“The Schwarzenegger administration sent a letter to county welfare directors on Monday announcing that ATMs and point-of-sale card readers in such business will be removed from the network that accepts California’s Electronic Benefits Transfer cards,” latimes.com reports. “Monday’s letter announced that the cards, which access cash meant to help families pay rent and clothe their children, also will no longer work at bail bond establishments, bingo halls, cruise ships, gun shops, bars, racetracks, smoking shops and tattoo parlors.” So how much welfare money went to gun shops, then? The answer won’t surprise you . . .
Reached late Monday afternoon, Department of Social Services spokesman Michael Weston could not say how much welfare money had been spent or withdrawn from the businesses subject to the new ban. He also would not elaborate on how they were chosen. The letter said the businesses are “inconsistent with the intent” of the program.
We contacted a few California gun stores to see if they’d ever accepted an EBT card. Nope. Megan at Second Amendment Sports in Bakersfield told TTAG “Never happened. And if someone tried, we’d have to politely decline.” When I told her that the practice was outlawed yesterday, she said “well that makes sense.”
Does it? Who needs a gun more than someone living in poverty, whose 10-40 is likely to be in the middle of a high crime area? Why hasn’t the NRA done this? Oh right. Lawyers.