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Former Kansas welfare worker says illegal immigrants abused the system
Kansas City Star ^ | Mar. 10, 2011 | - Steve Kraske

Posted on 03/10/2011 8:44:57 PM PST by moonshinner_09

TOPEKA | A hearing on an Arizona-style immigration law drew impassioned testimony Thursday, including a statement from a former welfare worker who described “overwhelming” levels of fraud by illegal immigrants.

Lana Reed, who worked as a bilingual specialist for the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services in Overland Park from 2008 to 2010, urged lawmakers to adopt the bill targeting illegal immigration. She described a system overrun by illegal immigrants who used false Social Security numbers and other fraudulent documents to game the system.

“I witnessed overwhelming levels of fraud and corruption resulting in the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars,” Reed told the House Judiciary Committee. “Most of the fraud was conducted pursuant to policies of the SRS, which required employees to turn a blind eye to fraud and abuse.”

Bill Miskell, an SRS spokesman, said that Reed’s testimony was “new information” to him and that it would be evaluated today.

“We have protocols and procedures in place for caseworkers to follow, established by longstanding state and federal law,” he said. “We expect them to follow those protocols and practices and … if someone has evidence that that is not happening, we would want them to bring that to our attention.”

The bill, written by Rep. Lance Kinzer, an Olathe Republican, along with Secretary of State Kris Kobach, proposes ways to stem the waves of illegal immigrants who they say have flooded into Kansas in recent years.

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


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Kansas
KEYWORDS: aliens; fraud; illegalimmigration; immigration
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To: caww

“Your exactly right...I have spoken with a Welfare worker who said that they are required to handle a specific case load or their position is eleminated. So they certainly are not going to report any abuse.... One hand is feeding the other in this system and vice-versa.”

A very interesting situation. In most governmnt positions, productivity is not an issue. Government can be very efficient at generating work to extend itself. The situation needs a radical transformation in every way. What a huge mess.


21 posted on 03/10/2011 9:45:35 PM PST by businessprofessor
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To: douginthearmy
Can I get a whom?

Nevermind. I didn't even read the whole sentence I was ostensibly correcting.

22 posted on 03/10/2011 9:48:55 PM PST by douginthearmy (out of the army. now a soldier of misfortune.)
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Comment #23 Removed by Moderator

To: moonshinner_09

I had a neighbor who worked for a government agency that gave out entitlements who swore me to secrecy that told me they knew about the fraud and actually encouraged people to apply and get the benefits even though they weren’t really eligible to receive them. No wonder we’re going broke.


24 posted on 03/10/2011 9:56:27 PM PST by Vicki (Washington State where anyone can vote .... illegals, non-residents, dead people, dogs, felons)
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To: IrishCatholic

In columbus Ohio 15 years ago, you could see black women with gold necklaces, rings and bracelets buying food with food stamps, well dressed and leaving in luxury vehicles.

Well at the time I thought they were black. Maybe they were arab..?


25 posted on 03/10/2011 10:10:10 PM PST by Freddd
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To: guerito1

I’m a bit tired of Democrats being overlooked for hiring illegals. One of my customers owns a nursery, a complete cash only business, hires only illegals, proudly displays an Obama sticker on his truck. He has plenty of interest in letting taxpayers carry the freight on illegals healthcare, etc.
This myth that all contractors are all RePubes is hogwash, Friendo.


26 posted on 03/10/2011 10:24:11 PM PST by Avery Iota Kracker (He hate me.)
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To: businessprofessor

INdeed...I also know a man who works as a supervisor for the Gov. He gets highly irritated with the work ethics of the people... they have no incentive to work in a timely fashion, nor be especially productive, he says, they have no reason to since you can’t fire them...and there are no rewards for outstanding work. So they all do just enough to get by.

Further he states that though he knows he can save money for the Gov. in the purchases etc. he makes...the Gov. is never willing to wait just a few days to save thousands...he finally gave up trying since those over him were not interested. He’s currently seeking work outside of Gov. as a result of these happenings.


27 posted on 03/10/2011 10:50:35 PM PST by caww
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To: wally_bert

Here in NJ we had a governor who tightened the welfare before BJ Clinton did (he was a Democrat; they’re allowed to cut welfare). The black burthrate dropped, and now blacks are being displaced by Hispanics (many illegal) in just about every facet of life in NJ. Cities are starting to elect Hispanic mayors, and blacks are pushed further into obscurity.


28 posted on 03/11/2011 3:37:37 AM PST by kearnyirish2
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To: Freddd

I liked the photo of the Obamas at the soup kitchen having their picture taken by a welfare queen with a Blackberry; that really says it all...


