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WhltbY Fr.. Press. Weôiosdy, Amgs 16,1995- PaPo 5 The 'truths' about weltare To the oditor: R.: "Wlfare abuse," letter, Fr.. Pross, Aug. 2. Someting rnust b. don. to properly oducate crities such as D. L. French who write lotters te editors that are full of exaggerated statements, innuendo and partial truths. Lot Us deal with the "truths." .It la true that welfare recipients are provided with a starnped envelope with which txe return their rnonthly incomo statements. This benefit took years to corne about and it le a blessing te, the majority of recipients who a re barely surviving below the provorty lino. The fact that it lu fairly expensive cornes from the fact that we have an expensive postal systern, but that's another story. [t is true that sorno recipientg abuse the. system. Research has indicated that approimately five per cent of -the recipients cheat with perhaps another five por cent cheating from Urne to Urne in tough Urnes. If I was te believe Fronch's lettor, thon ail rocipients would b. guilty. If so, why are there flot hundreda of fraud charges laid every trne cririnal IIISTORIC AL FEATURE in the Whijtby Free Press i .Who is the Iongest-serving member of Whitby's c urrent Town council? 2.What former Whitby resident was a memnber of Toronto's City council in 1907? 3.Where was the first church built in Whitby? 4.What is Whitby's oldest shopping centre? Ans wers on Page il This feature provided by Local Arrk.tceturAl Comservaton Aclvi,,rb Comrttec court sits. Evon an imperfect legal systern would ho more efficient than French presents. .It is true that you do flot have te, b. a Canadian citizen or intend te b. a citizen in 'order to receive benefits. However, you do have te (a),ho in need; and (b) prove that you are deficient in incorne and assets. As a former welfare workor, I would rather err in taklng car. of a person's need* than bo a "perfect" machine. There are wonfýen who appear te, have children in order to receive a larger choque or te romain in -receipt of assistance. The. former are in the. rinority and at least sorne of -the latter are functioning in a state of desperation. In any ovont, there is no validity te Frencii's figures. A short whule ago, I calculated that two adults with three teenage children would rocoive approxirnately $1,600 a month. There have beon a couple To the editor. Re: 'Welfare abuse,' letton by D. L. French criticizing welfare recipients, Free Prose, Aug. 2. You are incredibly lucky that you did not have te go on welfare (or rnaybe you have been on the systern and have conveniently forgotten), because for bard- working, honest, good people euch as I. it was an embarrassing stigma. Most people in today's world are oniy a few pay choques away from winding up on welfanethemselves. I arn a single mother of on. two- year old child, and no, I did net intend te, have several more chiîdren so that I could increase rny rnonthly allowance. I graduated from coilege and was imrnediately hired Mul-Urne as a secrotary. I wonk 40-hour work weeks, soneUrnes more. I did not use welfare as a crutch or as a way of life, I worked hard te receive a diploma and acquiro fuil-Urne ornployrnent. Nor did I "fraudulontly misuso funde provided for lodging and services, knowing full well that it can't ho collectod." I aise did not 'laugh at the system, abuse it, and talk arnongst therneelves te see what oe. that they can get away with." My cablo, hydro, gas and phono bille have nover been unpaid or late. I could b. sitting on welfare, Fine Dnn a BUSINESSMEN'S LUNCHEONe 11:30 -2:00 Tuesday through Saturday eCANDLELIGHT DINNER* 5:30 to close Tuesday through Sunday 103 Mary S. PEARSON LANES W., Whitby e For reservations 430-7870 of Increases since thon of approximately five per cent each. That resuits in a grose of $1,764 now. Thon. le no way a mother of three receives $2,400 monthly, and no mother receives $120 per week extra with eacii new chuld. Legal aid is provided free for some legal situations. However, legal aid le paid for by al taxpayers. A significant percentage of those taxpayers are recipio nts. In flet, several years ago when I asked an economist about the. possiblity of having no welfare recipionts (iLe. utopia), I was told that rnost economie theories are based on having a fixed nuxnber of poor in the systern because the poor are the. only ones who put ail of their rnonoy back into the econorny ail the Urne. Unfortunately, in teday's oconornie climat., the. term "Poor" refers te rnany hard-working people who not working, and staying home with rny son at other people's expense, but I arn not. I arn working rny butt off so that I arn supporting the son I chose te bring into tuis world. Maybe you should spend less Urne grouping ail weifare recipients into one category and se. that many of us are doing our best te not oniy provide for ourselves, but to give back to the very system that aided us when wo neoded it the. most. Terri McCabe Whitby are not In rocolpt of wolfaro. It Is not as easy ais Frenchi statos to recoivo a replacement choque. Sorne are is suod and I arn sure that thie occasional request for a replacement choque is fraudulent. It is almost< impossible te, avoid this situation. Some recipients do misuso their rnonthiy allotrnents. The civil libertis groups do not shlow tii. controls implied by Frenchi, thq next stop would b. "Big Brother' tellingz Frenchi how te, spend bis or ber rnoney. Few hurnans Mek to b. controlled to this extent.' Aîter ail of our differences, I do agree with French that the. social services systern needs to b. tighened Up and made more efficient. Unfortunately, attackIng ail rocipients for the. faults of the. fraudulent rninorlty 18 flot the answer. It ia just an easy way out. Politicians are nover on assistance while in office sothey can't loue. R. Wayne -Clark WhitbY OEDAY ONLY THURSDAY, AUG. 24 NE NOON 'TILL 9:00 PM - SAVE UP TO Q ~(fireplace inse»rt) Drop in and prevîew, prior to the. sale! Firepaces - Woodstoves - Chimneys - Accessories Wood - Gas - Electric Corn and Pellets VERMONT CASTINGS e REGENCY INSTAFLAME WATERFORD HEAT 'N' GLO a DUTCHWEST EARTH STOVE WHITFIELD, SI I PRESENTING THIE FOURTH ANNUAL z:hab5dg a 8tr (ie 41l ANTIQUES PAIR featuring excepional exhi bits of period and country antiques in an hi stori seting Opening Night- Friday, August 25th - 7:OOpm to 1O:OOpm Reservations - $25.00- Cail: 905-668-3358 Saturday, August 26th + Sunday, August 27th 10:OOam to 5:OOpm- Admission: $5.00 "TUE CENTRE 0F ATTRACTION" Centerpieces for the Table An illustrated lecture by Bian Musselwhite Royal Ontaio Museumn Saturday. August 26th at 2:00 pm AN 1880's TEA PARTY A tableaui of Historic Costumnes from the Suddon Collection COLLECTOR DAYS Saturday 1I:OOam to 1:OOpm Sunday 1:OOpm to 3:OOpm Noted Antiques.Authority will identify your Treasures. TRAALGAR CASTLE TEA ROOM Presented by The Alumnae Association, Trafagar Castie School 401 Reynolds Street., Whitby, at the east end of Gilbert Street (Free Parking). For Information, eall (905) 668-3358 AIL PROCEEDS TO PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE Criticism unfair. '% - -- - 'r -J L-