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EBT benefit card glitch sparks Walmart shopping sprees in Louisiana
CBS News ^

Posted on 10/14/2013 5:21:05 AM PDT by bryan999

The Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system allows recipients of government food stamps to purchase goods using a digital card with a set spending limit, but for a few hours over the weekend, that limit disappeared for many users visiting Walmart stores in Louisiana.

Walmart and local police in Springhill and Mansfield confirmed to CBS affiliate KSLA that officers were called into the stores to help maintain order Saturday as shoppers swept through the aisles at two stores and bought as much as they could carry.

Xerox, which hosts some of the infrastructure used by the EBT card system, told KSLA that a power outage during a routine maintenance test caused the temporary glitch.

Walmart workers phoned their corporate headquarters to ask how they should handle all the shoppers with unlimited, government-funded spending limits, and were told to keep the registers ringing.

"We did make the decision to continue to accept EBT cards during the outage so that they could get food for their families," Walmart representative Kayla Whaling told KSLA. She added that Walmart was, "fully engaged and monitoring the situation and transactions during the outage."

Amateur video taken on shoppers' cell phones shows dozens of shopping carts, piled high with merchandise, abandoned in the aisles of one Walmart after the announcement was made that EBT cards were once again showing accurate spending limits.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: ebt; retail; walmart; welfarestate
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To: cripplecreek

Maybe they are aware of how unhinged people who live off the lives and work of others can be.

Perhaps they were just keeping the riots down. If they refused to honor the no-limit EBTs, they may have lost their stock and even their stores to vandalism and theft.

It’s a form of self-preservation in ordered madness.


81 posted on 10/14/2013 7:54:23 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: Former Proud Canadian
Either way, in the end, the parasites die. It is only a question of means and timing. Govern yourselves accordingly, friends.

Or the HOST succumbs. That is our more likely scenario should this nation suffer through another 8 years of Democrat dictatorship.

82 posted on 10/14/2013 7:55:37 AM PDT by montag813 (NO AMNESTY * ENFORCE THE LAW * http://StandWithArizona.com)
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To: Former Proud Canadian

That is a profound and succinct statement, FPC. Thanks.


83 posted on 10/14/2013 7:55:58 AM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: TheOldLady

Apply that excuse to Detroit. Its really the same thing and yes the taxpayers will pay off Walmart.


84 posted on 10/14/2013 7:57:18 AM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: LibsRJerks
And when that day comes, we are going to see the TRUE end result of liberal policies. It will be beyond anything anyone could imagine.

If Obama is president when this occurs, the bloodbath will be unprecedented. He will not hesitate to use every weapon of war in our armed services against the people. That is why he keeps replacing generals and officers appointed before he took office and replacing them with loyal traitors.

85 posted on 10/14/2013 7:58:20 AM PDT by montag813 (NO AMNESTY * ENFORCE THE LAW * http://StandWithArizona.com)
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To: montag813

-——(2) Deport them to Liberia.——

The flow is reverse.

I have recently become associated with a fairly large East Tennessee colony of recent Liberian migrants. They seem to be political refugees from the recent civil war. Although it is over and their side apparently won, they have been given political refugee status and are not about to return.


86 posted on 10/14/2013 7:58:58 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Travon... Felony assault and battery hate crime)
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To: Wurlitzer
If these people do not return those items immediately they should all be charged with theft and I imagine the cards are traceable so finding most of them should not be an issue.

THEY WILL NEVER BE CHARGED with ANYTHING. And WalMart will be repaid every penny. You know I am right.

87 posted on 10/14/2013 8:01:22 AM PDT by montag813 (NO AMNESTY * ENFORCE THE LAW * http://StandWithArizona.com)
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To: GOPJ

“The country needs to wake up to what’s happening with the dependent class - a group liberals are turning into criminals.”

Well said.

God help us.


88 posted on 10/14/2013 8:02:58 AM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: cripplecreek

You’re right. The only people providing EBT money are taxpayers.

We dang well pay for everything, and we get not even a rude thank you, just bluster and hatred.


