California using license plate readers to track welfare recipients

That's a bold statement considering there is nothing in here about the cost to employ every person involved with monitoring this, not to mention the legal costs associated if the state wants to pursue fraudsters. Justice is extremely expensive, and rarely worth the cost to get system abusers. Can't fine them because they won't pay. You can arrest them and jail them but I guarantee you that costs a lot more than their welfare fraud.
That's not how it works.

If this service finds one person that would not have been found in any other way then it pays for itself. Of course I am pulling this number out of my ass, but I don't feel like it's going to be too off from the truth.
 
I have been trying to use my imagination, but I'm not doing too well. What are we worried is the greatest potential for government abuse?
Not so much a problem here today, but in a more totalitarian government scenario, the technology could be used to track potential dissidents, political opponents, protest leaders, reporters, etc. Say they kept track of everyone that drove by a mosque or an abortion clinic, for instance. There's a lot of things that I can't even think of that somebody could abuse it for.
I get the technology exists anyway and it has a potential for good, but it does make me uneasy. No getting the toothpaste back in the tube, I guess.
 
My guess is they see that a woman isn't actually a single mother and lives with her boyfriend while he claims his mothers address on his tax returns.

I saw this all the time when I did VITA tax prep for my credit union. You would see a couple come in all the time together, then come tax time they say they don't live together.
 
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Not so much a problem here today, but in a more totalitarian government scenario, the technology could be used to track potential dissidents, political opponents, protest leaders, reporters, etc. Say they kept track of everyone that drove by a mosque or an abortion clinic, for instance. There's a lot of things that I can't even think of that somebody could abuse it for.
I get the technology exists anyway and it has a potential for good, but it does make me uneasy. No getting the toothpaste back in the tube, I guess.
Yeah, I noticed the journalists mention attendance to "immigration offices", but I don't see how this information by itself is problematic. The problem would be a boots-on-the-ground response. For example, the police begin receiving information mid-stream, respond, and pursue these target cars on the road. They selectively profile and police them waiting for the target vehicle to violate a traffic law.

So far that's the best fear I can summon.
 
From OPs article:
"It’s not immediately clear how travel patterns might reveal welfare fraud. As noted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, welfare fraud is statistically speaking, extremely rare. In 2012, the DHA found only 500 cases of fraud among Sacramento’s 193,000 recipients."

In other words an extremely minuscule 0.26% commit welfare fraud. Very likely an acceptable amount determined by the state. They should spend that $5000 to crack down on businesses who hire illegals.
 
Glad to see California tackling the serious issues.
 
I don't believe that you actually believe that. lol at believing people should just get cash for assistance. Yeah, I can't imagine fraud becoming more common place in that situation. No way would people take advantage and be even less responsible with cash than they would with EBT.

<puh-lease75>
Their can’t be fraud if the money is merely given to someone for being in poverty you dope.

It isn’t money meant for a specific purpose, it is cash assistance for being poor. If they go spend it all on booze then that’s their problem, the point is that it is more cost effective and is more efficient at reducing poverty/raising the standard of living.
 
From OPs article:


In other words an extremely minuscule 0.26% commit welfare fraud. Very likely an acceptable amount determined by the state. They should spend that $5000 to crack down on businesses who hire illegals.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this was true.

People confuse welfare fraud with unmotivated individuals who are happy to live off of the government but are otherwise eligible for benefits because they don’t have a job, are poor, or whatever.
 
In principle it's a slippery slope but when someone volunteers to take handouts they should be subject to accountability...
 
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