29 posted on 03/11/2011 3:39:32 AM PST by kearnyirish2
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To: moonshinner_09

I can certainly understand why companies market to them; here in NJ they are among the few remaining shoppers, and they often spend cash (they have wads of it - tax-free). They all have cell phones, but I wouldn’t say the illegal ones have cars - lack of insurance, registration, and license are still treated pretty seriously here.


30 posted on 03/11/2011 3:43:20 AM PST by kearnyirish2
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To: moonshinner_09
'Former Kansas welfare worker says illegal immigrants abused the system'


"Do I really have to say it?"

31 posted on 03/11/2011 5:30:13 AM PST by Condor51 (Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a Congressman. But I repeat myself. [Mark Twain])
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To: 1_Inch_Group; 2sheep; 2Trievers; 3AngelaD; 3pools; 3rdcanyon; 4Freedom; 4ourprogeny; 7.62 x 51mm; ..

Ping!


32 posted on 03/11/2011 8:09:19 AM PST by HiJinx (Hey, Officer, like my Dreamcatcher? It's Authentic!)
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To: moonshinner_09

You are not posting too many of these stories, this sort of thing needs to be spread far and wide. I just wonder if our “illegals can’t/don’t draw welfare” posters will post on this thread?


33 posted on 03/11/2011 6:00:37 PM PST by Tammy8 (~Secure the border and deport all illegals- do it now! ~ Support our Troops!~)
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To: moonshinner_09

Have you seen them at the warehouse clubs peeling big bills from large rolls of cash to buy the top line TVs and furniture? I see that all the time, have even seen them check out more than once so they don’t trigger the reporting of spending $5,000 cash transaction. To see the same ones using welfare debit cards for food purchases is a bit much to me.


34 posted on 03/11/2011 6:04:38 PM PST by Tammy8 (~Secure the border and deport all illegals- do it now! ~ Support our Troops!~)
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To: moonshinner_09

Another issue of welfare fraud that is growing fast according to law enforcement people I know concerns not just illegals but citizens too. It seems those that run drug houses/meth labs, etc. frequently apply for all welfare benefits so they can show “legal” income.


35 posted on 03/11/2011 6:07:53 PM PST by Tammy8 (~Secure the border and deport all illegals- do it now! ~ Support our Troops!~)
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To: moonshinner_09

But the politicians want to eliminate health care for grandma and mammograms for Barbie so they can give welfare to these illegals and welfare queens.

Social security and medicare is going to be hit with cuts but you’ll hear not one word about reducing welfare, food stamps, subsidized housing or free cell phones.


36 posted on 03/11/2011 6:15:55 PM PST by ladyjane
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To: businessprofessor

It is not just specific positions that will be eliminated, entire programs will be defunded. The lengths those that work for/benefit from these programs will go to are astonishing. I remember taking my kids to the park one day when I had time to waste in town. This woman was harrassing me to let my kids eat the “free” lunch they were handing out to low income kids for a summer program. I politely told her we did not qualify as low income and I had just fed my children at a local restaurant. She insisted I have my children get in line and get the food, even if they threw it in the trash so they could be counted as given a meal. Her reason was the entire program for that town would be eliminated if they didn’t provide X number of free meals. Not only did I not get my children to do that, I also gave her a heated lecture on how “free” meals are not free!!!

Shortly after this my children’s school tried to make ALL the students scan their cafeteria cards for “free” school breakfast so they could get that money for the school. I PAID for my kids lunch cards, but the school explained to me that the “free” breakfast did not require any qualifying (it was seperate from the “free” lunch program) and the more kids that scanned their cards the more money they got for the district. The school was actually trying to make ALL the children scan their cards for the free breakfast. The only reason I found out about this scam was because my daughter was in trouble because she refused to walk all the way to the cafeteria and scan her card- she ate breakfast at home and they knew we were not low income, she would not even eat the food and didn’t care!!! I told the school it was really classy that they were teaching our children that is was OK to commit welfare fraud and as a taxpayer I was NOT happy. I tried to report the school for that and noone cared. They all acted like I was crazy.


37 posted on 03/11/2011 6:27:52 PM PST by Tammy8 (~Secure the border and deport all illegals- do it now! ~ Support our Troops!~)
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Comment #38 Removed by Moderator

Comment #39 Removed by Moderator

To: moonshinner_09
She described a system overrun by illegal immigrants who used false Social Security numbers and other fraudulent documents to game the system.

“I witnessed overwhelming levels of fraud and corruption resulting in the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars,” Reed told the House Judiciary Committee. “Most of the fraud was conducted pursuant to policies of the SRS, which required employees to turn a blind eye to fraud and abuse.”

Bill Miskell, an SRS spokesman, said that Reed’s testimony was “new information” to him and that it would be evaluated today.


Bill Miskell

40 posted on 03/12/2011 10:04:15 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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