To the Readers' Forum:
An article entitled "DSS Responsible For A Lot Of Money In County" contained the following paragraph: ''Once a criminal act has been established and the offender charged, recovering the money that was fraudulently taken and cost avoidance are initiated. Cost avoidance means that these offenders are removed from the rolls, from being able to receive public assistance, which saves taxpayers money for the period of time these offenders are no longer eligible."
My first concern is as follows. If an employee (working taxpayer) is caught stealing from their employer, are they fired on a temporary basis?
My second concern is, how is the money fraudulently taken allegedly being recouped? If it's being done through a reduction in the offender's future benefits (the only way possible) the offender's have suffered nothing as it is all the taxpayers' money to begin with. Offenders caught stealing from our overburdened taxpayers should be removed from the public dole permanently in N.Y. state, therefore actually saving taxpayers' money.
I for one am tired of irresponsible and often narcissistic people being slapped on the wrist for bad or illegal behavior and this includes those at the other end of the welfare scale such as CEOs, politicians, bankers, lobbyists, Wall Street etc. Bottom line is that our own government is the biggest most irresponsible thief of all, bought and paid for by "special interests."
I call for unfunded mandate relief now and it must begin with our single largest budget item, our Cadillac welfare system where "offenders commit the crime on the taxpayers dime" without serving time so to speak.
Jeff Rickard
Jamestown