>>>>>>>What I'm asking you and others for is some real evidence, not anecdotes, that the number of people who are abusing the welfare system is a significant percentage of the number of people receiving assistance. Of course, there are some cheats (as there are in pretty much any system), but the question is whether they are a large enough subset as to render the whole program invalid.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Tamar
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/fraud/PG270.htm
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Just in California for 2007-2008.
>>>>>
>>>>>Still anecdotes. How about offering numbers? percentages?
>>>>>
>>>>>Frankly, if that's all California has for 2007-08, even if we acknowledge that it's only the ones they caught, it's a pretty small set. How many people live in California? How many receive welfare?
>>>>>
>>>>>Tamar
>>>>
>>>>Are you well?
>>>>Did you even read the article?
>>>
>>>What article? The link you posted is titled "Welfare Fraud Stories" and documents about a dozen specific episodes. Maybe that wasn't the link you meant to post?
>>>
>>>>California has big financial probelms and that all you can say? You think these are small numbers?
>>>>
>>>>"While exact figures are difficult to tally, experts estimate as much as $300 billion a year is lost to health care fraud in the United States "
>>>>
>>>>"$34 billion annually to provide care for about 7 million indigent Californians - with about $3 billion of that lost to fraud, experts say.."
>>>
>>>Okay, now I see this there. Since the page appeared to be just anecdotes, I skimmed it originally. Of course, even this item just quotes unnamed "experts." It'd be nice to know who they are and where they came up with that number.
>>
>>I believe it's more than just anecdotes. As the article states tracking this is difficult. It's not like those that "game" the welfare will volunteer their information to the authorities.
>>
>>I would bet there are a lot more drug abusers/illegals/rape victims than we think too.... how many go unreported/undetected? Yet, we know the numbers are significant.
>>
>>>
>>>Yeah, 10% of expenditure in fraud is on the high side. It still doesn't answer the question as to what percent of _recipients_ are cheating, which was the question I asked.
>>
>>Regardless of how many people, 300 billion dollars per year is no chump change.
>
>Right, but it says that most of it is organized crime, which isn't the people we've been talking about in this thread. And I said this in my original reply (see below).

Does it really matter who's commiting the crime? It's still our tax money down the drain.
All it proves is that there is not nearly enough accountability of how our tax money is being managed.
If people knew that the tax we pay is being handle with integrity and being distributed to where it's really needed we wouldn't hear nearly as much complaints. At least I would give as much as I can afford if I was assured of that. But as it is, I don't trust the government with my money. Less they have of our money, less stupid things they'll do.


>
>>
>>>
>>>It also says most of the fraud is organized crime, not the so-called "no-hopers" we've been talking about in this thread. I'm in favor of going after organized crime aggressively.
>>>
>>>Tamar
>
>
>Tamar