[Vision2020] Feds Dig Into Seattle Welfare Case

Sue Hovey suehovey at moscow.com
Fri Dec 9 08:39:45 PST 2011


Kneejerk judgments??  Perhaps you might want to read the article again.   H&W does have to ensure those are dollars appropriately spent. That calls for an expenditure of funds, but works to determine applicants qualify.  I don’t know about other states, but certainly Idaho does not appropriate sufficient monies to cover all the needs of hungry and homeless folks who live here.  Nor does it appropriate sufficient funding to cover the needs of disabled citizens.  I’d welcome an investigation of Idaho citizens who have lost funding for critical needs that were once covered.  Shirley Ringo has worked diligently to ascertain what the loss of dollars means to disabled Idaho citizens, but the governor and most other policy makers choose to say everything is fine.    

Sue H. 

From: Donovan Arnold 
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2011 6:29 PM
To: Shirley Ringo ; Sue Hovey ; Jay Borden ; Moscow Cares ; Moscow Vision 2020 
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Feds Dig Into Seattle Welfare Case

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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