DESPITE LAW, FUGITIVES COLLECT SSI BENEFITS

It's disgusting and unacceptable, just one more example of how the federal government can give away millions of our taxpayer dollars only to repent later.

This time, the Social Security Administration has paid out since 1996 at least $76 million and maybe as much as $283 million in disability benefits to fugitives from state and federal felony charges.

Congress passed a law in 1996 denying such benefits, wisely deciding that, if fugitives were energetic enough to run from the law, they probably weren't so disabled that they needed to draw Supplemental Security Income.

SSI benefits are provided to more than 6 million elderly, blind or disabled Americans with low incomes.

The beneficiaries have included a Georgia man wanted on a child-rape indictment who collected an estimated $19,556 during the 41 months he was on the run.

An estimated 25,000 fugitives have received benefits, and only 2,000 have been caught.

Federal marshals tracked down the Georgia man, who was hiding out in New York, through the address on his disability checks.

The problem of fugitives' drawing checks was discovered through an internal review by the Social Security Administration.

The agency at least deserves a pat on the back for checking it out and taking steps to stop the payments.

The problem continues, in spite of the law that says fugitives can't collect SSI benefits, because the Social Security Administration doesn't have complete lists of fugitives from states.

However, officials plan to have all of those lists by July.

There are already agreements with Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee and the city of New York.

Certainly, Missouri should join that group as quickly as possible so we can stop rewarding our state's accused felons with benefits that others truly need.

If the fugitives are found, perhaps our prison system will take care of their needs.