Amanda Clayton hit the jackpot in the "Make Me Rich!" lottery show in October and, after electing to take a lump sum of $700,000 and allowing for taxes, was left with about $500,000.
The 24-year-old, who is unemployed, said she continued to receive public assistance. "I thought that they would cut me off, but since they didn't, I thought, maybe it was OK because I'm not working," Clayton said. "It's hard. I am struggling."She added, "I feel that it's okay because I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay. I have two houses."
But the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) said Wednesday that the woman was no longer receiving benefits and warned that people who continued to receive handouts in such circumstances may face criminal investigation and be required to pay back those benefits."Under DHS policy, a recipient of assistance benefits must notify the state within 10 days of any asset or income change. DHS relies on clients being forthcoming about their actual financial status," DHS director Maura Corrigan said.
"Michigan DHS does not currently have the ability to verify a person's lottery winnings in determining benefit eligibility, but bills pending in the state legislature would require the Michigan Lottery to notify the welfare department of winners."We fully support this proposed change. Our Office of Inspector General will continue to vigorously pursue any and all abuse and fraud in the welfare system."
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You gotta love it! There are two points to take away from this:
1. Welfare victims think they are entitled to support regardless of who has to pay for it, or how long they have to pay. The they we "owe" it to them, and can't see right from wrong.
2. The "Inspector General" does no inspecting at all, and simply relies on the "good intentions" of the welfare victims to pay back the money they stole, or to notify (fat freaking chance) the department if they are getting money not due them. The office should be renamed Non-Inspecting Inspector General.
I was somewhat sympathetic to the pleas of some unemployment victims who may be forced to get drug testing prior to receiving benefits, but I think that sympathy has gone out the window - courtesty of one Amanda Clayton.
These victims, for the most part, are stealing from the rest of us, or making us pay for their poor life choices (a la Ms. Fluke!).
Have you feed your welfare victim today? Lord knows I have. And they are eating steak.
Steak? Try prime rib and lobster! I think about that every time I look at the chunk that's taken out of our paychecks...while I'm eating mac&cheese out of a box!!!
ReplyDeleteI've heard a similar story before and it really gripes me. Some people play the victim their whole lives, regardless of any breaks they get along the way.
ReplyDelete["1. Welfare victims think they are entitled to support regardless of who has to pay for it, or how long they have to pay. The they we "owe" it to them, and can't see right from wrong."..........]
ReplyDeleteWho is really paying the taxes for her food stamps? How much money comes out of our paychecks to cover her benefits?
The answer is simple........[" after electing to take a lump sum of $700,000 and allowing for taxes, was left with about $500,000."]
She paid approximately $200,000 in taxes from her winnings. When we divide that number by $200 a month that she is receiving in food stamps. We get 1000 months or 83 years worth of food stamps provided by the amount the she spent in taxes.
So to answer my first question.. she is paying the taxes that cover her food stamps. And to answer my second question... There is no money coming out of our paychecks to cover her food stamps.
We really need another argument against what she is doing because the "she is robbing the taxpayers" argument is simply not true.
So although she may be wrong on moral issues, she has actually only "abused" her own tax dollars and caused no harm to anyone financially.
Good questions John - out of my paycheck every month comes $4500 in Federal taxes. 2/3 of that goes to social security, medicaire and medicaid. I pay about 3,000 a month to support people that cannot (or will not!) support themselves. I checked - and both before and after she won her lottery, my tax rate didn't change. YOur logic is interesting if it wasn't flawed. There are no individual "benefit accounts" that she "paid into". If there was, my account would be about $5 million to the positive - because with interest over 30 years - that is what my tax contributions were worth to the gov't. And I've never taken a dime out. Perhaps using your logic I should apply for foodstamps given that I have already paid my taxes for this year.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't qualify for the money. She did the wrong thing, and she thinks it was ok, and the rest of us had to pay for it.