Monica, I agree with you. I also think people in general are scared of what they don't understand. People don't understand how the welfare system works, so they automatically are afraid of the system, blaming the recipient of welfare for taking "their" money. People then assume families on welfare are not deserving of what they receive. But, at he same time these very people have probably never thought do a little research to find out how the rest of their tax money is being spent. I have known two families on welfare. One of the families, the parents became pregnant at the age of eighteen and went on welfare for a short time, but realized they could not make it. They were forced to get their act together and now, ten years later, they just bought a house. Welfare helped them out when they needed it the most. The other family is headed by a single mother. She had married her high school sweetheart at the age of twenty-three and had three kids by the time she was twenty-eight. Life seemed great until her husband had a breakdown and decided that being a husband and a father was to much for him. He left and she was forced to go on welfare. She was on welfare for six months and could not make it on her own. She hated to do it, but she moved herself and her kids in with her parents. With "built in" baby sitters she went back to school and got a job, though she is still living with her parents (they actually don't mind, they love having their grand kids around.) But, once again, welfare was there when she needed it, she had a little time to think about her options.