USDA targets stores in food stamp trafficking

bluediamond

bluediamond

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A criminal swindle of the nation's $64.7 billion food stamp program is playing out at small neighborhood stores around the country, where thousands of retailers are suspected of trading deals with customers, exchanging lesser amounts of cash for their stamps.
Authorities say the stamps are then redeemed as usual by the unscrupulous merchants at face value, netting them huge profits and diverting as much as $330 million in taxpayer funds annually a year. But the transactions are electronically recorded and federal investigators, wise to the practice, are closely monitoring thousands of convenience stories and mom-and-pop groceries in a push to halt the fraud.
Known as food stamp trafficking, the illegal buying or selling of food stamps is a federal offense that has resulted in 597 convictions nationwide and $197.4 million in fines, restitution and forfeiture
orders, over the past three years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of the Inspector General. The USDA last month awarded a 10-year contract worth up to $25 million to Fairfax, Va.-based SRA International, Inc., to step up the technology used to combat fraud.
"It's misuse of the program. It's a misuse of taxpayer dollars at a tough time. Not only the people who need the program are having a tough time, but the people who are paying for the program are having a tough time, too," said Kevin Concannon, USDA Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...1GEGyQ?docId=3e4b5c8473a04772b2ef421fa655b89f
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Interesting ... I didn't know that the US still has a food stamps program. My mom used to tell me that in Germany for example, food stamps were used during WWI and WWII, and after WWII in the postwar period. In the US, 45 million people are still receiving food stamps. It puts views of the US as a cold-hearted capitalist country into perspective. At least people are able to feed their kids, even if they're poor.
 
In America we still have a Food Stamp program, instead of using paper, a card is being issue in placement to keep down feud. Yet, it still happens. My friend from Germany told me that he gets welfare every month to pay for what is needed during the month. My friend dislikes the ideal of other people using welfare system that is not from Germany.
 
The welfare system in Germany is pretty complicated, and there's actually two systems: One for short-term unemployment and one for long-term unemployment. Long-term unemployed people are pressed harder to get -- and keep -- jobs. Funds successively decrease the longer you're unemployed, increasing incentive to get a job. But that has a lot of downsides for people who simply can't find work for whatever reason, and those with families. However, it is possible for people with severe financial problems to get assigned a case manager, and also to get extra funding if necessary for survival and halfways sustainable living conditions. But the pressure to find employment is immense and can result in funds being cut left and right if a person does not cooperate. This is a definite loss of personal freedom in decision making. But the reasons for that were rampant abuse during the 80ies and 90ies when there was no pressure to get employed, people lived comfortably at the tax payer's expense, even foreigners who immigrated to Germany were able to immediately live off of welfare (and were at the same time prohibited to work, can you imagine that, for a year or so to prevent flooding of the work market with foreigners). So, when Gerhard Schroeder was chancellor (who ironically is social-democratic) he implemented some painful reforms that created our current system. An important change was that long-term unemployment does not make relatives liable anymore. Instead, every household or household-like living construct is treated as an independent unit.

I often thought about emigrating to the US, but I'm still not entirely sure if I would like the living conditions, so I'm happy when I learn new things about the US. Especially things about the welfare system, b/c you never know when you lose your job these days. Here in Germany, the old employment-for-life jobs almost ceased to exist, and I sometimes wonder if I made the right decision to still live here.
 
My friend is disabled is the reason he is issues a welfare check each month, he use to live in the United States 12-years ago. My friend told me that he will never come back not even to see his own family. One thing my friend dislike in America is the welfare system, even in Germany Gypsies, and Jews who are taking free welfare handouts is draining system dry. Jobs are hard to get in the United States right now, a person would be lucky to find one. Some people draw Social Security, and SSI check each month to live on. I would like to be able to come to Germany some day, my friend say its beautiful there.
 
Gypsies live mostly isolated from society in Germany, often they don't even know they have access to welfare, to education, etc., or why this has benefits over their traditional way of life. There are finally programs in place now to help them integrate into society.

The few Jews we have in Germany, we're glad they came back.

Most of the people receiving welfare in Germany are from Germany, because they're still the largest demographic. We also have a lot of Arabs willing to live here now. In the town I lived before, they were about 15% of the population. And we even had a Turkish supermarket chain there! ;)

Germany has always been a melting pot, first of the many tribes that lived in and roamed through Europe, and then from the many people across the world that found they enjoy living in the heart of Europe.

Germany is indeed a nice place, with relatively short distances. We have lots of different cultures here, even among Germans, sometimes every town speaks a different dialect. ;) -- And we also have some nice nature and stuff. But it's a crammed place, compared to the US! ;)
 
My friend has some issues with Gypsies, its very personal conversation between us. My friend is against most Jewish people for some reason i dont understand why he is like this for. However taxes in Germany is in question to me cause my friend say that in Germany everything is cheap to buy..but he also say that Germans have to pay taxes on TV, and pets etc. Not exactly sure why Germany has these kind of taxes when we in American pay no taxes on such items.
 
The "tax on TV" is for the funding of public radio and television. It exists to have independent and educational reporting.

There's a tax on dogs I'm aware of, not sure about other pets.

To say that everything would be cheap to buy in Germany is like saying "Oh look, Rolls Royce just lowered its prices, grab one while you can!" ;) -- In fact, we had a terrible inflation, and salaries are behind prices by factor 2, at least (we're the only country in the EU with that problem, btw.).

Food, gasoline and cars are roughly twice as expensive as ten years ago, and cigarette prices have almost tripled (at least we're having self-extinguishing cigarettes now).

For example, the pack of cigarettes I'm smoking has 27 cigarettes for € 6.50 ( = US$ 8.86 ). A microwave dinner (for 1 person!) is € 2.50 - € 3.50 ( = US$ 3.40 - 4.77 ). A 1 liter can of beer from the gas station is roughly the same price, depending on brand etc.

The only thing that has remained cheap or became cheaper is electronics, but that's b/c most of it comes from China nowadays.
 
Its not cheap to live in Germany. To pay for ( 27 cigarettes for € 6.50 ( = US$ 8.86 ) is alot of enero. In America, my state in the east cigarettes cost $ 28,000 for a cheap carton, which holds 10 packs, each pack has 20 cigarettes inside. Beer in America is less expensive then it cost in Germany. My friend told me that the reason dogs are taxed is to make sure the person is going to be responsible for food etc. Maybe you should come to America to live.
 
Yeah, last time I was in the US (in 2000), a carton of cigarettes was $22.50 ... lol
 
Getting back to the topic of food stamps in America, in a few states there is a new law that a drug test be done on any person that is in need of help with food. In the state of Florida, Kentucky, and another state passed this law. At first i thought is was only for people on drugs, then i was told it was for everyone. My so-called friends got upset with me because i support it..however i only support for people who have drug problems. I was told by these people that having this law could possibility lead to violence, protest in the street etc. When paper food stamps was used to buy food with, some people used it to get drugs and other things. With using a food stamp card, people are still abusing the system. Hard working people are upset paying taxes for these kind of people, and these people support the new drug policy program.
 
The US government must also help those people to get off those drugs. With Obama's new healthcare for everyone, this should be possible.
 
Healthcare plan in America has been put on hold as many state does not accept this law President Obama wants for millions without Healthcare. Government is in control of the law, not Obama. Its almost going on 4 years that Obama sign this Healthcare law. America is in debt with billions of dollars spent on helping us get into more debt. Large percent of people are not happy with President Obama laws he enforce on us, these people want him to be impeached.
 
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