Problems with welfare benefits

The Opinion page article "The Myth That Welfare Policies Don't Work," May 21, misses the mark. A welfare system that increases benefits for dependent children without limits creates a class of citizens dependent on the welfare system forever and promotes future generations dependent on welfare.

As a loan officer and credit-union manager, I have compared the income of a single mother on welfare to that of a college-educated teller. The monthly welfare payments, which are net income, exceeded the gross income of the employed teller by more than $200 per month. The single mother on welfare will never be a productive member of our society. She can't afford to go to work. As well as getting a raise every time she has a baby, she gets a bonus for being pregnant.

Welfare should be assistance to get people back on their feet, not to support them indefinitely. Welfare programs should include education, job training, day care, housing assistance, and food coupons. Laurel D. Marquart, Crescent City, Calif.

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