WALSH HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING THE
STATE'S EBT SYSTEM AND JOINS US
LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM.
THIS INVESTIGATION STARTED BACK
IN AUGUST. MANY OF US KNOW YOU
CANNOT USE EBT CARDS TO BUY
LOTTERY TICKETS, TOBACCO OR
ALCOHOL. BUT THE 22NEWS I- TEAM
DISCOVERS THERE'S NOTHING
STOPPING SOMEONE FROM TAKING OUT
CASH AT STORES THAT SELL.....
WELL ANYTHING.
WE HAVE OVER $400 MILLION A YEAR
SPENT ON THIS PROGRAM.
85% OF THAT MONEY IS TAKEN OUT
IN CASH AND WE CAN'T KEEP TRACK
OF IT. AN EBT OR ELECTRONIC
BENEFIT TRANSFER CARD IS SIMPLY
AN ATM OR DEBIT CARD THAT GIVES
PEOPLE ON WELFARE THEIR MONEY.
THE 22NEWS I-TEAM DISCOVERED
THAT ON AVERAGE, $25 MILLION IN
EBT MONEY IS TAKEN OUT IN CASH
IN MASSACHUSETTS EVERY MONTH.
OUR 22NEWS I-TEAM INVESTIGATION
REVEALS IN JULY ALONE THERE
WERE 5 EBT CASH WITHDRAWALS FOR
A TOTAL OF $480 DOLLARS AT THIS
PLAZA LIQUORS IN CHICOPEE.
THERE'S NO WAY TO PROVE HOW THE
PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE THE MONEY,
BUT IN THE SAME PLAZA. A WALMART
AN ATM AND A CHICOPEE SAVINGS
BANK.
THERE'S NO RESTRICTIONS ON THE
CARDS, THERE'S NO WAY TO STOP
SOMEONE FROM GETTING CASH AT ANY
ATM STATE REPRESENTATIVE SHAUNNA
O'CONNELL SERVED ON THE STATE'S
EBT COMMISSION EARLIER THIS
YEAR. REPRESENTATIVE O'CONNELL
WAS THE ONLY COMMISSION MEMBER
OF 8 TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF
ELIMINATING CASH BENEFITS. DAN
CURLEY IS THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE
COMMISSIONER. HE WASN'T
AVAILABLE FOR AN INTERVIEW BUT
SENT US THIS STATEMENT. WE ARE
COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH OUR
PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO
CONTINUE TO IMPROVE PROGRAM
INTEGRITY TO PROTECT THE SYSTEM
FOR THOSE FAMILIES WHO NEED IT.
OUR I-TEAM INVESTIGATION REVEALS
MONEY IS BEING TAKEN OUT NOT
JUST AT LIQUOR STORES, BUT AT
PLACES LIKE OFF TRACK BETTING
LOCATIONS AND ITS POSSIBLY BEING
USED FOR BAIL. THE 22NEWS I-TEAM
OBTAINED A COPY OF A BOSTON
POLICE REPORT. IN APRIL, A MAN
WAS ARRESTED FOR SELLING HEROIN.
THE POLICE REPORT SAYS DURING
HIS PHONE CALL HE SAID "GET MY
EBT CARD AND GO TO THE ATM AND
GET THE MONEY TO BAIL ME OUT".
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT USE IT THE
RIGHT WAY AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT
UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT DON'T USE IT THE
RIGHT WAY AND THAT REALLY
DETRACTS FROM THE INTEGRITY OF
THE SYSTEM.
IN JULY, GOVERNOR PATRICK SIGNED
A WELFARE REFORM BILL INTO LAW.
THEN SENT A LETTER TO LAWMAKERS
SAYING HIS ADMINISTRATION WILL
NOT ENCORCE IT WITH RESPECT TO
THE USE OF EBT CARDS.
REPRESENTATIVE O'CONNELL IS
CURRENTLY SERVING ON A CASHLESS
SYSTEM COMMISSION, BUT IS NOT
PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS SO
FAR. THE 22NEWS I- TEAM WILL
