As so often happens when people are engaged in great controversy, matters are arranged so that those with the least clout and money suffer the ill effects. Here, Penny refuses the government money (like I believe that), and it will be her daughters who suffer the economic effects of that.

But perhaps Penny has remarried, and her daughters go to good schools, take music lessons if they love music, get their eyes checked and see the dentist regularly. Somehow I doubt it.

I have a niece who refused to cash her boys' child-support payments and spend the money on her sons. She put the money in bank accounts and said she would let them have it when they were 18. Is that any way to treat your kid?