Promoting Self-Sufficiency and not Dependency

Bravo to Ray Mariano, Executive Director of the Worcester Housing Authority, for requiring residents under the age of 50 years to either work or to go school for their housing benefits.

It is not surprising that 80 percent of the residents are not working according to their latest survey. It is time to stop the multigenerational movement of families being on the system due to their poor decisions and having an entitlement mentality. What also has to stop is the social security disability insurance (SSI) scandal that many people try to get to avoid working to support their families. The reason for the SSI scandal is due to welfare paying for one children per family.    

Please note that some individuals and children do deserve this benefit based upon their eligibility requirements. However, this scandal is costing taxpayors millions of dollars as the legal profession is making money on cases won in court.  If an individual is awarded SSI in court, the payments are retroactive to when he/she first applied for this benefit.  The average time wait to apply and to appeal in court is anyway between 12 to 18 months. 

Public laws and policies also need to be reformed to motivate people to go to work and not worry about losing healthcare coverage that is free. You can't blame these families that get free co-pays; no deductibles for out and inpatient surgeries and low-cost medications to not want to work.  Please note they also get free or subsidized daycare when they are not working as well. It does sound quite enticing to buck the system for a free ride.