Troll,

I know about stretching a paycheck. I've worked at manual labor and never made much money in my life compared to some others. But I consider myself a king because I live in this country. I have had the advantages of the Government who has helped me sustain myself through rough times. I was on welfare for about a week when I was in high school after my mother was institutionalized for mental problems. Thank God for welfare. As to the rejection of the bums, remember that they were prevalent during the Reagan years which saw the rise of homelessness in this country. Some of those bums were not much different than you and I. A turn of fate and you and I could be there tomorrow.

Remember too that money allocated for welfare over the years has been a drop in the bucket compared to the money you pay from your taxes to support the Pentagon, Social Security (which I take it you don't complain about, or am I wrong there?) as well as the measley amount spent on education or the arts. Remember also that some of the bums you talk about were the very people who gave us some of the best folk music. Many were considered to be bums because they needed help through aid by the Government.

I hope that if our children ever get into hard times that they will have a compassionate Government to help them when they need it.

The welfare cheats are saints compared to the corporate junk bond raiders who destroy companies and send working people into poverty.

I'll temper my words through experience.

Frank