‘Does Welfare Create Poverty?’

I completely agree with the conclusions of the data presented in Kilpatrick’s column, “Does Welfare System Create Poverty?” Two Ohio University economists conclude that, regarding the state of the poor in America today, “To a much greater extent, it is poverty by choice. By that we mean that people choose poverty levels of income over non-poverty levels because they feel the combination of income and leisure, which accompanies poverty, to be preferable to non-poverty.”

It is always preferable to make a living without working as we can see by the unbelievable popularity of the new California lottery. The founders of Jamestown in the 1600s knew this facet of human nature well when they created the rule: “Those who do not work may not eat.”

The idea of a sizable tax-free check, along with tax-free food coupons, in exchange for the classification “poverty-stricken” is appealing to a great many people. The economists’ study suggests that the more a state spends on welfare, the bigger the increase in that state’s poverty rate.

The City of Santa Monica, in particular, is experiencing an alarming “growth” in its homeless population as it keeps increasing handouts to them.

All this can be tied together by a story my dad told me once. As a boy in Kentucky, he remembers when an indigent family showed up at his father’s door asking for food. His father not only gave it to them, he invited them all in for a delicious supper and gave them some extra clothes before sending them on their way. Imagine his surprise when they showed up the next day, asking for more. My grandfather got so angry he showed them his fist and yelled that if they ever came back, he’d really teach them a lesson. They never did.

LAURA G. BROWN

Los Angeles