Americans are a generous, thoughtful and compassionate people. No one wants to see a family go hungry or someone denied medical help.
However, we do disagree on how help is administrated.
All help needs money and it is the taxpayer working persons who provide the funds for government to provide this help.
Per info provided by the libertarian Cato Institute and other sources, we find, “The federal government funds 126 separate programs designed to support low-income earners… 72 of these programs provide cash… this is on top of additional welfare programs operated by state and local governments…. welfare recipients in Hawaii get the most benefits at $29.13 per hour – or $60,590 pre-tax income annually. However, the state’s minimum wage is only $7.25 per hour according to the Labor Department… Hawaiians on welfare also earn 167 percent of the median salary in the state, which is only $36,275.”
The American taxpayer pays for this insanity.
An article in the Wall Street Journal on Aug. 21, said, “Insurers and the Obama administration are racing to sign Hispanics up for coverage under the federal health overhaul… but signing them up won’t be easy. Some don’t speak English. Even with government-provided subsidies, many may not be able to afford insurance, given that Hispanics’ median household income -$39,000 in 2011- significantly trails the national average, which was $51,000 that year.”
And who pays for this subsidy? Of course, the American taxpayer.
And what does the taxpayer in Ellenville, N.Y. think of all of this?
In an article discussing the pros and cons of casino gambling, one learns, “Like many towns in New York’s borscht belt, Ellenville was fairly prosperous throughout the 20th century… these days, though, nearly half of Ellenville’s adults don’t work…. and the average income in town is now just over $19,000.”
I wonder how many people on welfare or working in Ellenville will now try to move to Hawaii?
John Messina
East Williston
