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Working for welfare?

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    Poll: 83% say job should be a condition for benefits

  • Duration 3:21
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-- -- money spent on Lotto tickets it's happening and now number of states are moving to block welfare recipients from spending taxpayer cash and things like booze cigarettes tattoos and lottery tickets.

Meanwhile new Rasmussen poll shows that most Americans think they're too many people on welfare who shouldn't be.

Our next -- is a lawmaker pushing for reform in fact she says not one dime of taxpayer money should be used on anything other than the basic necessities that people need.

Massachusetts state represented Sean -- joins us now.

Thanks for joining us so again -- this is a big big issue going on right now but as of last Thursday -- Obama.

True you signed hours trying to push into law.

Waivers to the states that allow the states to dictate what constitutes work in welfare is that right.

Yeah that is right and I think that's -- dangerous way to go we really need to maintain very high standards in these programs.

And the states -- get a number of waivers from work and time limits so that.

Probably less than half of the people on welfare actually do have to work as it is.

And they will -- to their advantage any additional waivers that they cat because.

It is much easier to not have to make people work and to just give people their welfare checks so.

But you know I think it's a mistake to -- to have additional waivers in the program.

So it seems like we're going in the wrong direction a lot of taxpayers would say hey -- using my taxpayer money due to allow people on welfare.

To -- spend money on booze to spend money on cigarettes and lottery tickets.

What we're what should we do.

Well I just -- EDT commission in here in Massachusetts where we were trying to do.

A lot of reforms and what we really need to do is get a hold of beyond the control of the cash program.

And this country we spend about a -- upwards of thirty billion dollars just on cash assistance handing it out to people.

However we have no control over what that money is spent on and I've learned that just in Massachusetts.

Over 85%.

Of the money that we care about is taken -- cash at eighteen -- So essentially these have become ATM cards where people can take the cash and go and spend.

Spent on anything they want so until we get a hold of the cash and some kind of the requirements on that.

We're not going to be able to say you know you can't spend it on -- we -- say that all day long Eric.

But the fact of the matter is when you can go take money out you can just walk continue liquor store or the lottery store and get.

Tickets are -- and buy whatever you want.

-- and take a listen due to Democrat Steny Hoyer.

That he made this quote -- and -- want you to react to this quote if you talk to economists they'll tell you there are two things that are the most stimulative that you can do.

One is employment insurance the other food stamps because those folks received.

Those resources must spend them and I'll spend them.

Almost upon receipt so -- of -- in on whether or not food stamps and welfare is actually a good way to stimulate the economy.

Net yeah -- -- about taxpayer dollars welfare money food stamps aren't free.

And so we're taking money out of the pockets of hardworking taxpayers and giving it to someone else has spent -- I don't see that is stimulating the economy at all but as -- distributing -- otherwise term we're gonna leave it there thank you very much state reps don't know come.

Thing.

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