Attention taxpayers: How do you feel about thousands of your hard earned dollars being spent in bars and clubs by some welfare recipients? 

“That's outrageous to me, it really is,” said Steve Killinger of Troy. 

Killinger is unemployed and gets state help: $83 every two weeks.

“I'm grateful for that, I use it for bill money,” said Killinger. And he's embarrassed by the way he says some abuse a system intended to help struggling families make ends meet.

“It's despicable what some do with this money,” said Killinger.   

In an effort to better serve the needs of disaster survivors of all abilities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is training its staff at its Albany Joint Field Office in disability awareness and sensitivity.

FEMA says it’s committed to making sure all disaster survivors, regardless of ability, have access to all federal aid programs for which they qualify. The agency recently brought in advocates for people with disabilities to talk to staff about the challenges confronting these individuals and what FEMA can do to improve access to disaster assistance.

"It's not always about the disability if you speak to the person first," said John Dutcher of the Capital District Center for Independence, Inc. in a statement, who uses a wheelchair himself. Dutcher explained that while technology has greatly diminished the challenges people with disabilities face, many continue to confront obstacles to independent living every day.

TROY - News Channel 13 has learned that an internal investigation is underway concerning taped telephone conversations made at the Rensselaer County Jail.

The Sheriff's Department employees involved have been notified about the investigation -- according to Sheriff Jack Mahar -- but there's another interesting twist to the story. Although Mahar's voice is not heard on any of the tapes, the voice of his political opponent, Gary Gordon's, is.

Some of the conversations seem to be dealing with traffic tickets and what to do about them for family members or friends who have gotten them. Some of the conversations seem to be about fundraising events for the sheriff's race.