What Do Tattos, Booze, Cigarettes And Lottery Tickets Have In Common?

Answer: in some states welfare, our taxes, paid for these things.
From the Las Vegas Sun: Taking aim at what they call an abuse of the taxpayers' money, a growing number of states are blocking welfare recipients from spending their benefits on booze, cigarettes, lottery tickets, casino gambling, tattoos and strippers.
"If you're not abusing the program, then you should really have no problem with these reforms," said state Rep. Shaunna O'Connell, a Republican pushing for restrictions in Massachusetts.
While the crackdown has strong populist appeal in Democratic and GOP states alike in this era of tight budgets and tea party demands for fiscal discipline, advocates for the poor argue that the restrictions are based on stereotypes about people on welfare, and they say the notion of any widespread abuse is a myth. Most people on public assistance, they contend, are single mothers struggling just to get by.
The movement has been spurred in part by Congress. Under legislation signed by President Barack Obama in February to extend a payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, welfare recipients are barred from using their cash assistance in strip clubs, casinos and liquor stores. States must change their own laws to conform by 2014.
From Arizona to Maine, states have been going even further on their own, adopting or considering legislation to block the use of benefits for other items deemed frivolous. Among them: porn, cruises and psychic readings. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/jul/18/us-cracking-down-on-welfare/
I realize this is common sense, but there people out there who think the crackdown is not warranted.
As far as I am concerned, people on welfare should not get cash for their benefits.  Right now, the people on welfare can get money from ATMs and that should be discontinued. and that welfare recipients should use their cards.  Being on welfare is a privilege and if you are using taxpayer money, you need to spend it in a way that benefits you and your family in a positive manner.  Tattoos, booze and porn do not benefit your family and the taxpayers should not pay for it.
So, hopefully, these states will do the right thing and severely limit what people on welfare can pay for. Maybe it's time to go back using the paper money like they did with food stamps.