Time for welfare reform.

Friday, Oct. 23, I was appalled to read an article in the West Central Tribune concerning the charges against Isidoro Martinez. He is charged with two felony counts for wrongfully obtaining assistance and for check forgery. This man obtained over $21,000 in assistance between Dec. 1, 2003, and Oct. 31, 2006. (Is that when he moved to North Dakota?) The article stated that Isidoro Martinez is “on the ‘list’” for being in our country illegally and, therefore, not able to work.

So as I would understand it, the rules are: If you are in this country illegally, you are not able to work, but you can legally obtain assistance? Is this right? Wouldn’t it be better to be here illegally and working and leave the assistance monies for those who really need it, such as legal American citizens who are working, but cannot make ends meet?

What will it take to get welfare reform? What will it take to make the process better to eliminate these errors in judgment? It seems that we have had several of these fraudulent cases lately where several thousand dollars has been given out to people who have received assistance illegally.

I completely agree with her... Hell, I'm a single woman, only working part-time, scraping and scratching to get by. WHen I applied for foodstamps, they said that I made $75.00 a month too much to qualify. Maybe I should of colored myself black or hispanic, and I would have gotten what ever I wanted from them..

just quit working and i think you would get it. sad but true

Yeah right.... I can't just quit working.... I'm a single woman and I have rent, utilities etc. to pay.. That would be VERY stupid to quit my job just to get welfare.... I don't think so....

ya i know but thats how the system works. the ones that don't try get everything and the once that try and need a little help don't. how sad

My daughter is a victim of spousal abuse and was placed in a women's shelter before she moved out here from Wisconsin. Now i tell ya what, she has had everything handed to here from the county including everything she needs for her home, her rent is paid (she has to pay utilities and has to ride a bus to work) but i tell ya even though she is my daughter i think that she should still have to work for every damn bit of it.

I agree, Mike... When I was in college and had both of my girls, I didn't have to work to pay it off during classes, as schooling is part of paying back to the system. However, during the summer months when I didn't take classes, I was placed at the Senior Center to pay off my assistance... EVERYONE that gets assistance should have to pay for them. It also pisses me off about the women that are baby factories just so they don't have to work and continue to get more and more benefits...

i think after two kids and on assistance there should be a rule no more increase in assistance