[TigerClaws]

Actually a follow up story said the gubment would only pay the amount actually on the EBT card. The rest is on Walmart.

So for over $500 in theft that’s a felony. They have all the names, addresses, video of the folks. Politicians going to let them round up a few hundred voters,get them convicted and off the voter rolls?

Walmart going to risk angering the crowd giving it 25-40% of its revenue?

Doubt it on both counts.

[MrB]

That’s the “hook” for businesses as well.

If you “accept EBT”, then you have some guaranteed shoppers in the form of people who don’t care how much something costs because someone else is paying for it.

[tacticalogic]

Doubt it on both counts.

They might. I'd bet that WalMart has substantial losses from shoplifting on a regular basis, and a high percentage of the people who abused the cards are among those doing it. Having them arrested and/or banned from the store could easily make up for any lost business.

[dead]

If WalMart has to eat the cost, I stand corrected. Perhaps WalMart hasn't contributed enough to Obama and the DNC.

But I'd wait to see what WalMart's lawyers have to say about absorbing the loss for the failure of government computers.

Politically, the gubmint will say one thing for public consumption, but they'll be a quiet deal down the road where the taxpayer pays for the party.