

Not a computer expert, that sounds fairly simple. I think the same should apply to Soc Security - if you leave the country beyond x amount of days - say after 180 days, no access.

[RFEngineer]

“Wow.. trips to Hawaii, cruises, Florida vacations... Las Vegas... must be some GENEROUS welfare being doled out from the dwindling ranks of California taxpayers.”

Airfare, courtesy of the state of California.

Hotel, courtesy of the state of Oregon

Meals, courtesy of the state of Washington

You can live a good life on welfare if you are audacious enough.