People like Marion, a single mom with two kids who was managing until her job was eliminated. With the help of the United Way funds and CRC she was able to avoid foreclosure, lower her heating costs by signing up for the county weatherization program, get connected into services at MI Works and receive supplemental food from CRC’s food pantry.  Marion continues to maintain her home and family life with some assistance while taking classes to improve her career options.  Marion appreciates the financial assistance that her family needs right now but she also appreciates the moral support and encouragement CRC provides as she and her family move toward a stable future.

 People like Trent, who recently recovered from a life-threatening illness.  Unemployed and without family support Trent needed food, affordable housing, utility assistance, phone access and most importantly – a job.  It was overwhelming.  Through the support of United Way, Trent, was connected into programs that provided him a Bridge Card, food, housing, utility assistance, and a cell phone.  Trent recently landed a part-time job and is working to become self sufficient.

 The names have been changed but the stories are real.  Your gift to United Way changes lives every day.  Be someone’s hero.  Give to United Way.

The Center for Civil Justice filed a motion this week arguing that the state’s most recent notices to those scheduled to lose cash assistance benefits didn’t contain enough information.

U.S. District Judge Paul Borman disagreed Friday and denied the motion, meaning the state can proceed with planned cuts.

The state sent out revised notices because of an Oct. 4 ruling that the original notices were inadequate. Cuts that were supposed to begin Oct. 1 have been delayed by a few weeks.

Most of the affected 11,000 families will lose benefits because of an end to hardship exemptions, not a stricter four-year limit on benefits.

Catch up on the welfare reform, here.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Judy Putnam with the Michigan League for Human Services said there aren’t many other options for these people, and not much help either.

“We know that case workers are already overwhelmed. So are these families getting good solid  information? The department has been very slow on offering up any kind of, you know, press releases, or information on their website,” Putnam said.

A new policy that puts a $5,000 limit on assets for the Food Assistance Program goes into effect Saturday as well.

Putnam said a coalition of groups are calling for Governor Rick Snyder to reverse this policy.

“We hope that as stories of what’s happening to families come out, that maybe policy makers will reconsider,” she said.

Human Service Advocates, like Ross Yednock with the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan, say the newly implemented regulations go too far and will make it more difficult for people to get out of poverty.

“This can result in families spending a longer time in governmental programs and instead of breaking the cycle of poverty, or helping the newly displaced workers and families get by for a few months with just a little bit of assistance, this change in policy could actually perpetuate and possibly even create new generations of Michigan families and children living paycheck to paycheck or in poverty,” Yednock said.

But, Republican Governor Rick Snyder disagrees.

“We are returning cash assistance to its original intent as a transitional program to help families while they work toward self-sufficiency and also preserving our state’s integral safety net for families most in need,” Snyder said.

Read more on the welfare debate, here.

At the Ecumenical Theological Seminary on Woodward Avenue near Mack, people line up once a week for a home-cooked meal, with some people waiting a half-an-hour for a sit-down dinner. This week, the line for a hot meal snaked around the building.

At the Seminary, WWJ City Beat Reporter Vickie Thomas met Gary Jennings, who is among those helped by the “Everyone Eats” program.

“This is good. It’s a good program. It helps, you know, the homeless and people who can’t afford food,” Jennings said.

John Parker was also among those who were waiting to have a decent meal.

“At the moment, I work part-time at a temporary service. When I’m working, I work good. But when I’m not, you know, I have to survive off of the means of what I can save,” Parker said.

People such as Jennings and Parker, along with those organizations helping to feed the needy, are not looking forward to October 1, when 41,000 people will lose their cash assistance benefits as the state’s lifetime welfare limits take effect.

“It’s not as bad right now as it’s going to be. They’re letting a lot of new people out of jail and I can see a lot of trouble happening from that. That’s going to add to the trouble,” Jennings said.

Many are worried the demand for food assistance is going to significantly outnumber the amount of resources available after the new welfare limits take effect.

Parker has just one message for Gov. Rick Snyder.

“Don’t do it, please don’t do it. We put you in there to help us. Don’t hurt us.”

Read more on Michigan’s new welfare limits, here.

About 41,000 people will lose their cash assistance. About 30,000 of those people are children.

Judy Putnam, with the Michigan League for Human Services says, unfortunately, most of these people don’t have too many options.

“We’ve been hearing from people. I talked to a family today, and I talked to a family yesterday, they’re packing up their stuff and moving their kids because they can no longer pay their rent,” Putnam said.

Putman said she’s heard from a couple of families who say they will be forced to leave the state.

“We do feel that victims of this recession are being punished. This is a time when we have such high unemployment that we should be looking to help families … and instead we’re punishing them,” she said.

The new policy also comes as census data show that one in every four children in Michigan, 23.5 percent, is living in poverty.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson was in Detroit, Thursday, calling on Governor Rick Snyder to repeal the new law.

