In a Times Picayune story of May 8 according to Louisiana state legislative auditor about $1.1 million in federal food stamps money was given to and spent by those who were not eligible for the program. The federal program is managed by Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services. (DCFS) The DCFS also determines who is eligible and distributes the food cards that are loaded each month.
The auditor also found signs of other potential fraud that should be investigated that amounted to $2 million last year. Secretary Susie Sonnier of DCFS said her agency is reviewing all the cases cited in the auditor's report. Once again we have a problem of not regulating a program properly that cost the tax payers money, only this time it is the state of Louisiana that has failed to regulate and manage the regulations it set up itself.
The federal government catches a lot of flack for their failure to regulate in many areas but we hear very little about states who fail to administer and regulate programs that they themselves are responsible for. The DCFS is only one example. Enforcing regulations on a City, State and Federal level should be SOP not because government is involved but because it is an orderly process for the checks and balances needed for a society that has so many special interests and because taxpayers money is always involved.
The federal government is not the only government that has to get its house in order and enforce regulations that are for the common good. If one listens to state governors, you would think states do no wrong. Now that is really a fairy tail.
This commentary written by John Lucia
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