'Workfare,' not welfare

Sign up for one of our email newsletters.Updated 37 minutes ago In the late 1980s, I was the assistant manager at a large food bank in Phoenix. Most of our clients would receive food boxes for three to six people. Our Hispanic clients would often get a box...

'Workfare,' not welfare

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Updated 37 minutes ago

In the late 1980s, I was the assistant manager at a large food bank in Phoenix. Most of our clients would receive food boxes for three to six people. Our Hispanic clients would often get a box for 13 to 15 people.

Hunger hurts, especially children and the elderly.

Many of our Hispanic clients came to this country to escape extreme poverty and horrific political strife in their native lands. Many of these folks came to this country for a better life. Did they come to be productive citizens? Heck, no. Many came to get on welfare.

They are overwhelming the welfare systems in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas, to name just a few states.

I truly believe this great nation must stop the current welfare system. A “workfare” program must be started so that both legal residents and immigrants who are able-bodied would be required to work.

A great many of these folks could be integrated with the paid workforces of many communities and blend in with the volunteers of nonprofit agencies in this great nation. This would give these organizations more bang for their buck.

When private-sector jobs open up, these folks would be required to take those jobs. This way, we can transition people from being consumers of tax dollars into taxpayers. Yes — we can make America work again.

Paul Rinker

Johnstown

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