“On the one hand,we fight for a better school system, but children who are malnourished and need reading glasses, who need hearing assistance, who need dental care, will not do well in school,” Jackson said.

“Those whose homes don’t have heat will not do well in school. When their parents are choosing between food and medicine they will not do well,” he said. “These children will be less able to get medical care, less likely to go to school, less likely to graduate.”

Another protest is scheduled for Friday at Noon in front of the governor’s Detroit office, on West Grand Boulevard in the New Center area.

Another policy that goes into effect this Saturday is a $5,000 limit on assets for the Food Assistance Program. Putnam said a coalition of groups are calling for Governor Rick Snyder to reverse the policy.

Under legislation approved Wednesday by the Michigan House, welfare recipients could not use their state-issued debit cards to draw cash from ATMs at casinos or buy alcohol, tobacco and lottery tickets.

State Rep. Anthony Forlini, R-24th District, commended the passage, saying people who are in need should not have access to Bridge Card funds while visiting a casino.

“Casinos that have ATMs on their property pose too much of an allure to people who are in desperate situations,” Forlini said in a written statement. “They might use their Bridge Card to draw out $100 thinking that they are going to double it, and that is just too much of a temptation to allow the use of a card designed for food assistance.”

Some key bills in the package were approved 108-0 and next go to the Senate for consideration. The multi-bill package relates to the use of Michigan Bridge cards, which are used like debit cards for state food assistance and cash programs.

Other issues addressed in the legislation include removing Bridge Card recipients who have outstanding arrest warrants and requiring the Department of Human Services to review incarceration records monthly and deactivate the bridge card for anyone who is in jail.

Residents getting state assistance with food or cash could still gamble and buy liquor and tobacco, but could not use their state-issued cards funded with taxpayer money to do it.

Monthly food assistance in Michigan is based on income, how many people are in their household and other criteria. Funds are made available on a debit card swiped through electronic reader when buying groceries. There are an estimated 1.3 million of the cards in circulation across the state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Michigan House passed bills Wednesday that would restrict the use of Michigan Bridge Cards, used like debit cards for state food assistance and cash programs. The major bills passed 108-0 and advance to the Senate.

Monthly food assistance in Michigan is based on income, how many people are in their household and other criteria. Funds are made available on a debit card swiped through electronic reader when buying groceries.

Other bills in the package would require the state to deactivate a Bridge card when a recipient is in jail.

This vote by the House comes just one day following another welfare reform move by the state. Gov. Snyder Tuesday signed legislation that sets a 48 month lifetime limit on welfare benefits.  He said it will return cash assistance to its original intent as a transitional program to help families work toward self-sufficiency. Under the measure, more than 12,000 Michigan families will lose their welfare checks starting October first.

The state will allow exemptions to the limit for those who have a disability or are unable to work.  (More on this, here).

 The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WWJ’s Rob Sanford reports the move will save $75 million in the budget and bring Michigan more in line with federal rules.

Brian Rooney of the Department of Human Services said because of a lack of money, they had no other choice.

“We do have more of a population on food assistance than the country at large. The bottom line is, we, in the past, could afford to be more generous with tax payer dollars, but no longer is that the case.”

Currently, one in five state residents need food aid. Rooney said they wanted to focus on serving only what he called “the truly needy”

“Usually, it’s the 40, 50, 60-year-olds that have families that are in a rough patch that we’re trying to serve. And as a matter of public policy, when you look at, you know, a 17, 18, 19-year-old that has no family, we made the determination that those were not folks that were truly needy.”

Single parent students working part-time jobs will still be able to get food stamps.

Read a related story here.

WWJ Newsradio 950′s Pat Sweeting reported that, without question, Wayne County will be impacted by this change.

She spoke, Wednesday, with Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.

“Well, I think that one of the concerns is that’s generally money that they put into the economic system,” said Ficano. “They go into stores, they buy things like that so it is a concern.”

Ficano is also concerned about the way some people may react to being without their welfare checks.

“We hope that it doesn’t lead to more crime because people become more desperate, but I think at this point, the logical thing to do is simply make sure that people are made available to all the services that are there.  They may be cut off from welfare, but there are other services.  We may be able to help them.”

The notices come at the same time the state is revamping how it hands out assistance. The move could affect nearly 14,000 families who had secured an extension on the 5-year federal limit to receive benefits.

More on this story.

Letters began going out Tuesday that include contact information for caseworkers who will try to help families find other assistance programs. They also encourage recipients to call United Way’s referral service for help getting additional assistance, if needed.

“I’m concerned” about the families, said Michigan Department of Human Services Director Maura Corrigan, “but we’re here to help them make that transition – to fulfill the intent of the law and to get them to self-sufficiency.”

The notices come at the same time the state is revamping how it hands out assistance, Corrigan said. In July, the Senate passed a new measure that would place a stricter four-year lifetime limit on welfare benefits. If the bill passes the House, more than 12,000 Michigan families could be booted from state welfare rolls.

