Walmart to Get Stuck With Most of Food Stamp Shopping Spree

[UpInArms]

Source: ABC News

A couple of Louisiana Walmart stores will be stuck with most of the bill after food stamp recipients went on a colossal shopping spree when a power outage temporarily lifted their spending limits, state officials said today.

Police were called to Walmart locations in Mansfield, La., and Springhill, La., on Saturday as shoppers cleaned out store shelves.

<snip>

"I saw people drag out eight to ten grocery carts," Lynd said. One person hauled away more than $700 worth of groceries, the chief said.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services' spokesman Trey Williams said the retailers who chose not to use the emergency procedures that limit sales up to $50 per cardholder during an emergency would be responsible for any additional amount spent over eligible benefit balances.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/walmart-stuck-food-stamp-shopping-spree/story?id=20563982

[Dawson Leery]

1. Consider it Wal-Mart giving back for all they have taken.

[Heather MC]

5. Bingo!

[PatrynXX]

20. although wish it would happen to Target

they are notorious for denying donations

[gopiscrap]

37. Karma

[Bernardo de La Paz]

43. All? Only about 15 minutes worth.

[kestrel91316]

58. + 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

[City Lights]

85. Haha, yes indeed! nt

[tomm2thumbs]

2. 'retailers who chose not to use the emergency procedures that limit sales up to $50 per cardholder'

Seems to me there was a system in place and they either ignored it or chose not to use it. Capitalism knows best. <g>

At least now all the food on their shelves will have current 'sell-by' dates.

[DJ13]

6. t least now all the food on their shelves will have current 'sell-by' dates

Finally!

[JonLP24]

7. They can't say

Poor Wal*Mart just wanted to make sure poor people can buy food.

[creeksneakers2]

46. That's what they did say

Perhaps Walmart was thinking about what kind of publicity they'd get but they chose to absorb the loss before it was complete. Its possible Walmart did care about those people possibly going without food. Walmart isn't all bad, despite what DU thinks of them.

[JonLP24]

72. According to the article

They had the option of the $50 limit.

[dixiegrrrrl]

78. AND "other grocery stores in town told customers they would not accept EBT cards

until the card limits were evident again"

[Yo_Mama]

86. Leaving desperate people trying to figure out what they were going to eat.

A limit to sales on EBT cards would have been the better option, to be sure. The problem is that then some people would buy $50, go out, then come back in and buy another $50, etc.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

3. Sweet Karma.

I hope they pay billions of of dollars. And banned from using EBT. That'll force the shoppers to look elsewhere for their shopping needs.

[libdem4life]

17. Just a gentle comment...for many rural folks, WalMart is their only choice for groceries.

As an annual visitor to family in the Midwest in a medium-sized regional area, I watched the family-owned small stores and shops slowly vanish when the WalMart was built a couple of miles outside of town. Even the Sears Catalog Store folded. For many, there is only one destination for all your shopping needs. WalMart.

I detest what I saw WalMart do to small town America, the vanishing local wages, the departure of the youth to the cities with just a few essential businesses like insurance and liquor stores and feed and seed and small gift shops remaining. Small farming as a business does not exist. This doesn't employ a lot of people.

This is the rural South, small town America today. WalMartville.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

18. Does it really look like I give a shit about Wal-Mart and what rural conservative fucknuts do?

No I don't.

I don't care if it's the rural South. There used to be actual stores like Piggly Wiggly, A&P, Safeway, Kroger, etc.

These are the real grocers, not China-Mart.

[libdem4life]

21. I agree with you. But it wasn't those you describe that got rid of those wonderful stores...

especially Piggly Wiggly...wonderful memories. I forgot to mention that the local businesses ... the grocers and furniture stores and drug stores and malt shops et al ... lost their businesses and their shirts and had to go to work, if they didn't have family wealth or Social Security or welfare, at WalMart for minimum wage.

I don't agree with your characterization of rural people...North, South, East or West. I've lived half of my life in both places and for many, it was the "big cities" that lured their young, their best and brightest in many cases. Sociological pressures, apolitical, to be sure.

