What is next?

[conner_condor]

In San Diego, poor people who want public benefits must give up their privacy. Investigators from the district attorney's office there make unannounced visits to the homes of people applying for welfare, poking around in garbage cans, medicine chests and laundry baskets.
Applicants are not required to let the investigators in. But they get no money if they refuse.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/071607I.shtml

The San Diego program is the most aggressive one in California and perhaps in the nation, but the recent decisions have probably given governments around the country all kinds of ideas. An earlier home-visit program, instituted in New York in 1995 by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, was largely dismantled as part of the settlement of a lawsuit in 1997.



Yea,good ole rudy back in 1995. Imagine if he was given power.. NO THANK YOU.

[Fieldmouse]

I would include drug tests and mandatory work.

[BigTiny]

As long as the program is voluntary, this is legal.

[conner_condor]

Isn't this kinda like extorsion or blackmail? Do as we say or you get no welfare to live on?I am against complete welfare, but not against partial to help the poor out who can't make it on a min wage job. Should these people be under the same guidelines?

[BigTiny]

It is kinda like bribery. Nobody forces you to take the deal, but if you need it bad enough....

Remember when the feds wanted the national drinking age to be bumped up to 21? States were not forced to change their laws, but if they wanted federal highway funding, they had to play ball. The federal government cannot make a state change it's laws unless they conflict with the U.S. Constitution, but they can decide the state doesn't get any federal money until they do. The samee principle applies to individual rights. They cannot legally force you to submit to a search without a warrant, but they can hold your benefit check.

Now, just because it is legal, that doesn't make it right.

[ipscshooter]

Can you suggest some better ways to limit the rampant fraud being committed against those of us who pay taxes?

[conner_condor]

ORIGINAL: ipscshooter

Can you suggest some better ways to limit the rampant fraud being committed against those of us who pay taxes?

They should be given jobs to pay it off. Like community work.

[BigTiny]

ORIGINAL: conner_condor


They should be given jobs to pay it off. Like community work.

That's a much better idea than warrantless searches.

[ipscshooter]

ORIGINAL: BigTiny

That's a much better idea than warrantless searches.

If I'm reading the article correctly, the only searches being done are with consent. No need for a warrant. If they wanted to search without consent, they'd have to go get one. This isn't much different than requiring consent to random drug tests for high school athletes or employees. If you want to play (or receive some pay), you know the score. You consent, or you don't play, or you find another job.

[falcon]

"Can you suggest some better ways to limit the rampant fraud being committed against those of us who pay taxes?"

While we are going after welfare motherswe could eliminate welfare for large corporate "farmers."

http://farm.ewg.org/farm/index.php?key=nosign