Welfare Reform
* Re “Mothering Isn’t a Two-Year Job,” by Bea Olvera Stotzer, Commentary, July 8: It certainly isn’t. But neither is it a reason to receive public assistance until the children are “raise(d) . . . educate(d) . . . and self-sufficient.” I am the mother of two small children (2 1/2 years and 4 months). While I am not a single mother, this fact does not afford me the option of staying home with my children. The government will not support my family or pay my bills, nor should it. My husband and I must.
Contrary to Stotzer’s premise, the anger of the public against those on welfare is not aimed at the mother whose husband leaves her with six children, three of them disabled. Rather, it is against the young woman who becomes pregnant out of wedlock repeatedly, with multiple fathers. Certainly, these men should be held responsible and be expected to help support the children they father. But women must also be held accountable for their actions. Being poor is not an excuse. There are clinics that provide birth control, and charge based on ability to pay: Those that can, do; those that cannot, don’t.
Many of these women come from welfare families. That cycle must be broken. Two years and you’re out may seem harsh to many. Being pushed from the nest always is. What Stotzer and others like her need to understand is that most young mothers today, married or not, cannot afford to “choose” to stay home with their children.
ANNA S. TAYLOR
Pasadena
* I read with interest “In Tightening Welfare, State Encourages Marriage,” July 6. I applaud the intent of this policy revision, which would provide welfare families benefits for up to one year after marriage. However, some important side effects leap to mind. If this policy encourages couples to marry for the wrong reasons (to receive welfare benefits), their benefits may not overcome potential difficulties inherent in such a “marriage.” Will the one-year time limit create more short-term marriages that self-destruct after welfare benefits cease?
To ensure that the desired objective is achieved (strengthen the family and reduce welfare costs) emphasis must be placed on helping families build a lasting marriage and achieve financial independence by providing counseling, job training and family education. Without the proper emphasis, this revision may only cause new problems, and yield higher costs over the long run.
CHRISTINE PSAROS
Mission Viejo