The state aims to save millions of dollars in the next budget with such changes. The limit could begin Oct. 1, Corrigan said.

Critics have argued that such a limit would boot some needy families off public assistance.

Michigan’s current law has a similar time limit but it has more exceptions than the revised plan. The current law is due to expire in late September unless it’s renewed or changed by lawmakers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

That’s about twice as many as officials expected and the removals should to bring about $75 million a year in savings, Michigan Department of Human Services Director Maura Corrigan told The Detroit News for a story published Monday.

“We want to encourage people to be self-sufficient, not to be dependent on the government,” she said.

The removals are part of an effort to change the culture of the state’s welfare department and slash tens of millions of dollars of waste, fraud and abuse, Corrigan said.

The state announced earlier this year that beginning in April students must show “true need” to reap benefits from the program. Michigan previously had created its own rules that made nearly all students eligible for aid, commonly known as food stamps, officials said.

Monthly food assistance in Michigan is based on income, how many people are in their household and other criteria. Funds are made available on a Michigan Bridge Card, which like a debit card is swiped through electronic reader when buying groceries.

Kayla Neff, a 19-year-old Spanish and computer science student at Central Michigan University who qualified for food assistance in September, said she and her father share about $150 a month in grocery money from the program. Her eligibility, however, is now under review.

“Students should be focusing on their education, not whether or not they’ll be able to eat dinner or whether they can manage to find a job and balance it on top of their studies,” Neff told the newspaper in an email interview from Mount Pleasant.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.

Sharon & Greg Ostrowski - Fresh eggs, herbs, vegetables and fruit - From our family to your family

The Farmer’s market at Vantage Point in Port Huron is home to some of the freshest Michigan grown vegetables, most flavorful meat products, and healthiest treats for your furry friends this side of anywhere.  There are also some specialty shops set up offering flowers, plants, honey, jams and jellies, and breads.  One of the highlights of this Farmer’s Market are the friendly and helpful people who are involved.  The vendor’s are wonderful, and the friends at the nearby Maritime Center are helpful and courteous.

unclehenrysgourmet@yahoo.com

The Bridge card is now accepted at the Farmer’s Market and the Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program is offered for card holders.   The DUFB program offers to double you money up to $20, so if you spend $20 from your Bridge card they will match it and you will have $40 to actually spend.  It is a wonderful program, so help me spread the word.  Thank you and have a wonderful summer!

Many flavors, and sizes from mini to x-large, we have a healthy treat to keep your furry friend happy.

We have honey all year round!

One of the bills that could come up for a vote Wednesday would put a stricter four-year lifetime limit on welfare benefits into state law. The legislation would reflect welfare limits approved earlier this year as part of the state budget plan.

“The Michigan House has already passed this legislation which is part of the Governor’s reform plan and it basically says this, you get four years of welfare and that’s it. You’re off the rolls and on your own, get what you can,” WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick said.

Michigan’s current law has a similar time limit but it has more exceptions than the revised plan. The current law is due to expire in late September unless it’s renewed or changed by lawmakers.

Critics say the limits would boot some needy families off public assistance.

“It doesn’t take into account special situations, there are very, very few exceptions in this legislation. The Senate will be back in town and later on today (Wednesday) it is expected to pass,” Skubick said.

The House already has approved the welfare limits legislation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Oran Hesterman, CEO of Fair Food, talked with WWJ about how Bridge Cards can be used to buy fresh produce through the “Double Up Food Bucks Program” at participating farmers markets.

“For every dollar you spend from your Bridge Card at the farmers market, you get a dollar’s worth of Double Up Food Buck tokens, up to $20 per market day. Those Double Up Food Buck tokens can be spent on any Michigan-grown fruits or vegetables,” said Hesterman.

The Double Up Food Bucks Initiative runs now through October.

Participating Detroit-area markets for 2011 are:

Detroit Eastern Market - HOURS: Sat., 5 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Eastside Farmers Market  -  HOURS: Sat., 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Farmer’s & Artisan Market Dearborn  -  HOURS: Fri., 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Lincoln Park Farmers Market - HOURS: Sun., 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Wayne State University Farmers Market - HOURS: Wed., 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Northwest Detroit Farmers’ Market - HOURS: Thurs., 4 – 8 p.m.
Sowing Seeds Growing Futures Farmers Market - HOURS: Tues., 3 – 7 p.m.
Peaches & Greens Store and Mobile Food Truck - HOURS: Tues. – Fri., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.  and Sat., 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

To see if you are eligible for a Bridge Card, visit www.mibridges.michigan.gov or a local Department of Human Services (DHS) Office. Eligibility is based on annual family  income, among other factors. For more information, call 1-800-MiBridge.

Although we hear of corner stores in downtrodden neighborhoods buying food stamps, or selling alcohol to those receiving food stamps – there are companies that actually go to the customer to make it more convenient for them to sell their food stamps.