In Northern California at least, Safeway is pretty much the only grocery chain left. A grocery monopoly with food that stays in regional warehouses sometimes for months.

[Fumesucker]

45. I was in a Piggly Wiggly a couple of weeks ago, first one I've seen in quite some time

The prices were high, the store kind of drab and dirty and the selection very limited.

I didn't buy anything since they didn't have what I went in for.

[libdem4life]

66. That is the story with most of the grocery chains. Our food has become political...farm bill

food stamps...agribusiness...processed foods...and WalMart. Some areas can support a small, independent, well-managed grocery. The little local health food market ...size of a little insurance office...back in the 80s went to three markets then was bought out by Whole Foods. It's clean, well-stocked, fresh, however it's now called Whole Paycheck, but the food and the selection is very good.

Guess you can't have it all.

[AverageJoe]

89. Believe it or not

There are a lot of good people in the South. And, good or bad, everyone must eat, even if the food comes from Wal-Mart. Surely, a wise Buddha understands this.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

90. Buddha says Walmart bad.

Buddha says that the Walmart people has to give up their riches and give it all back to its employees.

Buddha says entire Walton and its associated family needs to give up their wealth.

Buddha has seen Wal-Mart rip off elderly and poor people and has issued a karma warning a long time ago.

[KittyWampus]

95. well YOU said- you didn't give a shit about the rural conservative fucknuts> YOU need to understand

that there are large numbers of people who aren't conservative or fucknuts or even necessarily rural who depend on Walmart for groceries because of circumstances largely out of their control.

So while you hate on Walmart and the Koch family, maybe you should expand your view of those who shop their.

[Myrina]

94. ^^ this ^^

Thank you.

[KittyWampus]

92. rural conservative fucknuts" In the context of the discussion rural people who may only have a

who may only have a Walmart near them for groceries aren't all conservative or "fucknuts". A good many people in rural OR urban areas with little access to groceries are minorities and democrats.

[alfredo]

67. I saw it happen to Paris, Ky. The cops found a Meth lab in the Nicholasville, Ky Walmart.

[libdem4life]

69. Wow. I believe it. Desperate times. Working and qualifying for food stamps. For shame.

[grammiepammie]

73. Just a gentle

The same here. I am from a small town in PA and when I visit home, I am forced to shop at WalMart because it is the only store "in town". There is no choice - either you go to the one convenience store within ten miles and pay ten times what the purchase is worth or you go to WalMart. My town has seven bar rooms, 5 churches, one gas station and a WalMart ten miles away. As stated above, this is now small town America and, oh, yes, they all carry guns and vote Republican.

[Erose999]

101. Exactly why WalMart should be beaten down and driven from rural areas, so that other more locally

oriented businesses can take its place.

Walmart has destroyed the grocery business. Even the bigger regional chains are disappearing. Winn-Dixie, Piggly Wiggly, Bells foods, etc etc. The smaller chains that serve rural areas can't compete with Wally world.

[libdem4life]

110. It's all about population numbers and profits...coming in are Dollar Store-Dollar General-Family

Dollar. They do not need the population count because they are smaller. Same Chinese Cheap, but also include limited but adequate grocery, health and beauty, garden, cleaning and paper items, cheap clothes, toys, automotive etc. and the prices are cheaper than WalMart.

I've seen these Dollar stores out in the middle of nowhere, seemingly, but they save rural folks trips into town/WalMart and with the price of gas let alone the time, that's important.

It's an interesting sociological transition.

[gopiscrap]

38. Yes!

[FrodosPet]

41. We need grocery stores owned by the Federal Government

Guided by legally mandated principals of providing organic nutritious, locally sourced, and earth friendly fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes at controlled prices, with living wages and full benefits provided to the maximum supportable number of employees, as opposed to unhealthy meat and junk foods and other useless and/or class dividing products sold by uncontrolled profit oriented businesses.

[philosslayer]

99. Am I missing something?

Walmart waived the $50 limit so people could get the food they need. Then, they agreed to absorb the extra cost. Why exactly would they be banned from using EBT when in this case they appear to have done the right thing at every step along the way?

