Mass. Dem Gov Patrick Vetoes Bill To Ban Buying Guns, Tattoos, Manicures With Food Stamp Card

Massachusetts's current DEMOCRATIC Governor Deval Patrick has just vetoed a bill to prevent welfare fraud in his state.  It has to do with their EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card that welfare recipients are supposed to use for food. Their food stamp monthly allotment is electronically wired into their EBT account and they use the card (like a debit card) to purchase food. The operative word is "food". But do they use it for food? No. Many use it to buy anything from guns to tattoos to those nifty bejeweled acrylic nails. Well, I'm not sure about the acrylic nails, but I assume they do since the bill wanted to ban manicures, as well. Oh, and let's not forget porn. All of this, of course, courtesy of the taxpayer.

Instead of welcoming a bill that would clean up the welfare system, Patrick blasted those politicos behind the ban for "political grandstanding". Attempting to get people to use money designated for FOOD, to use for, uh, food is political grandstanding?

Republican Senator Robert Hedlund fired back:

“A lot of people in the Legislature, and a lot of taxpayers for that matter, believe there are a lot of problems with our EBT system. Some of us have worked hard to try to address those problems. Some of us actually take our jobs seriously, and to be accused of political grandstanding, I think it’s irresponsible and immature of the governor to speak that way.”

And from Republican House Minority Leader Brad Jones:

“He’s accusing us of political grandstanding. Well, I think he’s pandering to a political clientele who are in support of him and he wants to maintain that support. ... It would seem to indicate to me this isn’t something he wants to go forward.”

Ironically, the bill was cobbled together by both Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate, and "spearheaded" by Democratic House Speaker Robert DeLeo. DeLeo had nothing to say about Patrick's veto, but Democratic State Rep Russell Holmes still has faith.

“It is still something that’s very much a priority for the Legislature. Clearly we’ve gotten this far."

This is the odd thing:

His veto rejected bans on the use of EBT cards for tattoos, guns, porn, body piercings, jewelry, fines and bail. However, he left standing bans of the use of EBT cards in tattoo parlors, gun shops, casinos, cruise ships, strip clubs and adult entertainment centers, saying the independent EBT Card Commission had ruled out the idea of banning specific products “for reasons of feasibility, enforceability (and) cost.” The proposed ban on EBT use in jewelry stores, nail salons and rental centers was vetoed, however, leaving no EBT ban on their products.

What?

Hello!  "Food Stamps" should be for food. Period. Not alcohol, not drugs, not smokes, not manicures, not tattoos, not someone's pierced nipple, or bail, or titillating entertainment. For FOOD. How simple, feasible and cost effective is that?

I hope the citizens of Massachussetts are happy they voted for a Democrat who is allowing people to spend their hard-earned tax dollars on bailing others out of jail, and supporting their jewelry habit.