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View Full Version : Entitlement Abuse - Here, There, and Everywhere


Jeanfromfillmore
07-11-2011, 11:56 AM
Entitlement Abuse - Here, There, and Everywhere

President Obama and other Democrat leaders in Washington are spending their time trying to figure out ways to continue expanding entitlement benefits. They tell us that these benefits are needed to provide a myriad of services to an ever-growing percentage of the population that could not make it on their own. Republicans, correctly, point out that the nation can no longer afford ever-expanding largess and now borrows 40 cents of every dollar to pay for a too-generous welfare and entitlement system.
The dirty little secret that almost no one in Washington is willing to discuss is the rampant fraud that is embedded in the entitlement system. Democrats, led by Obama, Pelosi, and Reid, never discuss the high percentage of fraudulent payments in entitlement programs. Instead, they continue the mantra that entitlement spending must be preserved even in the face of exploding national debt, and regardless of disturbing signs of rampant fraud.
Increasingly, we hear jaw dropping stories of abuse and fraud that should force our leaders in Washington to put the issue of fraud and abuse within the entitlement system formally on the table. Just last week we learned of the case of the “Adult Baby” , the 30-year old guy, that lives in a diaper, is fed by bottle and thus somehow entitled to taxpayer-supplied, social security disability for his condition. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB1gPgcycQ8) Strangely, this is the very entitlement system that Obama and Democrats not only insist that we preserve, but are anxious to expand.
The case of the “adult baby” is a sad indicator of just how much fraud is already embedded into our rich entitlement system and how easy it has become for hucksters and fakes to gain access to taxpayer provided benefits. Currently, there are almost 2,000 federal subsidy / entitlement programs, (http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb_56.pdf) and we know from GAO reports and from anecdotal reporting that fraud is rampant.
Despite two decades of topping government lists (GAO) for waste, fraud and abuse, Medicare, Medicaid, housing assistance, Food Stamps (SNAP) and several other entitlement programs continue to expand even as reports of fraud plague the system.
Democrats mindlessly push for further expansion of benefits, as the number of those eligible for Food stamps has nearly doubled in during the Obama Administration, costing some $77 billion. Worse yet, Democrats see no urgency, and might very well be completely comfortable, with the disturbing news that food stamps are now being routinely resold at deep discounts to other undeserving recipients
From the glimpses we do get from what lurks behind the curtain, it is becoming increasingly clear that fraud in the entitlement system is likely a trillion dollar problem. Not long ago, we learned that in West Virginia, a Social Security Administrative judge approves virtually all applicants seeking Social Security disability claims. Moreover, this judge is almost certainly not alone in granting benefits to non-deserving frauds whose real ambition is to gain taxpayer money for fictitious disability claims.
But do not expect Democrats or Team Obama to conduct a real inquiry to discover, much less prevent , fraud in the entitlement system They do not want Americans to know just how corrupt and easy it is for duplicitous individuals to gain benefits and taxpayer support to which they are not entitled. If Americans were to understand fully rampant entitlement cheating has become, the debate would quickly turn to fixing the corrupt system, and rooting out the frauds and hucksters that are bilking American taxpayers.
Nevertheless, to get a glimpse of just how rampant fraud has become, conduct your own experiment. Just go to your local grocery store or shopping center and take a look at the number of healthy and vigorous people that use the special parking places reserved for handicapped parking. I did, and quickly discovered that over 50% of the people using those special parking places reserved for handicapped people looked healthy and moved vigorously. Few had any noticeable disability. One 30 year-old man, pulled up in a convertible, jumped out and went on his way, comfortable in the fact that a blue Handicapped tag hung from the mirror in his car.
Handicapped parking was a good and humane idea that has become a victim of seemingly widespread abuse. The obvious point is that if fraud exists in something as simple as parking, with the only benefit being one of convenience, then how much more fraud might there be in entitlements that carry financial gain? (Think trillions of dollars).
The budget debate in Washington, and Team Obama’s insistence, that entitlements must be preserved ignores 22 years of GAO fraud reports. Once Americans have conducted an informal “Handicapped Parking Experiment”, they are going to become convinced that instead of expanding entitlements, more effort needs to be made towards uncovering the fraud now embedded within the system.
Tackling the issue of entitlement fraud and eliminating entitlement scams could well be the quickest and best short-term solution with long-term results that the government could implement. Whether talking about Obamacare or Medicaid, Food Stamps, home mortgage loan insurance or SSI, at a minimum, perhaps it’s time for our government to do an honest audit of who is receiving the benefits.
Before any further expansion of entitlements, the government needs to prove to the American taxpayer that their dollars are being spent wisely and as intended, before trying to bilk taxpayers for even more funds for these flawed programs.

Merrilee
11-04-2011, 10:53 AM
You make some very good points here. I think that it is very likely that there are many who do abuse the system, but I think we need to work on identifying those individuals who legitimately do rely on these benefits to survive. In the case of the adult baby for example, I do think that this is someone that maybe deserves the benefits. What would we do with all of those who cannot take care of themselves if we suddenly pulled the carpet from under these folks? It is naive to think that we are separate from "those people", and that we can turn a blind eye to the challenges that they face. The reality is, that any one of us could find ourselves suddenly, and unexpectedly disabled, and without all of us looking out and taking care of each other, a simple disability can easily mean death, or at the very least, a miserable existence.

