Back-to-School Cash Plan Opened Door to 'Rampant' Fraud

[Vonne]

A state program that put $200 cash into the hands of low-income parents of school-age children is opening the door for "rampant" fraud and should be suspended, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks said Thursday.

The program has caused stores and ATMs to run out of cash and the county's Human Services Department to be overwhelmed with in-person client visits and calls to its phone system.

Members of Gov. David Paterson's administration defended the program, saying tales of increased sales of video game equipment and televisions are just anecdotes. The program allows families who couldn't otherwise afford back-to-school supplies to equip their children for a new year.

What's clear is that the actual amount of fraud will never be documented because state officials said there is no way for them to see how families are spending the $200-per-child benefit.

Democrat and Chronicle.com

[Vonne]

...employees at the Wal-Mart store on Hudson Avenue called the Department of Human Services to say they thought welfare fraud was going on because there was a run on high-end electronics.

This statement just doesn't compute    High-end, Wal-Mart, $200...  :

[Miss Mia]

This statement just doesn't compute    High-end, Wal-Mart, $200...  :

rofl

[JohnBrowdie]

 . . . and all these years I thought "free money" was an abstract statement. :