How they buy food stamps in Michigan

Although I do not have direct written proof of a specific transaction – I’ll share with you what I was told and later discovered how they do it and the rest the rest is up to you. I’ll demonstrate with two companies that I’ve called in my investigation, and was told were well-known to “give the most” in the underground market of buying Michigan bridge cards from those receiving food stamp assistance.

The first company is based in Livonia Michigan, the larger of the two , 313-***-****, and the other,of Burton MI 810-***-****. I was told that some of the drivers for Michigan Gourmet Meat Products even wear the shirts of Market Fresh Meat Company (coincidence?), and I’ve even read even on public forum posts those bragging about how to sell your bridge card for more money but a call I received from a freind with a disabled son who was ripped off and told me that they had never purchased from either of these companies (another story in itself) prompted my initial investigation.

Here’s how it works – you call either number and offer to purchase a case of steaks for $200 – $300 and tell them you would like to use your food stamp card, (which are typically cheaper cuts in 6 boxes with in a bigger box for presentation purposes to make it look like more for cash customers), approximately weights – 20-25lbs of beef, an approximate value of less than $80 sold  for $150 , $200, $300. If you ask them if they buy foods stamps over the phone – they will of course deny it over the phone as it is a felony, just in case it happens to be the State Police or USDA calling.

However – requesting a delivery (refer to their websites) – they are sure to arrive in a timely fashioned. (Because some people get $200 per person in their household – they may get $1000 on the card for five in the household). When the driver arrives, they simply tell them they do not want the meat but offer to sell the balances on the card for a lesser amount – $150 for $200 in benefits, for example, the “customer” then gets $150 cash to do as they please, the driver calls in the $200 transaction and has made an instant profit without selling anything. The driver then takes the case and resells it for anything over his cost making an additional profit. I later spoke to a driver that said he doesn’t commit fraud as he sells the steak for $299 and “throws” in the chicken or seafood for free (avg. cost to the customer of $149.50 each) and then offers to buy it back with cash for less than half price which he says is perfectly legal. Hun?? Confused? So was I…… so you sell someone what you call a steak variety case, then give them chicken and buy the chicken back? Nope – he buys it ALL back – changes their card $299 (at our expense), puts two cases on the receipt (a case of steak and chicken) - and then pays them $100 to $150 cash to get them both back. The “customer” gets the cash, the driver get the difference in whatever his cost is from the company and the selling price that he completes in food stamps using the company’s license and then has TWO cases to sell for whatever he wants. In his mind it’s legal because he sold the product and he’s not responsible for the buyers decision to sell it back for less because they wanted cash? He then sells the two cases for pure profit at whatever amount he wants. (It’s just their new spin on buying food stamp benefits for 50 cents on the dollar while we pay for kids to go hungry)

The sale pitch is always similar, and if bored – simply call one of them and try it out for yourself. They spread out six boxes of steak of various grades and often give and excuse why they have to sell it for cheaper than the suggested retail (usually accompanied by a printed brochure with an inflated price to assist in the scam – showing a few bucks worth of meat for almost $300), then offer to “throw” in a case free with purchase because they’re doing YOU a favor. When asked about the grade, what those strange-sounding preservatives are, and the actual price per pound – they are trained to be evasive. Although I won’t feed the garbage to my family – it was entertaining from a sales background to listen to the pitch and see how they are trained to field objections. Try it but don’t buy it.

While smaller corner stores are under investigation for buying cards for 50 cents on the dollar. Or $50 for $100 in benefits – other companies make a smaller percentage off these initial transactions unless they run across someone desperate to pay a bill, or buy drugs, and have repeat customers all the way from Detroit to Burton. The company denies knowledge of these transactions, and when we called – were told that the drivers were independent contractors and NOT employees to give the company processing the transactions deniability.

We weren’t satisfied, so we later called under the pretext of seeking employment and they explained that the drivers are independent contractors and are free to go where they please, and set their own prices, and as long as they paid for the product they took out on consignment daily – no questions were asked. We then called the Michigan Department of Agriculture and found that, yes, both companies are licensed, even though they simply had pickup trucks with exposed freezers in the back, and later the USDA that is responsible for issuing the specific Bridge Card licensing, and were told that it is a violation to use independent contractors to accept food stamp transactions, and that they had to be employees, like the larger legitimate and better know companies like Schwan’s, or had to be licensed individually. When we called one of the aforementioned companies back to inquire why they were violating these regulations, and how long they thought they were going to get away with it – the response was a dial tone. Busted!!!

If you are appalled, you have a right to be as a tax payer, and especially in these tough economic times when hard-working Americans are struggling, some losing their homes and life’s assets, many out or work and on unemployment, and those that make just enough that they don’t qualify for assistance while the food stamp safety program is exploited by criminals. How hard is it to put an end to this theft and fraud? How hard would it be for the state to put together a “sting” operation to put companies like this out of business and reduce the accessibility to those trying to sell their benefits? Lets’ see, it would take a phone call and a video camera. But wait – many phones now come with a video camera – so I guess it would take a phone.