[Red Mountain]

4. They should take responsibility

Otherwise.....cut them off......nationwide.

Maybe no more food stamps at Walmart. Shrug.

[Rebellious Republican]

8. Thanks for giving back Walmart.

Its about time!

[Cha]

84. That's a little

funny.. just a little bit!

[MADem]

9. I can't believe they were so stupid.

Even if they limited their exposure to a hundred or 200 bucks for groceries, that would have been "more like it."

They deserve to get nailed for just being dumb.

[uppityperson]

10. They knew there was a problem, chose not to implement the policy?

They tried to make a lot and are ending up eating the bill instead? I have a hard time feeling sorry for them.

[Salviati]

33. I think this clip from Community says it all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DEZNBQNStR0

[delrem]

52. Schadenfruede

[Salviati]

79. Indeed...

The fact that the character with the line is supposed to be an international student from Germany is what makes it funny.

Probably more funny in context, but it's the go-to scene in my mind whenever I have occasion to feel schadenfreude.

[delrem]

91. Ah, never saw the and didn't read the comments.

[rustysgurl]

11. WalMart Uses Consigners

The father of one of my daughter's friends is an executive with Wal-Mart. I was told (don't know if this is true) that Wal-Mart basically doesn't own anything stocked in its stores ... all the goods are on consignment. If that is true, is Wal-Mart going to pass these 'losses' on to the consigners of the goods (groceries)? If so, I predict lawsuits aplenty.

IMHO Wal-Mart should be banned from participating in any food stamp program for their tacit approval of what amounted to stealing/looting. Charge the corporation and its officers as an accessory to theft (depending on the dollar amounts in that jurisdiction could be a Class A misdemeanor or lower grade felony).

[jtuck004]

59. That is true for much of their stuff, up to the point of the register. When the sale

is made, they take "ownership", which is where and how they make their profit.

So unless the state steps in, and it doesn't look like they will, they probably get to "eat" this.

And it's unlikely that the corps who supply the food would allow Walmart to be taken out of the program. The profits are simply too great. And if they move to someone else, the costs to the program would likely be higher, but the people who do the work at the registers probably wouldn't make much more, if any at all. There is too much overhead in other places in their orgs.

[Sunlei]

12. store should have known better! look at the tons of abandoned carts when the glitch was fixed.

management in those stores need a come to Jesus meeting with Corp walmart.

[.99center]

44. You're pointing fingers at the wrong people.

Walmart workers phoned their corporate headquarters to ask how they should handle all the shoppers with unlimited, government-funded spending limits, and were told to keep the registers ringing.

"We did make the decision to continue to accept EBT cards during the outage so that they could get food for their families," Walmart representative Kayla Whaling told KSLA. She added that Walmart was, "fully engaged and monitoring the situation and transactions during the outage."

[thelordofhell]

13. Now that they're on the hook for it...........

I would not be surprised if wally world's legal department is looking into pursuing the people who got the groceries and suing them.........

[obxhead]

14. This reads as a total setup

TONS of people lining up pickup trucks to haul away all of the free gubmint goodies.

This SCREAMS! staged event to me.

[Fastcars]

28. Unfortunately it was not.

I live almost halfway between the two stores and know folks that were there or are vendors. Friend of mine was playing poker with the Little Debbie vendor and he left the game to restock his product when he received a call that his shelves were empty.

IMO, the blame falls completely on WalMart not following the policy that limits purchases to $50 when there is a system malfunction. That being said I can't say that I would blame WalMart for trying to get reimbursement from those that took advantage of WalMarts ill-advised choice. Of course the old saying "can't get blood from a turnip" comes to mind.

[gopiscrap]

49. Fuck Wal Mart

[uppityperson]

50. Naw, they thought they'd make a bundle and let the people get stuck with the bill rather than

following their policy that limits purchases to $50 when there is a system malfunction. Walmart wanted to make the money and blew it.

Yes, the people should not have done what they did, but Walmart ignored their policy on purpose. You think out of the goodness of their little hearts?

What do you think about Obamacare?