89 posted on 10/14/2013 8:10:23 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: luvbach1

I would think Walmart would have tried to close the store. Would have needed police though.


90 posted on 10/14/2013 8:12:11 AM PDT by cornfedcowboy
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To: bryan999; Lazamataz

“Xerox, which hosts some of the infrastructure used by the EBT card system, told KSLA that a power outage during a routine maintenance test caused the temporary glitch.”

Laz, does this square with your understanding of how the computer glitch could go down? From what you said the other day, I’m thinking this statement is not probable.


91 posted on 10/14/2013 8:15:31 AM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: I want the USA back

Black Friday on a Saturday?


92 posted on 10/14/2013 8:17:19 AM PDT by TurboZamboni (Marx smelled bad & lived with his parents most his life.)
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To: FrdmLvr
I don’t understand why WalMart set this precedent.

Notice how these barbarians didn't storm Target. Most Targets take E(everybody else's) B(ucks) T(ranfer) cards, too. What up wit dat? Just a matter of time?

93 posted on 10/14/2013 8:21:54 AM PDT by Jane Long (While Marxists continue the fundamental transformation of the USA, progressive RINOs assist!)
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To: TheOldLady

I was watching the idiots on twitter complaining that they were “allowing” people with cash to buy whatever they wanted.

Its not enough that they get psychotic over a system glitch that lasts a few hours, they were angry at people who pay for the EBT cards were “allowed” to shop as if nothing had happened.


94 posted on 10/14/2013 8:22:41 AM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Jane Long

Most Targets aren’t located in the same markets as Walmart.

And no superTargets to be found in any of the cities mentioned in this article or in Philadelphia Mississippi. No groceries, no EBT card shoppers by and large.

Perhaps Target is the more intelligent retailer, long run.


95 posted on 10/14/2013 8:25:51 AM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: Black Agnes

“Most Targets aren’t located in the same markets as Walmart.”

In Colorado they are damned near next to each other, usually just blocks away.


96 posted on 10/14/2013 8:37:23 AM PDT by CodeToad (Liberals are bloodsucking ticks. We need to light the matchstick to burn them off. -786 +969)
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To: Black Agnes

There are SuperTarget’s in Shreveport and Bossier City LA....right between Springhill and Mansfield LA, where these lootings took place.


97 posted on 10/14/2013 8:39:02 AM PDT by Jane Long (While Marxists continue the fundamental transformation of the USA, progressive RINOs assist!)
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To: Jane Long

Most people shop locally. Little difference between super walmart and super target. Why drive further for the same thing? EBT holders aren’t price sensitive. Why should they be?

Have never seen a super target in a rural area. Or in a mainly black community. The regular target local to me is in a mixed demographic area but just off an insanely busy interstate/state highway intersection. The SuperTarget is in whitelandia. I can count 5 Walmarts, however, located in mainly black sections of the same city/burgs.

The ‘allowing’ the ‘purchases’ on the EBT cards was to prevent the takers from taking more than just the food. Once a riot and looting start they wouldn’t just walk out with the expensive roasts. They’d walk out with the flat screen TV’s, electronics and everything else besides.

This way Walmart limited the amount of stuff ‘looted’ to what looks like mainly dairy and meats. Probably cookies, chips and sodas too. Bet the veggie department was untouched.


98 posted on 10/14/2013 8:45:33 AM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: CodeToad

What’s the demographic in Colorado?

I’ve never seen a SuperTarget located in a mainly black community. I’ve seen many such Walmarts however. I shop at one of those Walmarts on a semi-regular basis. So do my inlaws. In fact, they shop at the WalMart in Philadelphia Miss quite often.


99 posted on 10/14/2013 8:47:00 AM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: Black Agnes

Same as everywhere else. WM and Targets are actually located in black communities in many areas of Colorado. For every WM there is a Target for the most part.


100 posted on 10/14/2013 9:05:29 AM PDT by CodeToad (Liberals are bloodsucking ticks. We need to light the matchstick to burn them off. -786 +969)
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