It’s very easy these days to find a pathetic story and tsk,tsk over the miscreants involved.
But a current criminal case in Wichita is infuriating, even by our culture’s low standards.
The Associated Press reported: “The owners of a Wichita grocery store will learn this week the punishment for their role in a food stamp scam that profited by targeting people at homeless shelters who were willing to sell their government benefits for cash.
“Muhammad Qadeer Akram and his wife, Shama Qadeer, who own Alnoor Grocery and Biryani House in Wichita, are scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Wichita.
“The couple pleaded guilty in September to one count each of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, food stamp fraud and wire fraud. “The couple admitted in their plea agreement that they conspired to defraud the Agriculture Department by giving cash to recipients of ... food stamps. The grocers typically gave recipients 50 to 60 cents on the dollar for the value of their food stamps and pocketed the difference.”
According to the AP coverage, the scam “defrauded the government out of more than $580,000.”
Tsk, tsk indeed.
We see these and we figure someone just found a way to “stick it to the man.”
The problem is — and this is something that American taxpayers need to start waking up to — WE are the man.
This is our money that is being stolen.
Half a million bucks in taxpayer dollars may not seem like a lot compared to what we borrow to keep senseless federal waste moving for all the kickbacks, but it’s still real money.
And it really is our money.
It’s all our money.
Government does not make money. Taxpayers make money and we pay it out. Lots and lots of it.
That is why, when the government is defrauded, it is eventually our money that gets taken.
No matter how you juggle it, eventually this bill will get paid. And taxpayers will pay it. Those who are NOT defrauding the government.
— Chuck Smith