Sacramento Strip Clubs: Controlling how people spend their welfare money? Easier said than done
The outrage over casinos and strip clubs is understandable. But welfare is an easy whipping boy, and the controversy is likely to undermine support for programs for vulnerable families.
The money involved is not very much, nickels and dimes in a $6.6-billion welfare budget.But it’s our money, and those people are blowing it on blackjack and lap dances.That’s why the $4.8 million doled out to welfare patrons in gambling parlors and strip clubs has created such a buzz in Sacramento.Politicians are up in arms over Times reporter Jack Dolan’s reports that welfare recipients have been using their state-issued debit cards to withdraw cash from ATMs in tribal casinos, poker houses and strip clubs. ยป Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox. Other states began policing their ATM networks years ago. But in California, until our stories, Electronic Benefit Transfer cards could be used almost anywhere.Now Democrats are promising to make sure all families are spending only “on the children.” Republicans want to …