Lie: Johnson likes to manipulate that unique conservative thought process that assumes the undeserving poor are getting something for nothing. And reverse class envy, where the well off are jealous of the scraps doled out to the poor, is the easiest hot button issue to exploit. Johnson's panicky guy routine is the perfect delivery system too. Here's Politifact with another correction:
Johnson said: "The average rate of fraud" in the Earned Income Tax Credit, Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps programs "is 20 to 25 percent."
Improper payment rates are in the 20 to 25 percent range in the tax credit program -- but are 10 percent or less in the other three programs. So, even the average among the four programs would be far less than what Johnson claimed.
More importantly, those are error rates; there are no figures on the rate of fraud, which is believed to be a small component of errors. Johnson’s remark to the group was grossly misleading.
For a claim that is false and ridiculous, we give Johnson a Pants on Fire.
I have some elderly family, a couple, who receives food assistance to the amount of $85.00 dollars a month. It is in the form of a debit card. We discussed ways of misusing the card but couldn’t figure a way to leverage the card into anything more beneficial to them than the $85.00 dollars of food stuff they currently receive.
ReplyDeleteThe senator obviously hangs with a more sophisticated crowd. Since it can only be applied for approved purchases, who is going to pay more for the card than its face value? I don’t get it.