Strip club ATMs for welfare? California says no

California has its spending budget troubles, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is ready to commando up against waste – such as strip club ATMs distributing welfare cash. The Los Angeles Times reports that more than $ 12,000 designated for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which is intended for welfare purposes, was withdrawn at various strip clubs across the state from 2007 to 2009. Sam’s Hofbrau, Seventh Veil and Star Strip are just a few of the clubs under investigation by California’s Department of Social Services.

Source of article: Strip club ATMs banned from TANF use in California by Personal Money Store

Strip club ATMs – Portrait of irresponsibility

The prospect of strip club ATMs getting used in a less-than-responsible way by patrons with families to feed and clothe has prompted Schwarzenegger to terminate strip club locations from the list of approved locations where welfare recipients can withdraw cash now. According to the Times, more than half of casinos and state-licensed poker rooms in California permit welfare recipients to access their quick TANF payday. Department of Social Services spokeswoman Lizelda Lopez said that “common sense” will be used to re-evaluate where emergency welfare cash till payday funds should or should not be withdrawn.

Strip club owners cry ignorance

Not surprisingly, strip club owners in question – or at least those who would speak on the topic to the media – claimed to be unaware that their ATMs were TANF approved. The machines under the TANF agreement came third-party from the Quest ATM network, although the owners claimed the machines bore no obvious markings that made their designation clear. Nevertheless, Mancini insists that California officials “must be wrong” about the $ 1,265 in TANF emergency cash till payday funds taken from his machine.

Watch out, Joey Mancini – the Governator is on your tail.

More details about this topic at these websites:

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/06/welfare-cash-dispensed-at-strip-clubs.html