If you are an outraged taxpayer feel free to comment, link to this article, and post the results of any similar investigations conducted. If you intend to use this article to sell your food stamp benefits – Be aware that it is a FELONY and you face very severe sanctions, and possible incarceration – even if the company’s driver tells you it is legal!

marketfresh**********. com (refer to update)
michigangourmet**** .com  (refer to update)

(If you’re one of the companies or drivers mentioned in this report – feel free to comment – and maybe explain why you violate food stamp program regulations, and hang up on those asking reasonable questions while here.)

If you know anyone that works for an agency that has interest in actually doing something about connecting the dots and enforcing the laws the rest of us have to live by – they can borrow my phone to schedule a delivery.

UPDATE: We removed both the phone numbers and Website links from this post because we found that some were attempting to contact these companies to commit fraud selling their bridge card benefits as you will see in the comments section. If you are aware of those selling or buying food stamps please call

Michigan Department of Agriculture 1-800-292-3939

FNS Field Office 1-888-258-8068

(Ask them why they are doing nothing about Michigan Gourmet Meat Products in Burton MI and all the other ”delivery” companies – and allowing them to violate FNS policy by allowing independent contractor drivers that, unlike Schwanns, are not employees to use the company license instead of being licensed individually as required.) ( We appreciate your comments – at the bottom of article after categories, you can also share on Facebook)

At the request of our readers – we will begin listing some of the door to door companies at our blog page DOOR TO DOOR MEAT BUNDLE SCAM !

$2M Michigan lottery winner defends use of food stamps
Detroit News detroit News – Wed May 18, 1:27 pm ET
Ron French, Detroit News staff writer

A Michigan man who won $2 million in a state lottery game continues to collect food stamps 11 months after striking it rich.

And there’s nothing the state can do about it, at least for now.

Leroy Fick, 59, of Auburn won $2 million in the state lottery TV show “Make Me Rich!” last June. But the state’s Department of Human Services determined he was still eligible for food stamps, Fick’s attorney, John Wilson of Midland, said Tuesday.

Eligibility for food stamps is based on gross income and follows federal guidelines; lottery winnings are considered liquid assets and don’t count as income. As long as Fick’s gross income stays below the eligibility requirement for food stamps, he can receive them, even if he has a million dollars in the bank.

Food stamps are paid for through tax dollars and are meant to help support low-income families.

“If you’re going to try to make me feel bad, you’re not going to do it,” Fick told WNEM-TV in Saginaw on Monday.

Wilson said Fick told the DHS officials he’d won $2 million but was told he could keep using the Bridge Card issued to him to buy groceries.

Fick could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

[...]

Exhibit 2:

Only in America: The ‘adult baby’ who collects Social Security
At age 30, Stanley Thornton Jr. sleeps in a crib and lives off the government — though some say he’s perfectly capable of holding down a job
posted on May 19, 2011, at 11:07 AM

Best Opinion:  Pajamas Media, Hot Air, New York

The story: Stanley Thornton Jr., 30, is a self-described “adult baby,” who sleeps in a huge crib, drinks from a bottle, wears diapers, lives with a former nurse who acts as his “mom”… and subsists on Social Security disability benefits. This last part caught the attention of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who requested that the Social Security inspector general review Thornton’s disability classification — especially since Thornton appears to be running a design business specializing in “adult baby” furniture. Thornton, who was featured on the National Geographic TV show Taboo (see video below), says he has mental problems that prevent him from holding a job, and threatened to kill himself if his Social Security check is taken away.

The reaction: The only thing standing between Thornton and a job is his fantasies, so kick this 350-pound “diaper wearing freeloader” off the dole, says Christian Adams in Pajamas Media. Seriously, could there be “a better symbol of what a fiscal mess we are in”? Well, yes and no, says Allahpundit in Hot Air. I mean, watch the video. “If this guy’s not ‘disabled,’ who is?” And it’s not like he’s the only American putting his needs before our “crushing debt burden.” The saddest thing about this story, says Dan Amira in New York, is who would’ve thought “a fight between a United States Senator and a 30-year-old adult baby could be unfunny”?

Question: Did someone just make a doody in their diaper???

Conclusion: how DARE you question these noble liberal programs!?!?!?  You must be totally heartless!!!!!

Democrats have made it as impossible to stop fraud in these programs as they have made it impossible to deal with voter fraud or illegal immigration.

Republicans could try to investigate how these programs are godawfully abused, but of course liberals and Democrats would start running ads like this one.