[pinto]

54. Should the hard working people of the United States not support those that need help?

EBT computer glitch aside. The choices some made during the brief glitch aside. I feel this was an anomaly. Isolated incident.

[Contrary1]

55. You betcha.

[adirondacker]

65. Honor System and Walmart does not compute. nt

[oldhippie]

68. You shouldn't force poor people to make moral choices .......

It's not fair. They may know what is the right thing to do, but it's hard to argue with hunger.

[BainsBane]

70. I wonder how many were Walmart employees?

Whose wages are so low they qualify for food stamps?

[R Merm]

15. Hope it was all the Walmart employee's who were on food stamps that when on the shopping spree eom

[blkmusclmachine]

16. Turn-about is fair play, WalBarf.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

19. Couldn't happen

to a more vile company. Word got out fast....hope no customers were injured in the melee.

[Courtesy Flush]

22. Maybe it's that Trickle Down they've been promising for so long nt

[appleannie1]

23. Karma can be a bitch. Helps even the score for their slave wages.

[Owl]

24. I'm sorry, but that isn't right, though some limit needs to be established in such conditions.

Also, shame on those taking advantage. Shame.

[bread_and_roses]

26. "Shame" on people who normally have to try to eat on something like $4 day?

I don't think so.

[Fastcars]

30. It is my understanding there are procedures in place

WalMart's store managers called home office and were told to allow the unlimited purchases. I read a post by a WalMart vendor that he was told that the contract they have with EBT is that purchases are supposed to be limited to $50 in the case of system malfunctions.

[Snake Plissken]

25. I'm not a fan of Walmart and I certainly do not feel sorry for them, but this is stealing

This is the kind of behavior which ruins it for everyone which uses the system, next time there's even a suspected software glitch or emergency, stores will simple stop accepting food stamps altogether until they are certain the system is fully functional.

[bread_and_roses]

29. I'll worry about poor people "stealing" food when

- when we've put all the Banksters in jail.

Actually, no, I won't worry about it then either. Maybe when no one is poor, then I'll worry about it. As it is, that a few people got a little back from the massive and deliberate injustices that they are subject to and which make sure they stay poor to benefit Vampires like the Walmarts is not something I'll be losing any sleep over.

[liberalmuse]

35. Seriously?

Let karma have it's due. This is the kind of behavior you get when your society is racist and has contempt for the poor and women. I would never begrudge someone for taking a necessity and small (or large) luxury in that rare instance they are able to get away with it. A lot of people go through life worrying about where their next meal or rent payment or utility payment is coming from. Why are there people so fucking concerned about what the impoverished are or are not getting, yet so incredibly blind to where our tax dollars are really going towards - killing people - the elderly, men, women and children - in other countries? Because they are assholes who believe everything and everyone wants to take something from them, but don't even realize that this kind of thinking is only a reflection of their miserable souls.

[fitman]

107. Can't believe you said this:

" I would never begrudge someone for taking a necessity and small (or large) luxury in that rare instance they are able to get away with it."

Stealing is stealing..PERIOD.

[7962]

39. Look how far down the thread I had to go to get someone who GETS IT.

[840high]

48. It is stealing.

[closeupready]

106. Agree with this. Though schadenfreude makes many of us

get a kick out of the story.

[bitchkitty]

31. Fuck Walmart.

I shop at Freddie's - more expensive, true, but they're a union shop and their organic produce selection is excellent.

[MrsKirkley]

56. I wonder if Freddie's pays their employees as well as Costco does.

[bitchkitty]

100. Not sure -

but they are union, so they do get a decent wage. Even Safeway, which is not union, pays their workers a better wage.

[Mosby]

103. Safeway has a union.

[bitchkitty]

105. They do?

I did not know this. I worked for their corporate office a few years ago (as a temp) and the office workers didn't have one. I assumed that they were non-union thoughout. I think they might have a lot of disputes - I have a friend who works for a law firm who has sued Safeway more than once. I guess I what I took from it was that they weren't protected by a union.

[Mosby]

117. UFCW local 99

They are in Safeway and Fry's in AZ and they back each other up.

