By Chris Cassidy

A touchy Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday accused the Herald of whipping up a public fury in the wake of a front-page story spotlighting administration reforms — meant to curb abuses of taxpayer-funded EBT cards — that critics said fell far short of the mark.

“I think the Herald is in the business of making sure you’re angry,” Patrick said yesterday amid a freewheeling discussion of state pensions, paychecks and EBT cards during his monthly appearance on Margery Eagan’s WTKK (96.9 FM) radio show.

The Herald reported yesterday that a blue-ribbon commission was recommending that strip clubs, tattoo parlors, nails salons, gun shops and casinos be barred from accepting Electronic Benefits Transfer cards that welfare recipients are supposed to reserve for food, milk and other necessities.