Kimball Clark of Boston was locked up Friday - again - for dealing drugs (again).

He made wise use of his one phone call; rather than calling his lawyer, he called a friend and told him (or her), "Get my EBT card, go to the ATM and get money to bail me out, get me out of here tonight!"

(For those who don't know, the EBT - the Electronic Bank Transfer - card is now the preferred method for distributing welfare payments to the "underprivileged.")

Cops and Republican lawmakers have been pushing the Deval Patrick administration for years to crack down on abuse, including lobbying (unsuccessfully) to have bail bondsmen placed on a list of places where an EBT card could not be used. They were told that "you can't use EBT cards that way."

Now that reports are reaching Beacon Hill that people are spending welfare cash on booze, cigarettes and lottery scratch-off tickets, even Democrats are advocating for tough reforms. Russell Holmes (D), State Rep for Boston, said:

“It’s exactly the type of activity that can occur when folks are allowed to get money off their EBT card.”

Because cash is next to impossible to trace, no one knows the extent of EBT card abuse. The Massachusetts EBT commission has advised that EBT cards be banned at nail salons, tattoo parlors, strip clubs and casinos - but not at ATMs, jewelry stores, rental centers and cruise lines.

Now State Rep Shauna O'Connell (R) has reintroduced a bill that specifically prohibits bail bondsmen and bars from accepting EBTs.

House Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo is also upset, and introduced tough reforms in his proposed state budget - even though Deval Patrick's welfare chief said she "saw no reason for tighter restrictions on easy cash for welfare recipients."

If passed, DeLeo's bill will ban using EBTs for bail or fines, for joining health clubs, to gamble, or to buy guns, porn, makeup, travel services, tattoos, jewelry and tickets to movies and sporting events.

www.bostonherald.com . . .

www.bostonherald.com . . .

www.bostonherald.com . . .

www.bostonherald.com . . .

I saw this on the news, the republican that wanted to stop that part of the program was attacked by the democrats saying that would never happen

WELL IT HAS

I really hate democrats

The debit card bullshit has got to stop.

Anyone who is on the dole for more than 6 months should have to use big over-sized, colorful "welfare bills" and be required to have a pacifier in their mouths while doing business transactions.

If it were up to me, welfare moochers would get a bag of rice, a bag of beans, and wheel of gubmint cheese at some ware house serviced by bus lines.

If you want snack food, meat, or sodas you get a job. It should be shameful to live off of others.

jukinj3 wrote:

If it were up to me, welfare moochers would get a bag of rice, a bag of beans, and wheel of gubmint cheese and some ware house serviced by bus lines.

If you want snack food, meat, or sodas you get a job. It should be shameful to live off of others.

Thats the problem ,theres no stigma anymore to be a leach.
Thats their occupation.I'd make them walk around the block
of the welfare office 40 hrs a week to draw anything.