[arikara]

120. They used to have a good union

My stepfather retired from there with a decent pension. He used to make over $20 an hour back in the early 80's, it was one of the best jobs in town. They've been whittling away at the union for years now and I think they're in line with everyone else in the race to the bottom. Maybe $12 now if they are lucky.

Edit to say this is Safeway in Canada and they were just sold to sobeys who will finish off the job of cutting wages.

[fitman]

102. My local WM is filthy

especially the food section...

[liberalmuse]

32. Who can blame them, and karma is a bitch.

Kind of sums it up, and no retailer is more deserving of taking the hit than "Wal (you should apply for welfare if you want a living wage and health benefits) fucking Mart". I want to live to see WalMart burn to the ground.

[Niceguy1]

34. suprised on the

Lack of peoples dishonesty....I guess the hate for walmart is stonger than morals.....

[seattle15]

96. Wrong

Walmart is the immoral ones here. They steal every day. Just because one day someone stole something back, doesn't make what they do every single damn day of the year right. Why claim what they are doing is right? How can you possibly defend that?

[Niceguy1]

97. two wrongs

Don't make it right

[fitman]

109. Stealing is stealing

I grew up in a strong union household..my Mom was a Union phone operator and my dad a Union pipefitter..

If they caught me stealing like these people did they would have disowned me at the least..

Can't believe what I am reading...

[oldhippie]

112. "Can't believe what I am reading..."

Me either. It is very revealing. And sad. Makes me wonder why I would want to hang around with people like this.

[fitman]

114. I'm 52..if I was young and I did this sort of thing I would have gotten my ass beat with a belt..

if I was older my dad would have been majorly embarrassed and I would have been full of humiliation for making him feeling that way.

[gopiscrap]

36. suck on it fucking Wal Mart

[kylie1]

40. Sorry but everyone knows what the right thing is

These people are not victims and they are stealing from the rest of us. My sister was on food stamps and I don't begrudge anyone their use but if you know deep down what the limit is, then for god's sake, control yourself. This is disgusting. WalMart is just as disgusting for thinking they were going to get a payday on behalf of the taxpayers.

[washnwmn]

42. I wouldn't be cheering this.

Once the glitch is fixed, many of those shoppers may get stuck by the state and have to pay back spending above their limits, and/or lose all their benefits in the long term, while once again the government subsidizes Wally World. I don't know about Louisiana, but in my state that's exactly what would happen, and it's a pretty liberal state.

[Demo_Chris]

51. Walmart corporate allowed these transactions because they didn't want to cut off people...

...Who were there to legitimately shop for their families. I suspect that that everyone involved, from corporate on down, knew that they were getting screwed but put up with it anyway. It's easy to SAY cut them off at $50, but many people cannot simply tool on down to the store whenever they like. They walked, they took the bus, they begged a ride off a friend, and now they are there for their groceries.

The people who took advantage of this not only screwed the store for doing the RIGHT thing, they screwed everyone who relies on these cards to feed their families. When fighting for the poor, this is exactly the kind of negative press we never need.

In my opinion.

[Rebellious Republican]

53. Well given Walmarts track record, I would say you are on the loosing side of that argument.

Just sayin'.

[Demo_Chris]

60. Walmart is an easy target for a lot of reasons, but much of it is bullshit

The reality is that Walmart is nothing more than a very successful global corporation, and a very visual and obvious representative of the end results of the kind of trade policies our party champions. Yes, they obliterate their local competition -- but that's the nature of capitalism rather than something unique to Walmart. Sears did the same, as did Penny's and Home Depot and Lowes and Hobby Lobby and on and on and forever on.

However, in many ways, as destructive as they are, as a matter of corporate policy they seemingly understand their role as community stores. For example:

In 2012, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $1 billion in cash and in-kind contributions around the world. This includes $1 billion in cash and in-kind gifts in the United States and $82.2 million in cash and in-kind gifts in international markets. In addition, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Logistics associates volunteered more than 2.2 million hours, generating $18 million to U.S. nonprofits.

http://foundation.walmart.com/

Seen in that light the decision by Walmart Corporate to ALLOW these fraudulent purchases makes sense. Someone there decided that it was better to risk the monetary hit rather than turn away customers who needed food, and for this I feel they deserve our praise. Walmart might suck (and in my opinion they do) but in this case these customers sucked every bit as much.

