THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 3, 1995 TAG: 9506020006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
``Ending Welfare'' (editorial, May 27) missed the point that most kind-hearted liberals miss. You state that the three things required to end welfare are jobs, job, jobs. It is not true in the real world.
The key to ending welfare is preventing ``poor'' welfare mothers from having more children. If one ``poor'' welfare mother has five kids, that's five more ``poor'' people who have become a tax burden to our society. And it will not be until the children are 18 (that is, if they don't utilize entitlements to attend college for free) before they will start making a positive impact on our society.
There are a slew of programs that the ``poor'' charge us for, such as free housing, free school lunches, health care, etc. As a welfare mother continues to have children, these expenses skyrocket. A welfare woman in New Jersey sued the state because it has eliminated additional payments for additional children. She apparently believes that working people have to support her family because she is ``poor.'' She assumes that she does not have to be responsible in her sexual decisions.
We must keep in mind the national debt. Currently each family owes $80,000 on the national debt. That means if a family's monthly taxes are raised by $700 a month, it will still take 30 years to pay off your portion of the debt.
The government must get out of the business of subsidizing ``poor'' people. We have to realize that it hasn't worked and is unfair to those who are forced to work to house, clothe, feed and support families that they don't know or don't care for.
If jobs are the answer to the welfare problem, then eliminate my taxes and allow me to spend the half of my check the government siphons off each paycheck on products that will create jobs.
JOHN MAYWOOD
Virginia Beach, May 30, 1995 by CNB