Living In Luxury AND Collecting Off Government

[dreadfulpenny00.livejournal.com]

From Yahoo! News:

A Seattle woman who is receiving welfare assistance from Washington state also happens to live in a waterfront house on Lake Washington worth more than a million dollars.

Federal agents raided the home this weekend but have not released the woman or her husband's name because they have not officially been charged with a crime.

However, federal documents obtained by KING 5 News show the couple currently receives more than $1,200 a month in public housing vouchers, plus state and government disability checks and food stamps. They have been receiving the benefits since 2003.

The 2,500 square-foot home, which includes gardens and a boat dock, is valued at $1.2 million. And even though the couple has been receiving the benefits for nearly 10 years, records show that they accurately listed the address of their current home when applying for the state and federal benefits.

A federal official told KING 5 that the couple likely took advantage of a loophole, which allows low-income individuals to receive financial assistance to help them pay their rent and move away from housing projects. However, the law does not require officials to verify what type of home the benefits recipient is living in.

As if the million dollar home weren't enough, the supposedly low-income couple also gave money to various charities and traveled around the world to locales in Turkey, Tel Aviv and resort towns in Mexico, according to court records.

I wonder if it's a case of too little government or too much government that allowed these folks to slip through the cracks. They could be charged with fraud, but only if their paperwork reflects falsehood or some sort-of discrepancy. Otherwise, the state (or federal) government gave them a Get Out Of Jail Free card with that loophole!

Instead of blathering about corporate tax loopholes, people should be more concerned with THESE loopholes!