[Rebellious Republican]

63. Ever heard the old saying "what goes around comes around".

Mega Corporations are teaching ethics these days. These are the lessons that CEO's have taught everyone..... I got mine now go get yours, Greed is good, it is our culture, poor people are starting to catch on, should I go on?

[Demo_Chris]

64. I hear you. It's always been that way, but I see no reason to celebrate it. nt

[a2liberal]

57. +1000000

I can't believe all the people defending the stealing. I agree that benefits probably need to be increased, but that doesn't make it right to abuse an "honor system" situation.

[Demo_Chris]

61. This is the kind of incident that plays into the whole GOP welfare queen talking point. nt

[Mojo Electro]

115. Exactly.

This has all the 'baggers going "ya see?!?!.. toldja!"

[greyl]

81. Walmart was only interested in the sales figures, bet on it. nt

[Blue_Tires]

119. Like I said in the other thread:

If it were Wal-Mart gift cards with unlimited balances that people were cleaning out the store with (even though the machines said the cards were "good&quot , someone would have put the brakes on that shit almost immediately...

[K.O. Stradivarius]

62. No honor amongst thieves.

Those whom knowingly stole from a place of business, and/or tax payer dollars, and those whom allowed them to do it.

[Skittles]

77. that certainly describes bush/cheney and those who voted for them

yes INDEED

[Ash_F]

71. Walmart will somehow survive this. /nt

[mwrguy]

74. Good, I hope it hurts

Fuck Walmart

[NealK]

75. Ah!

I won't shed a tear for WM.

[cvoogt]

76. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. OK I'm done.
Wait, no I'm not.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Ha.

[dkf]

80. Well that will teach Walmart to have some decent feeling for people on hard times.

Sad.

[840high]

88. Yes, it's sad. The

comments on this op make me shake my head.

[Kingofalldems]

123. It's sad that Wal Mart pays such low wages that their employees

often have to rely on government to live. Any chance Wal Mart will have decent feelings and give the taxpayers money back?

[Decaffeinated]

82. It just shows that some people...

... will steal everything they can get their hands on given the chance.

[ileus]

83. Sometimes stealing is a good thing.

[bobGandolf]

87. Bah, ha ha....serves them right. n/t

[Myrina]

93. Good.

"The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services' spokesman Trey Williams said the retailers who chose not to use the emergency procedures that limit sales up to $50 per cardholder during an emergency would be responsible for any additional amount spent over eligible benefit balances."

That's it, in a nutshell.


WalMart wanted to get them some free (more) gubmint money. They should have to pay for their attempted fraud.

[Omnith]

98. It's sickening. Dishonesty is never ok.

[closeupready]

104. Nor is withholding overtime pay, or discriminating against women.

[Omnith]

113. True, but two wrongs don't make a right.

[closeupready]

116. Um, no. On balance, Walmart needs to do a HELL of a lot

of charity and other PR for all the bullshit they've pulled in their rise to retail dominance.

Further undercutting your argument, Walmart actually AGREED TO LET THEM SHOP! There are no allegations here that the shoppers stole ANYTHING.

[Omnith]

118. It may not have been legally wrong, but it was still morally wrong.

I'm not defending Walmart. I'm simply saying that those who knowingly took advantage of the system due to a glitch should be ashamed. It would be easy to justify such behavior by pointing to the bad behavior of Walmart, but I think we are better than praising such dishonesty.

[skypilot]

108. I really feel bad for...

...all the underpaid employees who are going to have to sort through all that stuff and put it back on the shelves.

[libdem4life]

111. My sense is that, from WalMart's view, this event turned into advertising. Those goods seem like

a lot to the average person, but from a corporate standpoint, inexpensive PR.

[Pterodactyl]

121. That's digusting. I can't believe they'd act like that.

Frankly, I expected better of American food stamp recipients.

[gejohnston]

122. couldn't have happened to a nicer company