Jeanfromfillmore
11-04-2011, 12:02 PM
You make some very good points here. I think that it is very likely that there are many who do abuse the system, but I think we need to work on identifying those individuals who legitimately do rely on these benefits to survive. In the case of the adult baby for example, I do think that this is someone that maybe deserves the benefits. What would we do with all of those who cannot take care of themselves if we suddenly pulled the carpet from under these folks? It is naive to think that we are separate from "those people", and that we can turn a blind eye to the challenges that they face. The reality is, that any one of us could find ourselves suddenly, and unexpectedly disabled, and without all of us looking out and taking care of each other, a simple disability can easily mean death, or at the very least, a miserable existence.That is what family is for. Your family should be responsible for you and vise-versa. There are family members being paid by the system to tend to their own family. Why should the tax payer be paying people to care for their own family? When I spoke to the person in charge of welfare fraud here in Ventura County, when I asked her if it was true that the fraud rate was about 30% she responded that it was much higher than that. If the fraud rate on income tax evasion were that high you can bet the Gov would be on it in seconds. But welfare fraud is attacking "the poor" so it's hands off. But if you've been inside some of the homes of those on welfare you'd often see high end electronics and new furniture. Not all of course, but enough to realize that our welfare system is being milked and there are plenty getting fat on the cream. To point to those who actually need a helping hand as a reason to continue this system is to completely ignore a system that is doing more harm than good. The system needs to be stopped and completely reexamined. There are a thousands of nonprofits that can be turned to if the need is that great. Those nonprofits get billions in grants and are often as corrupt as the welfare system, so why have both?

Twoller
11-05-2011, 08:29 AM
The only people that should be receiving any kind of government money anywhere for any reason is if they are US citizens. Nobody else should be getting anything. If you are an immigrant to the US and have become a naturalized citizen and you can't take yourself, it is time for you to go back to where you came from. Naturalized citizens need to be excluded from welfare protection.

And always remember that welfare, for food and housing is just that. The problem starts with seeing it as an entitlement. Public welfare protects the public, the public being citizens. It protects citizens from poverty and it protects the rest of the citizens from the consequences of other citizens who, for whatever reason, are forced to live in poverty. The public should not have to tolerate homelessness. No citizen should have to worry about living on the streets or getting food to eat. And they shouldn't have to go begging for it from family or churches or anything like that.

Jeanfromfillmore
11-05-2011, 10:53 AM
The only people that should be receiving any kind of government money anywhere for any reason is if they are US citizens. Nobody else should be getting anything. If you are an immigrant to the US and have become a naturalized citizen and you can't take yourself, it is time for you to go back to where you came from. Naturalized citizens need to be excluded from welfare protection.

And always remember that welfare, for food and housing is just that. The problem starts with seeing it as an entitlement. Public welfare protects the public, the public being citizens. It protects citizens from poverty and it protects the rest of the citizens from the consequences of other citizens who, for whatever reason, are forced to live in poverty. The public should not have to tolerate homelessness. No citizen should have to worry about living on the streets or getting food to eat. And they shouldn't have to go begging for it from family or churches or anything like that.Anchor babies are US citizens and are using our welfare system as a lifestyle from generation to generation. Maybe where you live it isn't a impacting as it is here in California, but we sure see it. Maybe it's ok with you that these families game the system and are paid to tend to their own family members, but it's not ok with me.
Before welfare people took care of their own and didn't expect society to be responsible for supporting them while they tended to their children or parents, but today they have their hand out saying "I want to be paid by your tax dollars to tend to may family" and that seems to be fine with you.

What happen to being responsible? Welfare hasn't "protected" the public, it's destroying society as more and more shuck there responsibilities and expect others to support them. It doesn't "take a village" to raise a child, it takes two responsible parents!!!!!

Twoller
11-05-2011, 11:08 AM
...

Maybe it's ok with you that these families game the system and are paid to tend to their own family members, but it's not ok with me.

Before welfare people took care of their own and didn't expect society to be responsible for supporting them while they tended to their children or parents, but today they have their hand out saying "I want to be paid by your tax dollars to tend to may family" and that seems to be fine with you.

...

Where am I saying or even suggesting that all that is "fine with me"? I am saying no such thing. If you really think that I am, quote me. Copy and paste the parts where you think I am saying that, or take it back. Nowhere have I even suggested such a thing.

Jeanfromfillmore
11-06-2011, 10:08 AM
Where am I saying or even suggesting that all that is "fine with me"? I am saying no such thing. If you really think that I am, quote me. Copy and paste the parts where you think I am saying that, or take it back. Nowhere have I even suggested such a thing.

Quote:Public welfare protects the public, the public being citizens. It protects citizens from poverty and it protects the rest of the citizens from the consequences of other citizens who, for whatever reason, are forced to live in poverty.

Welfare has not "protected" the public. It has created an underclass lifestyle that has gone on now for over three generations and continues to do damage to society, not protect it! Its become a handout, not a hand up.

Twoller
11-06-2011, 12:35 PM
Quote:Public welfare protects the public, the public being citizens. It protects citizens from poverty and it protects the rest of the citizens from the consequences of other citizens who, for whatever reason, are forced to live in poverty.

Welfare has not "protected" the public. It has created an underclass lifestyle that has gone on now for over three generations and continues to do damage to society, not protect it! Its become a handout, not a hand up.

I agree. Welfare has not done anything to protect the public. But that is the purpose of welfare. That's why we have it and that's why we should have it. Pointing this out does not in the slightest support your accusations against me. You have absolutely no grounds for what you posted about me.

I agree that nobody should be raising children while living under welfare. If you are forced to live with public assistance, then you shouldn't start raising a family. If changing circumstances force your family to depend on public assistance, then you shouldn't have any more kids then you did when circumstances changed. And, let's face it, a lot people who are ineligible for public assistance can't afford to be raising families either and the cost of having kids is one of the things that make them eligible for public assistance.

And remember, we're talking about real citizens here. Not illegals, not immigrants and not naturalized citizens, none of which should be eligible for public assistance or any government money of any kind whatsoever. None of our government should be subsidizing immigration.