Carnright estimated that taxpayers would eventually recoup $767,000 from defendants in the case either through court-ordered restitution or savings based on the disqualifications. The largest chunk of the clawback comes from Singh, who had $260,000 in personal funds seized during the investigation. Restitution orders from criminal and non-criminal defendants could bring in another $160,000. Carnright noted those with restitution orders who fail to pay could have up to 20 percent of food-stamp benefits for family members who remain eligible for the program (dependent children, for example) withheld until they pay their debt. Finally, Carnright said, taxpayers will save $347,000 based on the removal of 120 people from the county’s population of food stamp recipients for at least one year.
DA slams ‘Food Stamp 50’
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Going after the people who took advantage of the situation is not a good idea for a number of reasons.
1. You aren’t going to get the money from back from them. They were already on food stamps remember?
2. Crime is going to up as a result. Whether it was to feed a drug addiction or to pay the rent (and now to feed the family), these people will always find a way to get the money. Instead of fraud, the methods with now be in the form of increased robbery, prostitution, and drug dealing in mid-town. If nothing else look at it mathematically. Once these people commit these crimes and get locked up, how much money will tax payers be losing by keeping them in prison?
3. You are going to further alienate the mid-town community from law enforcement and government. The children are going to go hungry and be raised to understand it was the powers that be that leaned on the parents and tried to get blood from a stone. This opens the door to increased gang populations and activity in our community. semi-organized crime will be presented as a reliable source of income, food, and security. Even the neighbors of these people will feel resentment at having to live in the situation officials will have created.
What’s the solution? These people have no money, but what they do have is time. Punish them by taking their time. Put them to work in soup kitchens, street cleaning/maintenance programs, etc. Establish an incentive program of debt forgiveness based on reporting criminal activity. You have an army of 50 people who cannot pay, but can work off their debt. Mid-town needs a facelift, and many hands make lighter work.
Whatever you do, do not punish the children. If someone took away 20% of your food for a year you would feel it. That treads very near to cruel and unusual punishment.
What these people did was wrong, but not entirely evil. They abused the system. But abuse should not beget abuse.