[Vision2020] Feds Dig Into Seattle Welfare Case

Thu Dec 8 18:29:37 PST 2011

I see knee jerk judgments without all the facts.

The problem here is that you don't know if she is married or not to the doctor who owns the house. If she is a poor immigrant with no job and two kids who is sleeping with a doctor or is the wife makes a big difference in the law and her personal situation, you don't know this. Lots of poor and homeless people sleep at wealthier people's homes. Lots of poor immigrants have wealthier boyfriends. 

Second, you can either spend a huge portion of your resources researching each of the 40 million people's real assets which 99.9% of the time will end up empty handed, or you can spend it giving food and shelter to people that don't have any. Every dollar you spend researching someone is a dollar of food out of the mouth of some child or pregnant woman. You need to be sure your research is worth that loss. 

Donovan Arnold 

________________________________
 From: Shirley Ringo <ringoshirl at moscow.com>
To: Sue Hovey <suehovey at moscow.com>; Jay Borden <jborden at datawedge.com>; Moscow Cares <moscowcares at moscow.com>; Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com> 
Sent: Thursday, December 8, 2011 11:46 AM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Feds Dig Into Seattle Welfare Case

This type of crime not only drains public dollars 
that are desperately needed elsewhere.  It gives an excuse to those who 
would prefer not to help people in need to ask for severe cuts or elimination of 
support that is essential. 

S 

----- Original Message -----  
>From: Sue Hovey  
>To: Jay Borden ; Moscow  Cares ; Moscow Vision 2020  
>Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 2:32  PM 
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Feds Dig Into  Seattle Welfare Case 
>
> 
>I would say it’s cases like this that WARRANT careful evaluation of  applicants who seek help from these programs. To use a single example to  criticize a program which serves thousands is insufficient.   
>
>Sue H.  
>
>From: Jay Borden  
>Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 9:24 AM 
>To: Moscow Cares ; Moscow Vision  2020  
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Feds Dig Into Seattle Welfare  Case 
> I  would say that it’s cases like this that WARRANT the criticism of these  programs.   
>   
>   
>Jay 
>   
>From:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Moscow  Cares
>Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 5:57 AM
>To: Moscow Vision 2020
>Subject: [Vision2020] Feds Dig Into Seattle  Welfare Case 
>  
>It's cases like this one that  cause unwarranted criticism of of programs that assist those pf us who so  desparately need a helping hand. 
>
>
> 
>Abusers of such public  assistance programs MUST be made an example of, as a warning to those  considering similar criminal activity. 
>
>
> 
>One can hardly imagine the  subsequent ridicule, here on the Viz, in response to this  article. 
>
>
> 
>Courtesy of King5.com (Seattle) 
at: 
>  
>http://www.king5.com/news/investigators/Waterfront-welfare-recipient-may-be-married-to-Seattle-chiropractor-135139633.html 
>  
>------------------------------ 
>Feds  dig deeper into waterfront welfare case 
>
>
> 
>SEATTLE  -- Federal search warrants show what agents were after when they raided a Lake  Washington waterfront property last week while investigating a welfare  recipient living in a million dollar home.
>
>This story generated outrage across the country after  KING 5 Investigator Chris Ingalls broke it last Friday. Since then, Ingalls  has received emails from taxpayers in Texas, Massachusetts and elsewhere who  are aghast. 
>The  government has been paying rent subsidies for Lyudmila Shimonova while she  lives in a $1.2 million Seattle home. She was truthful about her waterfront  address, which federal court records show she has lived at since  2003.
>
>She's drawn $135,000 in housing subsidy payments --  taxpayer money that's supposed to put a roof over the heads of low-income  families. Shimonova also received federal and state cash assistance and food  stamps.
>
>The government is trying to  get money back from Shimonova and the man it believes is her husband, Seattle  chiropractor David Silverstein, a chiropractor. Federal agents believe the two  are married, something she didn't report on her welfare  applications.
>
>The KING 5  Investigators obtained a copy of the search warrant pertaining to last  Thursday's search of the 2,500 square-foot waterfront home. Agents seized a  "photo album of family and dog," "greeting cards (anniversary and birthday),"  and "2 postcards from Ruben to Mom and Dad." These are things agents might use  to try to prove the couple is married.
>
>On the website for Dr. Silverstein's chiropractic  office he says he is "happily married with two children."
>
>Local painter Michael Rotchadl is employed now after  spending five grueling months on food stamps. He can't believe someone who  appears to have so much would take from public programs for those who have  nothing.
>
>"To find out that somebody  is living in a plush mansion on the waterfront, something that we'd all dream  to have, and they're doing it on the dime that is supposed to give food and  housing and assistance to those people who don’t have anything, it was just  gut wrenching," said Rotchadl.
>
>Dr.  Silverstein's office was closed on Tuesday, and KING 5 hasn't been able to  reach either him or Shimonova for a comment. Neither of them is charged yet,  but the government has filed a lawsuit against them to recover some of the  lost money.
>
>Many have asked why it  took the government so long to find out Shimonova lived in a million dollar  home. One federal agent told KING 5 News it's a flaw that the government  doesn't do an address check, when there are many websites that show the  location of any address. 
>
>
> 
>--------------- 
>
> 
>------------------------------ 
>Seeya round town, Moscow. 
>  
>Tom Hansen 
>Moscow, Idaho 
>  
>"If not us, who? 
>If not now, when?" 
>  
>- Unknown 
>
>________________________________
>
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