Food Stamps for Working Families

* President Clinton said that low-income working families should temporarily receive additional food stamps to help them cope with “what can be a trying time” (Nov. 19). The Agriculture Department will allow states to allow three months of transitional food stamps for families going from welfare to work. If this is necessary at this late date of so-called welfare reform, how successful is the welfare-to-work program?

Millions of poor adults work full-time or part-time. Millions more are just above the poverty line. To survive, many working mothers going off welfare still need benefits such as food stamps, state day-care subsidies and federally sponsored health care. Isn’t this subsidizing private industry to pay poverty wages? We need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage and provide health care for all.

SOL LONDE

Reseda

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For those impatiently waiting the results of the election, regardless of who wins, just think about all the people around the world we could have helped with the hundreds of million dollars spent on this election. Maybe next time, we as Americans can contribute more money to causes that make a difference, such as feeding the homeless at Thanksgiving. People, get involved!

THOMAS KLINE

Los Angeles