Welfare cards for smokes

Ok here are more reports if you do not think it is done on a normal basis.

Gambling

Dem law makers allow ebt use for booze

While it may not be legal users can just get cash off the card and use the cash as they please. And Lawmakers have blocked measures to stop that use. In this time of escalating debt we should be aware where at least some of the money is going. We have more people on food stamps (SNAP) then ever and the USDA is spending millions to advertize to get more signed up.  By the way any guess where the majority of the money granted to the United States Department of Agriculture goes..... Food Stamps (SNAP)  

• It does not cost you anything to use the Virginia EBT Card for Food Stamps.
• You do not ever get cash back when you use it.
• You can buy the following items with your EBT card: Any food to be eaten at
  home by people, including baby food, non-alcoholic beverages, and seasonings.
  
  Seeds and plants to grow food for your own family’s consumption.
• Food stamp purchases are not charged sales tax. You may use manufacturer’s
  cents-off coupons to reduce the cost of your groceries, but you will have to pay
  sales tax on the value of the coupons.
• You cannot buy non-grocery items with the Virginia EBT card, such as
  cleaning products, pet food, paper products, alcohol, or tobacco. You will have
  to pay for those items with cash, by check, or a credit or debit card.
• You cannot access cash from a grocery store or ATM with your Virginia EBT
  card.

Wouldn't it be great if food stamps actually limited users to healthy, affordable foods?  

Think of the savings...potentially healthier recipients...folks would be less likely to see the stamps as an incentive, seriously, not many folks are going to smile when they see brussel sprouts...and potentially less people interested in being on food stamps.

I figure that if this is on the public dime, the public should decide, pay for healthy foods?  or keep paying for absolute garbage that helps fast-forward a large # of Medicaid recipients into type-2 diabetes and other expensive obesity-related conditions?

as for gambling and tobacco, I'm sure it goes on illegally, and perhaps like in this case some legal loophole?  Unfortunately, it's hard to stop the illegal means.  Inner city hole-in-the-wall shops accept food stamps but have been found to trade x amount of dollars in liquor for 2x or 3x amount of dollars in food stamps.

I've shouted for years the food stamps program needs reform...the food industries are pretty powerful, eh?  Unfortunately, my Dems (as far as I'm aware) tend to increase the food stamp recipients...hey, every party's got their flaws, right?  

Back when they were actual certificate things in the late 80's/early 90's, not cards, I would get approached to buy them from people for pennies on the dollar. Buy $50 worth for $10-$15 or so. Never did it, but the offers were there. 

Still done today with cards as nobody checks the id's!!!

Yup, I had plenty of relatives that would sell their food stamps to buy cigarettes and booze when I was growing up.  When they'd give away free cheese and butter we'd drive to every hand out spot in town and have a trunk full.  Then we'd go sell it to some restaurant.   Where there's a hand out there's somebody taking advantage of it.

They always have been.

There are different types of EBT cards, Food Stamp EBT cards can only be used to purchase food items, TANF EBT cards (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) are basically cash cards that can be used for any items. This is likely the card he was using.