Start with the banksters.

This woman is so far down on the priority list it ain't even funny.

That's got to be the take-away.

You you how to read the 'news' correctly.

This is what you should really be angry about
This women is the real cause of all our economic problems dont cha know

Don't forget those threats!

Around 1980, I believe...

She was an elderly Tea Party member who I met at a rally screaming "Don't socialize my Medicare!!!"

They've actually got a face to put with their bullshit assault on the social safety net.

Wasn't one of the cornerstones of the healthcare bill supposed to be ending Medicare fraud?

Heck, just a few weeks ago, there was this story: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/14/1064770/-Kudos-to-Obama-Admin-Attack-on-Medicare-Fraud-Recovering-4-1-billion-

Is there something immoral about stopping fraud?

guy: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002275282

If that is the case the fact she wasn't working is no reason to continue to collect food assistance. Was she actively looking for work? That should be a requirement for any able-bodied recipient. Further if this is program is means tested then there should be a provision to say that should the recipient's financial situation change within say a 5-10% margin, they are obligated to advise the relevant authority to have their eligibility re-evaluated.

If true this is exactly the kind of stuff that both pisses me off as well as provides fodder for the right wing cannon against programs designed to serve the truly needy.

There is nothing in this report that says she did or did not report it. It sounds to me this was more of ignorance than an attempt to defraud.

Guess I should have known...

In most states you are required to report a change in income, assets, and all that. You have 10 days here in TN. If you do not, you can get in a load of trouble.

If she did report it and the state did nothing, the issue is with the state and not necessarily her.

Not only that, if she was not informed that she was required to report this it may still be on the state. It sounds to me like this was more out of ignorance and not a real attempt to defraud.

I do hope nobody steps up to make an overly intellectualized, overly complicated defense of what she is doing here.

"Lottery Winner Defends Use of Food Stamps"

...who care if she "defends" it? It's not like she has any say in being cut from the program now that she's exposed.

(Removed text, misread the piece)

"I believe it is her comments that are incredulous."

...me too. She's likely a fraud, just like the story. Still, easy remedy.

still, Ms Clayton may as well hang onto her food stamps because her mentality makes it clear she will be broke in no time

That money will be long gone in a few years.

abuses the program,the answer is to end the program?

Normally, I try to refrain from criticizing people who want to eat, but this is way beyond.

About the best interest rate you can get these days is 1%, so that would give her $5000 of income annually, which isn't a lot. If the food stamp rules are based on income (as opposed to capital), after the first year (in which she would have $1mm of reportable income) she should certainly be eligible for food stamps if she has no other sources of income.

Although the rules vary by state, benefits are means tested. You usually won't be forced to sell a modest home, but your car's value is limited to about $2,000 and you can only have a small amount in the bank. Any assets that can be liquidated, like stocks, must be expended as well.

This lady is abusing the system and will have to repay what she has received and could face jail time. Just because the state sends you a money, it is not yours if you don't qualify. For example, if you get unemployment and are then ruled ineligible, you have to pay that money back.

If she didn't report the change in status, it's her fault.

Our state recently waived the resource limit for SNAP. There was not a worker I knew who was not in a uproar about it. We knew it would be abused. Also, why some here may feel sympathy for the woman, the same rule applies to anyone. We have seen clients who were contenders for the 1% club who were able to receive benefits precisely because of the waiver of the resource limits.

What other states have waivers for resource limits?

When I was on food stamps there were alot of rules about what you could and could not have.

what she collected.

Go figure.

This gets lots of attention and then some, especially those on the right, can whoop and holler that the welfare system is corrupt and should be done away with. I just don't want to feed into their craziness.