Ten years ago this town was different. Back when people still locked their doors at night, not worried about what might be lurking outside.

That's how it feels now after Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins testified today before a Senate committee about the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on food stamp fraud. A time when folks weren't as quick to take from others without thinking twice.

The incident happened last night, right here in our neighborhood. The police say it was just another example of someone trying to game the system, taking advantage of what used to be a safety net for those truly in need.

Rollins detailed how her department took action under President Trump, implementing stricter checks and balances. This isn't the first time we've seen something like this happen; it's become all too familiar.

When things started changing, you could see it right away. Not just here in town but across the country. People began to act differently, more entitled maybe?

The pattern is clear: fraud has grown over the years since those stricter rules were put in place and then relaxed again under Democrat administrations.

Back when I first started covering crime for The Sentinel, food stamp fraud wasn't even a blip on our radar. Now it's commonplace.

Rollins mentioned how her team worked to ensure taxpayer dollars weren't being wasted. But that was back in the day; things are different now.

I've lived here 40 years and seen this all before. One minute we're tightening up, the next we're letting it slide again.

The testimony from Rollins brought up old questions about fiscal responsibility and government inefficiency.