Fingerprints & Food Stamps

NPR ran a story this morning saying that New York is thinking about dropping its fingerprint requirement for entrance into the food stamp program.

Would you support Colorado requiring fingerprinting and a full background check before people could get approved for food stamps?
Needless expense that won't reduce fraud?
Discourages people who need it the most from signing up for relief?

Or

Might help find fugitives? Or decrease fraud as people couldn't sign up multiple times?

I would like to see Colorado adopt fingerprinting as a requirement.

I don't think I would have a problem with fingerprinting food stamp participants...I guess I would want to know who that info is shared with.. I believe it would be cheaper to do than drug tests that I don't agree with.

It seems like needless expense unless there is evidence of a high level of fraud.

In order to see most fraud, you have to spend the money to look for it....which I doubt our government does to any great extent. That's why pretty much all stores have cameras now because most thefts are not seen unless the perps are really stupid.

More regulation and control from the party of BIG govt? No thanks...the Repubs already try to control people enough.

When people are starving within our borders, it makes really no difference who they are. Starving people get desperate. Desparate people are dangerous - to all of us. Keeping food stamps from hungry people is cutting off your nose to spite your face.

plaidvillain wrote: More regulation and control from the party of BIG govt? No thanks...the Repubs already try to control people enough.

When people are starving within our borders, it makes really no difference who they are. Starving people get desperate. Desparate people are dangerous - to all of us. Keeping food stamps from hungry people is cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Good point, one of the reasons I think crime hasn't increased during the Obama recession is the expansion of the social safety net, but what if fingerprinting helps us catch pedophilia fugitives or escaped violent criminals?

And while you want to blame the fingerprinting on the Republicans, the state that has it, New York, traditionally votes Dem.

plaidvillain wrote: More regulation and control from the party of BIG govt? No thanks...the Repubs already try to control people enough.

When people are starving within our borders, it makes really no difference who they are. Starving people get desperate. Desparate people are dangerous - to all of us. Keeping food stamps from hungry people is cutting off your nose to spite your face.

What regulation? What party. New York State primarily leans Democratic, and they are talking about dropping the fingerprinting regulation. And no one in Colorado I know of, from either party is suggesting this for here. So... tell me, what regulation, where are the GOP mentioned anywhere? How does partisan politics come into play in your comment? You will turn anything into a partisan issue. Stupid.

FredHayek wrote: [but what if fingerprinting helps us catch pedophilia fugitives or escaped violent criminals?

By that argument, we'd best start fingerprinting everyone who wants to do anything, from obtaining a driver's license to a building permit to applying for food stamps. I mean, what's a little invasion of privacy if it means we catch even ONE pedophilia fugitive?

I'm not even clear on just how fingerprinting would reduce food stamp fraud.

Is there a photo on the EBT card? If not, maybe that would help make sure the person using the card is the one it was issued to.

It doesn't really serve much of any purpose other than additional harassment of the account holder. It appears to be very important to shame and embarrass them as much as possible.