Porterhouse steak and lobster on food stamps!

[Ban Hammer 13,491]

Posted: June 06, 2011

9:52 pm Eastern

A receipt allegedly found in the parking lot of a grocery store – and confirmed genuine by store managers – reveals a shocking level of luxury purchases made with state-provided food stamp funds.

The receipt from Angeli's County Market in Menominee, Mich., shows the customer used food stamps to purchase $141.78 worth of Diet Mountain Dew soda, lobster and porterhouse steaks.

The general manager of Angeli Foods, Mike Jankovich, acknowledged reluctantly to columnist John Schneider of Michigan's Lansing State Journal that the receipt was real.

"I've been hearing from lots of people about this," Jankovich told Schneider. "They're mostly people who don't understand how this can happen."

Jankovich insisted, however, that the purchase is technically legal under Michigan's Bridge Card food stamps program and that his staff had no right to refuse the sale, even if buying live lobster and expensive steaks might seem a wasteful use of welfare funds.

Asked if the receipt surprised him, Jankovich said, "Yeah, it's usually not this blatant."

A receipt allegedly found in the parking lot of a grocery store – and confirmed genuine by store managers – reveals a shocking level of luxury purchases made with state-provided food stamp funds.

The receipt from Angeli's County Market in Menominee, Mich., shows the customer used food stamps to purchase $141.78 worth of Diet Mountain Dew soda, lobster and porterhouse steaks.

The general manager of Angeli Foods, Mike Jankovich, acknowledged reluctantly to columnist John Schneider of Michigan's Lansing State Journal that the receipt was real.

"I've been hearing from lots of people about this," Jankovich told Schneider. "They're mostly people who don't understand how this can happen."

Jankovich insisted, however, that the purchase is technically legal under Michigan's Bridge Card food stamps program and that his staff had no right to refuse the sale, even if buying live lobster and expensive steaks might seem a wasteful use of welfare funds.

Asked if the receipt surprised him, Jankovich said, "Yeah, it's usually not this blatant."

Schneider also reports a discussion with a Michigan Department of Human Services spokesperson, who told the columnist the state was aware of the receipt and is conducting an investigation.

"While federal guidelines allow for food assistance to be used to buy those items, these purchases go against the intent of the program, which is to provide help to those who are truly needy," DHS spokeswoman Gisgie Gendreau said in a statement. "The department is currently reviewing all of our policies to ensure that we continue to help those who need assistance, but not those who are trying to game the system."

Gendreau continued, "We encourage anyone who suspects fraud or abuse of the system to report it by calling (800)222-8558 or on our website at www.michigan.gov/dhs."

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[luckytxn 2,265]

Poor people need to eat.

[ScottThuy 140]

not what I want my tax $ paying for..

[Golden Gate 530]

not what I want my tax $ paying for..

Well, they won't be able to buy much else, as they probably used up most of their allotment for the month!

[Ironman140 45]

Now wait just a second that was not someone on welfare!!

Bet they got fifty or sixty cents on the dollar for that lobster.

Then got a discount on some good crack. With the extra money.

[Krikit 1,165]

Not only that, they're litterers too!!

[Danno 1,228]

This is just one example of why the whole food stamp program needs to be rewritten.... for so many reasons.

-Health, the receipt could just as well been for $141 in Pepsi and cheetoes.

The same tax payer who pays for this junk food also pays for the healthcare from all this food.

-WHy is it many folks (myself included) buy generic brand items at least some of the time, why are charity cases (food stampers) not required to do the same?

It's very possible the Steak N Lobster went to a third party. I know of one person on food stamps and he will trade "food" for rides, cash or other things.

[ScottThuy 140]

obviously there is undeclared income sufficient enough for them to eat as the money provided them is just being pissed away on extravagance rather than the necessity it was intended for. clearly fraud is taking place... but the crappy part is that if we arrest them for what they are doing it will cost us 40k+ per year to house them in jail so its the lesser of evils financially... any sign of fraud or misuse should result in immediate and permanent disqualification from any government assistance.

The current system is just a EBT card and does not have the needed functionality to control what the $ is spent on.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

There are a lot of people receiving food stamp aid that really do not need it. I see it all too often and it pizzes me off every time I do.

[Ironman140 45]

There are a lot of people receiving food stamp aid that really do not need it. I see it all too often and it pizzes me off every time I do.

See we can agree on something's

But the truly sad part is. Those that do deserve it get less

Because of the 60 or 70 % of dead Enders / scammers who don't

[ScottThuy 140]

A friend of mine owns a cafe in a strip mall locally... she was having a conversation with one of the workers at the pub in the same mall and it became obvious that 80+% of the employees and owners of stores in that strip mall were getting food stamps... she went on to ask me if I was getting them and I said NO... her response.. why not?

Years ago there was a stigma that went along with getting food stamps.. today there appears to a stigma that if you are not getting them there is something wrong since you obviously are not smart enough to outsmart the system...

Why not? Because I have pride in myself and my ability to contribute to society rather than leech off of it...

[The Dude 206]

This is just one example of why the whole food stamp program needs to be rewritten.... for so many reasons.

-Health, the receipt could just as well been for $141 in Pepsi and cheetoes.

The same tax payer who pays for this junk food also pays for the healthcare from all this food.

-WHy is it many folks (myself included) buy generic brand items at least some of the time, why are charity cases (food stampers) not required to do the same?

It's very possible the Steak N Lobster went to a third party. I know of one person on food stamps and he will trade "food" for rides, cash or other things.

Danno, are you suggesting that people's choices be restricted? That doesn't sound very conservative to me. In fact, that sounds downright socialist.

[rika60607 215]

$8 for a lobster and $12 for a steak seems like a good deal, and the items point to a party planned. So, if someone starved for a few days to be able to throw themselves a birthday or an anniversary party (instead of going to a restaurant like in the days when they did not need assistance), I have no problem with that.

I used to be so judgmental when I saw someone paying with food stamps at the store and then saw them drive away in a luxury car, when I did not even have a car... and did not qualify for food stamps. And then I realized, if they fell on hard times, what are they supposed to do? Sell their only car?

[Danno 1,228]

obviously there is undeclared income sufficient enough for them to eat as the money provided them is just being pissed away on extravagance rather than the necessity it was intended for. clearly fraud is taking place... but the crappy part is that if we arrest them for what they are doing it will cost us 40k+ per year to house them in jail so its the lesser of evils financially... any sign of fraud or misuse should result in immediate and permanent disqualification from any government assistance.

The current system is just a EBT card and does not have the needed functionality to control what the $ is spent on.

Actually it does, you can't buy cleaning products, magazines or even prepared foods such as some items like fried chicken or sandwiches from the deli.

It would be a little complicated but the list could be more restricted to healthier foods and more basic staples.

I can't imagine me demanding others provide me food at the same extravagance as the provider lives on.

That would be like me paying to put a homeless family up in a motel and them saying: No.... you live in a 3 bedroom house, thats what I am entitled to also.

[Danno 1,228]

Danno, are you suggesting that people's choices be restricted? That doesn't sound very conservative to me. In fact, that sounds downright socialist.

Obviously you are so deep into the woods of socialism... you can't recognize what a tree even looks like.