by Bob Wilson
Editor:
The front page of "The Republic" featured an article by Adrianne Flynn declaring in the headline that "Welfare reform pushes food banks to the limit." Included in this article is another snippet "Global Toll: Malnutrition kills up to 7 million kids annually." (Somehow this is supposed to tie into welfare reform.)
This article is totally false. It alleges that charities that distribute food to needy families are running out because of "welfare reform." The article says that people are being forced off the welfare roles into low paying jobs, and consequently, are ending up at food banks draining the supplies. The problem with the article is, legislation which limits a welfare recipient's longevity on the program to a few years, and provides incentives and training for job acquisition has not been in place long enough to have any effect on "food banks" one way or another.
The article cites a "survey" released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which is composed largely of liberal politicians from the nation's largest welfare cities. These politicians are supported by the "welfare lobby" and depend on an electorate that is hooked in the cycle of poverty, which the welfare system ensures. These politicians would not have their jobs were it not for a growing welfare state. They depend on the public buying into such propaganda as you published under the guise of front-page headline news.
That food banks might be low on food items may be true. That some charities are experiencing "stagnant" inventories of resources may also be true. To indicate that this is the result of "Welfare reform" is a total and complete falsehood, which is intended to give good people a reason to doubt that reforming welfare is the right thing to do. Could not the reason for "stagnation" of charitable contributions be that people are being taxed out of their discretionary money? Certainly, given the fact that "welfare reform" has not even had a chance to become a factor affecting the number of people on welfare (a fact which is conveniently omitted in the article) there could be other reasons working here. Maybe it is El Nino.