Posted on 06/25/2010 5:30:18 PM PDT by Justaham
Spurred by a newspaper's report that California's welfare debit cards can be used to withdraw cash in more than half the casinos in the state, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday issued an immediate ban on state-provided cash assistance at ATMs in gambling establishments.
The Los Angeles Times disclosed that Electronic Benefit Transfer cards work in automated teller machines at 32 of 58 tribal casinos and 47 of 90 state-licensed poker rooms. The report also found the state Department of Social Services published a list of useable ATMs where the EBT cards that work like debit cards could be cashed.
That list included the addresses of two Coachella Valley casinos — Spotlight 29 Casino, 46-200 Harrison St., Coachella, and Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, 49-500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon.
“I will use every available power I have to protect taxpayers from waste, fraud and abuse in government,'' Schwarzenegger said.
(Excerpt) Read more at current.com ...
2) Why am I not surprised?
I would LOVE to know how much “welfare” money has been withdrawn from these locations each year. They have to know, although I’m sure they’ll never publish it.
From someone who enjoys playing slots ... GOOD!
We don’t have that problem in Texas.
If they could cash them at a casino, and they can’t now; what’s to stop them from cashing them at the gas station across the street from the casino?
Personally, I would have zero problem with the casinos here in Reno gladly accepting California welfare cards.
All that matters is that the government made it look like they were actually doing something. “We’ve got to do something to protect our phoney-baloney jobs.”
Great job Ahnold. Now how about stopping all the ILLEGAL wetbacks from destroying the economy by getting all the freebies you socialists give them??
You don't have enough brains, gonads, or muscles to do that Arnie.
What are people on welfare doing in the casinos anyway?
Just heard today that Montgomery County MD is REMOVING portable toilets from public parks...it will save about 155,000 pa, roughly equivalent to 3 jobs (AS PER THE RADIO NEWS REPORT).
Now they don’t say whether they will remove all or not, that is the implication but....
Guess the revenues will pick up for charging people with using the nearest tree to relieve themselves....
Also, wonder how many jobs will be lost to the Johnny-on-the-spot ‘operators’, who will more than likely go on unemployment.
Of course the local govt will end up paying more than if they just left the toilets alone.....
Nothing, of course.
If you were truly able to calculate the percentage of welfare money, to include food stamps, that is spent on liquor and cigarettes, I imagine it would be north of 30%. Perhaps well north of that number. Considering this story, I wonder what percentage went to gambling establishments.
Losing our money, would be a safe bet.
We don’t have that problem in Ohio either. Well, at least for 2-3 more years. ;-)
But, even then, the Ohio casinos will not be getting my money because of the rules that the state legislature passed. My money will continue to go to Vegas.
3 years in office and this idiot just now found this out? He should be impeached for that alone.
"California welfare recipients are able to use state-issued debit cards to withdraw cash on gaming floors in more than half of the casinos in the state," the Los Angeles Times reports. In a Web follow-up, the paper adds:
California welfare recipients withdrew more than $1.8 million in taxpayer cash on casino floors between October 2009 and May 2010, state officials said Thursday. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also issued an executive order Thursday requiring welfare recipients to sign a pledge that they will use their cash benefits only to "meet the basic subsistence needs" of their families.
Ugh. I’m on SSD and I wouldn’t dream of going to a casino.
On Greta last night they said that it has been 1.8 million since last October.
Good idea. That should take care of it. /s
We should ask them to sign a pledge to look for a job too.
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