All scaremongering and demonizing aside, let me tell you the truth.  Democrats don’t want to push “gramma” off the cliff.  They’re FAR too hateful and depraved for something so small in scale.  Rather, Democrats want to push the entire United States of America off a cliff.  They want every single American to perish in the horror of a Great Depression that will make the last one seem like a pleasant afternoon at the beach.  They want to attack everyone who proposes any kind of solution to our impending 100%-guaranteed-to-happen financial implosion so that our nation and every single person living in it has the choice between communism or death.

State Senator Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge said that this past winter about $2 million in Bridge Card food and cash assistance was spent in Florida, California, Hawaii and Nevada, and on cruise ships.

In Michigan, the Bridge Card debit card has replaced food stamp for those in need of state assistance.

Senator Jones Tuesday announced he is now working with the Michigan Department of Human Services to end Bridge Card abuse.

“It is shocking that taxpayers would foot the bill for welfare recipients to spend money on vacations to other states and even on cruise ships… this must end” Jones said, in a statement.

Currently, Bridge Cards are only available to Michigan residents. Card holders are supposed to notify the state when they have been out of the state for 30 days. Then the card is cut off.

Speaking with WWJ’s Marie Osborne, Jones said there is other potential for abuse.

“Many times, Bridge Cards are sold on the open market and then people get cash, can buy illegal drugs and alcohol and cigarettes. Obviously, that needs to stop,” Jones said.

Jones is also working on another measure — a Senate bill that would prohibit users from using Bridge Cards to withdraw cash from casino ATMs.

“That’s terrible cause all of us that work very hard for the things that we got and the lazy (people) that get our taxpayer money shouldn’t not get it,” commented one Michigander, on WWJ’s Facebook page.

“I have needed the Bridge Card in the past and am saddened to see this abuse. It will ruin this wonderful program to help you out when your at (your) lowest. So sad,” said another.

But another said our state has “bigger fish to fry.”

What do you think? Comment below.

What is Double Up Food Bucks?
Double Up Food Bucks provides families receiving food assistance benefits with the means to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets. It is a project of the Fair Food Network, a national nonprofit dedicated to building a more just and sustainable food system. The Fair Food Network works at the intersection of food systems, sustainability, and social equity to provide access to healthy, fresh and sustainably grown food, especially in underserved communities.

Double Up Food Bucks was piloted in Detroit in 2009 and launched in Southeast Michigan in August 2010. Double Up Food Bucks tokens are now available at five markets in Detroit, four markets in Washtenaw County, and four markets in Battle Creek. Fair Food Network intends to launch Double Up Food Bucks in 50-60 farmers’ markets statewide in 2011–2012.

Who can use Double Up Food Bucks?
Anyone with a SNAP Bridge Card will receive Double Up Food Bucks when shopping at participating farmers’ markets. When a person eligible for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) uses his or her SNAP Bridge Card to shop for food at a farmers’ market, the amount of money that he or she spends is matched with Double Up Food Bucks bonus tokens. The tokens can then be exchanged for Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables.

Where can Double Up Food Bucks be used?
There are farmers’ markets in Detroit, Washtenaw County, and Battle Creek that participate in Double Up Food Bucks. See this map for a list of all participating farmers’ markets, including information on where the markets are located and the hours they are open.

Participating markets in Washtenaw County include:

• Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market
• Westside Farmers’ Market
• Ypsilanti Depot Town Farmers’ Market
• Downtown Ypsilanti Farmer’s Market

When is the program available?
Double Up Food Bucks will resume in May-June of 2011. For updates, check their website or call 734.213.3999 ext. 203 with questions.

Why is this an important project?
Double Up Food Bucks makes healthy food more accessible to low-income urban families, while creating new sales opportunities for farmers.

Southeastern Michigan boasts an extensive network of high-quality growers who sell their produce at farmers’ markets in the Detroit area. Double Up Food Bucks will help to increase growers’ sales of fresh fruits and vegetables in a sustainable, dependable way.

Programs like Double Up Food Bucks have results in positive healthy changes in the buying and eating habits of urban low-income families. For the 280,000 Detroit residents eligible to receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), the Double Up Food Bucks program provides a way for them to get more fresh fruits and vegetables without paying for more. Thousands of Detroit-area residents use their food assistance benefits to purchase fresh food at farmers’ markets every week.

After receiving reports of misuse, the Michigan Department of Human Services decided to crackdown on Bridge Card Abuse.

This is wonderful news. The Lansing State Journal reports:

Beginning in April, thousands of university students in Michigan will become ineligible for a controversial Bridge Card program.

Currently, about 15,000 of the nearly 26,000 students statewide receiving the food assistance are eligible for the card mostly because they attend a college or university. But the state Department of Human Services said Tuesday it will begin to follow federal guidelines in April and not allow student status to be a key qualifying factor.

College students will be eligible for the electronic food stamp program only if there are other factors, such as the student caring for children while working a low-wage job, officials said.

This is a great step towards reforming Michigan’s inefficient Bridge Card program.

