CA welfare recipients spent $70 million on Las Vegas, Hawaii, Miami vacations.

[Thom01]

Instead of money, welfare should be provided in the form of food stamp style credits. Merchants can then take these credits to the state and exchange them for real money. That way only government approved items can be purchased through welfare.

You bring up a good point. Just exactly what is "real money?" Look into the history of that question, and you may find the source of our country's (not to mention the rest of the world's) present financial dilemma.