Monday, January 26, 2009

State Pays Racine Sisters Half a Million to Babysit Their Own Kids

"Sisters or other relatives can stay home, swap kids and receive taxpayer dollars. The four Racine sisters took in as much as $540,000 in taxpayer dollars in less than three years, mostly to watch each other's kids."

http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/38309864.html


Darn it! Why don't I ever come up with scams like these? What is it about taking advantage of other people that bothers me so much? What is it with this crippling morality that has held me back all these years? Why do I foolishly adhere to quaint notions of civility and respect for others and the hard work they put into their lives? Why can't I just shamelessly and selfishly rip off the taxpayers and gorge myself at the trough of public funds?

15 comments:

OrbsCorbs said...

Pigs!

Anonymous said...

This is the exact kind of shit that happens when people don't pay attention. Government and government services have gotten so out of hand and out touch with the average joe and josephine that it is no wonder people have so such a feeling of hopelessness and apathy when in comes to dealing with or getting involved with government. BOATIITA!

OrbsCorbs said...

I agree 100% logjam. It's overwhelming and it's monstrous. The politicians keep screaming for more money and then this is what they do with it. The assaults on our morals, our intelligence, our sense of justice, on our very humanity, just keep coming while the jackals fight over our money.

OrbsCorbs said...

I CCAPed the sisters to get an address. 2518 17th Street apparently is where $540,000 of our tax dollars went for "child care."

kkdither said...

This is totally unbelievable. You have to wonder how they get so smart to know of these loopholes and how the government agencies can be so stupid to not be aware of it. I don't have a devious enough brain, I guess. I couldn't do it either, orbs.

OrbsCorbs said...

I wouldn't be suprised if their caseworker suggested it to them.

Beejay said...

guys, there is so much I want to say on this subject. Only because I have seen first hand the abuse. The effort finding ways not work amazes me. And this childcare thing makes me want to scream.

OrbsCorbs said...

Let's see, $540,000 for four sisters over three years . . that works out to $45,000 per year per sister that WE are paying these women to babysit their own children.

Gee. I sure hope that some anonymous internet blogger doesn't alert the IRS to this to make sure that these ladies reported all their income...

homemomof2 said...

Wow ... this is amazing. How could the government be so blind to not know (or perhaps ignore ??) that this is going on. How disgusting.

My hubby and I gave up a lot for me to stay home with our kids. To see such abuses of the system is like a giant slap in the face. Disgusting.

Beejay said...

Orbs, don't get me started on this...Grrrrr. A way to stay home and get paid for it...duh...oh the kids, who cares, right...There goes my bp again.

MinnesotaChick said...

This is disgusting! How do people learn of these ways to deceive? I'd be too scared of getting caught.

Nowhere does it say any of these people were charged with anything. Why not?

hale-bopp said...

Because they did nothing illegal, DA. They found a legal loophole.

The thing that disturbs me is how the people seem resigned to oh well, they found a loophole, there is nothing we can do. Yes you can...someone made the rules and they can be rewritten to close the frakkin' loophole! This program is designed to help people get off welfare, not be part of a racket (I could segue into tax loopholes here, but that would turn into a rant I don't feel like writing right now).

drewzepmeister said...

That's just the beginning of the scams that go on out there. I could go on about what they do with food stamps. I'm convinced that no matter what the goverment program is,somebody's out there is trying to beat system.

Here I am,busting my ass off, trying to earn on honest living. My tax paying dollars goes to these clowns. It makes my blood boil.

hale-bopp said...

Sometimes you have to take a deep breath and remember that these programs help honest people also.

In that spirit, I offer such a story from my life. In grad school, I volunteered at a student run food bank. It was open only to university students. I was one of the "social workers in training" who interviewed the clients when they came in. I got to know many of the regulars. One of them was on the football team. You might think he eats for free (he did) but he had two kids and needed help feeding his family.

He graduated and I found out he was drafted by the Chiefs and made the team. Around Christmas that year, a $10,000 donation shows up from him to the food bank, by far the biggest single check we had received up to that point.

OrbsCorbs said...

From today's JSOnline:

"Racine County Executive William McReynolds said county workers are reviewing several cases detailed in the Journal Sentinel's investigation, including a mom who claimed to work 236 out of 238 days to earn taxpayer-funded child care. The woman reportedly worked on the day she gave birth to her seventh child - and every day for a full week after the birth, records show.

"McReynolds wouldn't elaborate on the internal investigations but said the county hadn't determined whether anyone committed fraud. He added that his caseworkers 'have an explanation for each one of these cases.'"


MyReynolds never "elaborate(s) on the internal investigations," but he always comes out smelling like roses - even before the investigation has had time to begin. Just like the investigation into baby Brian's death. A caseworker has an explanation for a woman working on the same day she gave birth? I think taxpayers might really like to hear that explanation. I suppose when you're pregnant, you are providing "child care" for the fetus, and thus are entitled to tax dollars for nine months.

I agree, Hale, that these programs do an incredible amount of good for honest people. The thing is, the dishonest people are not all "out there." Many of them are administrating these programs, spending our money like drunken sailors.

I'd love to know the details of McReynolds' investigations. Of course, as a legal resident of Racine county, I'm sure that I am not entitled to see them. We little people are incapable of understanding those big government programs that drain the life blood out of us. Mac has got it covered. Just trust him. After all, baby Brian did.