| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Politix |
| Colorado GOP tries to ban 'welfare for weed' against Democrats' wishes |
| 2015-02-09 |
| [WASHINGTONTIMES] The bill received preliminary approval Friday from the state Senate, where Republicans hold an 18-17 edge. The stumbling block lies with House Democrats, who hold a 34-31 majority and have shown no enthusiasm for the measure. Why? Last year, Democrats said they were worried about limiting access for welfare recipients, many of whom don't have bank accounts and may find it difficult to locate nearby ATMs in their neighborhoods. Democrats were also dubious about whether EBT cardholders were really blowing public dollars on pot. Those arguments were raised once again at last week's Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee hearing, where the bill passed 3-2 on a party-line vote. "My county still expresses concerns about this bill, and they don't know how big a problem it is as far as people using this money for the activities listed here, so I'm going to be a no," said Democratic state Sen. Matt Jones. Liberals in Colorado and elsewhere have mocked concerns about welfare recipients getting high on the taxpayers' dime, exemplified by a headline in September from Media Matters, which said, "Right-Wing Media's Mythological 'Welfare for Weed' Campaign Has Resulted in Actual GOP Legislation." But investigations by other media outlets have shown that the problem is more than a myth. On Thursday, Fox31 Denver reported that at least 17 lbs. of marijuana were likely purchased with public dollars in 2014, based on an examination of all ATM transactions using the EBT card in state marijuana dispensaries. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 The Left understands 'fungibility' to mean the ability to have fun. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2015-02-09 12:41 |
| #8 I always liked the word "Fungibility", ya know? A concept way too sophisticated to be grasped by the left. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-02-09 11:35 |
| #7 Welfare weed is the most pressing issue for Democrats? Little wonder that currently we have problems in this country. The Donks took to heart that old Dylan song: Everyone must get stoned."" |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2015-02-09 10:15 |
| #6 Technically pot shops cannot accept EBT cards for payment for pot now. If I understand the rules what the proposed law is intended to do is make the welfare pot buyers convert their EBT to cash somewhere else rather than at a machine right in the pot store, and then use that cash to buy their weed. Which implies EBT cards can be used somewhere to get cash - which can of course then be used to buy anything, anywhere, |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2015-02-09 09:11 |
| #5 A true, literal case of "the cycle of dependency..." |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2015-02-09 08:47 |
| #4 So instead of buying votes with cans of beer they'll buy them with boxes of vanilla wafers. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2015-02-09 08:01 |
| #3 may find it difficult to locate nearby ATMs in their neighborhoods That's because they are stoned. However, donut shops, no problem. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2015-02-09 04:10 |
| #2 Liberalsin Colorado and elsewhere have mocked concerns about welfare recipients getting high on the taxpayers' dime, The so-called 'tipping point' has obviously been reached. Reversing this trend will be very, very difficult if not impossible. The 50+ percent entitlement crowd will not likely go quietly into the night. As predicted repeatedly over the years by Fred's astute readership, this could get very ugly. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2015-02-09 03:31 |
| #1 have shown no enthusiasm for the measure CLASS DISTINCTION! EXCLUSIONARY BEHAVIOR! "Weed for Feed!" |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2015-02-09 01:14 |