If you want to get rid of welfare or replace it with something better fine, but don't start talking about creating and funding a police state just to deal with a trivial heuristic problem that you think poor people should spend the money we give them "better". Fraud or the waste caused by it is one thing. This is merely an idiotic invasion of privacy for millions of people, most of whom did not commit any crime or harms to society to justify such invasions. If somebody is on probation for a crime committed while intoxicated we have a vested interest in keeping them clean, but not if they're merely poor or under-educated. In many cases, part of the reason they're on such welfare programs is a substance abuse and addiction problems (most commonly alcohol). If you're willing to spend the money on a police state, why not spend some of that money on cleaning up addicts with a medical problem so they can get a job instead of denying them access to help.

Anyone who is on or applies for welfare should be tested for drugs and if one tests positive all welfare should be denied permanently. The same rule should apply if one is convicted of spousal abuse, or felony drunk driving.

Just my not-so-humble opinion. B)