22_Shooter 1,560 Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 A Michigan man who won $2 million in a state lottery game continues to collect food stamps 11 months after striking it rich. And there's nothing the state can do about it, at least for now. Leroy Fick, 59, of Auburn won $2 million in the state lottery TV show "Make Me Rich!" last June. But the state's Department of Human Services determined he was still eligible for food stamps, Fick's attorney, John Wilson of Midland, said Tuesday. Eligibility for food stamps is based on gross income and follows federal guidelines; lottery winnings are considered liquid assets and don't count as income. As long as Fick's gross income stays below the eligibility requirement for food stamps, he can receive them, even if he has a million dollars in the bank. Food stamps are paid for through tax dollars and are meant to help support low-income families. "If you're going to try to make me feel bad, you're not going to do it," Fick told WNEM-TV in Saginaw on Monday. Wilson said Fick told the DHS officials he'd won $2 million but was told he could keep using the Bridge Card issued to him to buy groceries. Fick could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Al Kimichik, director of the office of inspector general for DHS, said the department could not comment on individual cases but that it this week began the process of requesting a waiver from the federal government to close the lottery loophole. If it is granted, assets would be counted in determining food stamp eligibility. Though the food stamp program is federal and states must follow U.S. guidelines, states sometimes request waivers of rules. Michigan was granted a waiver recently to stop college students from qualifying for food stamps. "For Leroy Fick to continue to use a Bridge Card, paid for by the taxpayers, after winning the lottery, is obscene," said Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge. "What a waste of taxpayer money." Jones contacted DHS officials Monday about Fick's case, and was told the department's hands were tied by federal regulations. "There is no liquid asset requirement for getting food stamps," Jones said. "The department is asking the federal government for an immediate change (in policy). They're hoping this case will help the federal government act." Until then, Fick can collect food stamps and keep his lottery winnings in the bank. "I am not going to sit and debate the ethics of this," Wilson said. "But from his standpoint, he did what he was supposed to do -- he informed the state, and the state said he could keep using the card. The problem is with the state." http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_localdtw/20110518/ts_yblog_localdtw/2m-michigan-lottery-winner-defends-use-of-food-stamps What a joke, and his lawyer is a joke, too. "The problems is with the state", he says. Sure, it's partially true. But his client is also the problem. How can you sleep soundly at night, having won $2-million (taking home $1-million) and continuing to let other people pay for your groceries? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrance@iacwds.com 716 Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 I'd rather pay for a college students grub than ficks. Acutally I'd rather pay for my own and be left alone so I could afford to. 1911 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shandlanos 1,470 Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 (edited) It's hard to know his thought process, but regardless of why he's doing this, it looks like his actions will cause a net positive effect for the state of Michigan - he can't be the only one utilizing the loophole, and his publicity of it may cause it to close, potentially saving the state much more money than he has drawn from it since winning the lottery. Edited May 20, 2011 by Shandlanos 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MT Predator 2,294 Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 That's your government folks, all the way from State to Federal. Pathetic! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted May 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 I'd rather pay for a college students grub than ficks. Acutally I'd rather pay for my own and be left alone so I could afford to. 1911 I agree on both statements, 100%. It's hard to know his thought process, but regardless of why he's doing this, it looks like his actions will cause a net positive effect for the state of Michigan - he can't be the only one utilizing the loophole, and his publicity of it may cause it to close, potentially saving the state much more money than he has drawn from it since winning the lottery. Very true. Didn't think about that. Hopefully they get that closed real quick. I'm not even against public assistance on short term, for people who really need it. What I am against, is people taking advantage of it, and taking way past "assistance" and into dependance. That's your government folks, all the way from State to Federal. Pathetic! Sad, isn't it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lbsrdi 1,078 Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 I wish they would cancel the whole program all together! Feeding yourself is the most basic instinct. Feed yourself!!!!! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DogMan 2,343 Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 I heard a story about this today and while I think he is a jerk for continuing to accept food stamps, there is a bit of a positive side. First, he had to shell out 1.2 million in federal taxes to collect a lump sum of 800,000 so he got burned pretty good. Second, this has already got the attention of legislators who supposedly are going to draft legislation to address this in the future. I don't know if it would be retroactive to his particular case. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Arik 565 Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 As a person who once depended on food stamps (my family for a year when we first moved to the states when I was a kid) I wish this guy nothing but the worst. Hope he loses his millions and then gets denied for any and all government assistance! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lbsrdi 1,078 Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 +1Arik 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted May 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 As a person who once depended on food stamps (my family for a year when we first moved to the states when I was a kid) I wish this guy nothing but the worst. Hope he loses his millions and then gets denied for any and all government assistance! Yeah, your former situation is just another reason why I can't truly hope for the complete obliteration of a support system. Because sometimes, to put it simply....shit happens. While I haven't had to use gov-assistance before (and hopefully never will), a friends dad went through a real rough spot in his life when we were younger. Basically, his wife died, he lost his job and his oldest daughter hit rock bottom as a heroin junkie.......all of this happening in a matter of months. Just real back timing/luck/fate/whatever. Long story short, he needed some help for a few months, and luckily he got it. He didn't abuse it, and turned everything back around inside of a year, for the most part. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paulyski 2,227 Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 It's hard to know his thought process, No it's not. His thought process is the general sense of entitlement that's put this country directly in the shitter long ago. Losers that think they're owed something. The American dream is to WORK YOUR ASS OFF to make something out of nothing. Unfortunately another American dream has replaced it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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