As I have stated in a recent post, Bridge Cards are an electronic version of food stamps that are issued by the Department of Human Services (DHS). A lot of students, who are not dependents of their parents, are eligible to receive government assistance because they have a so-called “low income”. Some students claim they need them in order to survive fiscally through school. Unfortunately, this is not true and many of these students are abusing the system. Not only do they use the Bridge Card to purchase an unnecessary amount of food, but some also use it to purchase alcohol and cigarettes with the money they are able to get back with it.

According to a 2008 report from the Office of Inspector General, Michigan lost $17.3 million during a three-year period (2006-2008) from users abusing the system. Also, the Department of Human Services’ estimate last fall of 10,000 to 18,000 college and university students who are receiving food assistance statewide was incorrect:

The total statewide number of 25,923 was much higher than the department’s estimate last fall of 10,000 to 18,000 statewide. The department offered the estimate in response to a request from the State Journal for a story examining whether abuse was rampant among college students.

We should all be embrace the Department of Human Services’ decision to  crackdown on the abuse. Michigan has one of the worst economies and the second highest unemployment rate in the United States. Not only are these students hurting the people who actually need the assistance, the abuse is also contributing to Michigan’s $1.8 billion budget shortfall. Eliminating the fraud is an absolute must and appears to be a priority in Michigan.

Unfortunately, a lot of individuals will attack the abuse crackdown, because they feel entitled to this temporary safety net program. Earlier this morning, I posted the Lansing State Journal link on my Facebook page and I have already been attacked for wanting to “strip poor people of their benefits.” Nothing could be further from the truth, but this is a common mindset for those who feel they are entitled to every dollar promised to them by the government. Sadly, not everyone has the time to focus on the political world around us, but above all, we must realize these programs are funded by the taxpayers (i.e. other peoples’ money). I know this is a tough concept to comprehend in an entitlement world, but eliminating the fraud out of a government program is not stripping the poor of their benefits. There is nothing wrong with improving a system that is naturally inefficient. In my opinion, it is refreshing to see politicians (especially in a collapsing state, such as Michigan) ask for some responsibility within their monstrous government bureaucracies that they established.

In the end, those who actually need the assistance, will get it. And yes, it might involve filling out a few more pages of paperwork. Truth is, if an individual truly needs the program to feed their family, the time spent on paperwork should be worth the effort.

Look at the bright side, at least well-off college students won’t be able to easily take advantage of this welfare program anymore… Hopefully.

Wonder what you would find if you frisked college campuses all over the state of Michigan?

Answer: Bridge Card abuse.

Bridge Cards are an electronic version of food stamps that are issued by the Department of Human Services (DHS). A lot of students, who are not dependents of their parents, are eligible to receive government assistance because they have a so-called “low income”. Some students claim they need them in order to survive fiscally through school. Unfortunately, this is not true and many of these students are abusing the system. Not only do they use the Bridge Card to purchase an unnecessary amount of food, but some also use it to purchase alcohol and cigarettes with the money they are able to get back with it.

Who pays for this abuse? The taxpayer.

Fortunately, a Michigan lawmaker has named college student fraud in the food-aid program as a top priority in the coming year. The Lansing State Journal reports:

Rep. David Agema, R-Grandville, who last month became chairman of a House subcommittee overseeing the budget for the state Department of Human Services, named college student fraud in the food-aid program as a top priority in the coming year.

Though Agema is not sure how many college students are abusing the program statewide, he said he fears the state is wasting millions of dollars annually to provide the aid to students who don’t need it. Bridge Card recipients use the card as kind of an electronic version of food stamps, and critics say students of well-heeled parents are using the aid to pay for food and using their spending money for booze and parties.

“It’s an epidemic,” Agema said Tuesday at a committee hearing. “You can get this just by (applying) on the Internet.”

[...]

Agema spent much of last year criticizing suspected Bridge Card fraud among college students, and, in October, the State Journal reported anecdotal accounts from mid-Michigan store owners suggesting that fraud among college students was widespread in the region.

In recent weeks, Agema said, he has heard from many parents in his House district who say they are astonished their child is receiving the aid in college even though the parents are paying for all expenses.

Last year, the DHS reported that at any given point during the 2009-10 school year, 10,000 to 18,000 college and university students were receiving food assistance (at a maximum of $200 per month each).

Agema said he hoped the state Inspector General would begin a series of “sting operations” this year at retailers statewide to uncover the fraud that may be taking place.

According to a 2008 report from the Office of Inspector General, Michigan lost $17.3 million during a three-year period (2006-2008) from users abusing the system. Unfortunately, that number has probably grown since 10,000 to 18,000 college and university students are receiving food assistance.

Bridge Card abuse is a problem that Michigan lawmakers need to crackdown on. Michigan has one of the worst economies and the second highest unemployment rate in the United States. Not only are these students hurting the people who actually need the assistance, the abuse is also contributing to Michigan’s $1.8 billion budget shortfall. Eliminating the fraud is an absolute must.

Side-Note: As a recent college graduate, I have seen a lot of Bridge Card abuse on Michigan State’s campus. Sadly, a few of these individuals are my friends. Interestingly enough, those individuals are liberals. The same ideology that thinks I stand for the wealthy and discriminate against the poor. Meanwhile, these liberal friends of mine are milking the welfare system and hurting the people they claim to be for… Hypocrisy at its finest.

So, I go to Krogers (grocery market) today and do the usual shopping.  When I was in the self-service check out some lady walked up to me saying can she use her Bridge Card.  I was thinking “NO”, I didn’t know what a Bridge Card did!  Apparently it’s a government assisting type program-y thing where those on welfare get a card with money on it thats given to them by the government!  Talk about not fair, I don’t get any government money Anyways, I was like, “no, it’s going to take a while and I don’t have time for it”.  She just kept pushing and pushing saying it gives her discount on gas and stuff.  I was thinking, so fucking what?! So, eventually I gave up my polite verbal battle and was like, ok.  So, then her card didn’t work so the attendent had to come over.  Apparently because I was leaning on the bag thing.  Then the lady-helper said, “oh, girl you were gonna keep your mom here all day”.  My MOM? First, I look nothing like that lady, we weren’t the same skin conplection, we didn’t talk similar, we looked like total opposites.  Eventually, every thing went well and the card work and I gave her $10.  The whole thing with the Bridge Card only saved me $5.

Since I walked to the grocery store I had to walk back with all the bags.  I was so tired when I got home that I just laid down for like a half an hour naked.  After researching what a Bridge Card is and thinking about it, I was used to scam the government.  I think of it as that anyways, cause I don’t know her and it just seems like some form of “getting over” on the government.  Especially since she wasn’t getting a discount with the stuff that she bought.  Not patriotic to do such things if you ask me.  But, to be honest I’m one of those people that think paying taxes is patriotic so from my point of view, this is un-American   That situation was awkward and new for me.  Next time, I won’t be a pushover and say “no”.

Later my mother called about my cousin’s graduation.  So I had to call my cousin and get the info.  Then right after when I was ready to lay back down my friend called me wanting to talk about the GM bankruptcy.  Then, when I wanted to lay back down, I realized that I should either do my hair or wash clothes.  Seeing as how we have 4 apartments in our building and one washer and dryer, I figured I should take advantage of the fact that no one was using them.  Now I’m thinking about washing my hair since my cousins graduation is freakin’ Wednesday, geesh talk about late notice.  And when I was on the phone with him he said he was gonna call us tomorrow (Tuesday) and let us know that the graduation was Wednesday!

Now on to internet related stuff.  I’m an internet superstar! ok, ok, I know that’s completely false.  I got my first testamonial thing on Stumble Upon.  And to think, I used to hate that site!  Apparently I’m funny and witty, who knew?  I recently had to un-friend someone on SU because they kept sending annoying shares from the same site.  Also, I’ve had 941 people access my political blog by entering “Sensico” into a search engine.  I also had an increasing number of people acess the blog by entering in “sensico.com”.  I figured, oh, that’ll be cool if I would register the domain name “sensico.com”.  Unfortunately it’s already taken and…I don’t have any money to buy a domain name.  So, that 2 minute dream ended…quickly!  Also, I’ve been getting a lot of followers on twitter lately.  Apparently I’m so cool that Gov. Schwarzenegger decided to follow me.  I don’t know why but I decided to follow him back, just cause.  Yesterday the talk on twitter was all about Eminem getting tea bagged.  At first I was sure Eminem wasn’t part of the joke til someone reminded me that Eminem is the same guy that, “dresses like a woman in his videos and pulls his pants down on the red carpet.”.  Youtube took the video down but heres the link to a working video.  Later I asked a serious question, which is what the hell was Eminem doing at the MTV Movie Awards anyways.  He seemed kind of out of place.  Also, I love the new twitter game called Sypmaster.  I plan on assassinating everyone in that game, I just secured a safe house in Berlin too.  Watch out!

I’m not into handheld game consoles anymore, the only one I had was Sega Genesis and GameBoy color which I only played like most Pokemon games on…and Kirby Tilt and Tumble I’d just like to take a moment and say I love the look of the PSP Go.  And, I wasn’t planning on using the Bing search engine but after finding someone accessed my blog several times from the search engine I decided to give it a look and I like it.  Also, the sites available when you search “Sensico” seem to be much favorable to me then searching “sensico” on Google lol.  Yesterday afternoon I spent my afternoon watching The Simpsons and old episodes of Drawn Together on the Hulu Desktop and I’m still in love with it.  Though eventually I’ll run out of shows to watch since I’m not into most of the programs available.  So, that was it, now I’m off to listen to music and maybe wash my hair!  Here’s my most listened to song today.  Teach Me How To Fight by Junior Boys,

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