Letter to the Editor; concern about dependency on government

To the Editor;

A friend whom I have known most of his life is about to retire and he asked me the question that millions must be thinking. why should someone work all throughout their life when they can make almost as much by being dependent upon our government? I told him I felt strongly that a person's pride and self-satisfaction were important to those who parents had taught them values.

Unfortunately, we have too many potential workers who do not have pride! This is why we have eleven states who have more residents dependent on the government than they have people with jobs in the private sector.

Last month, the Senate Budget Committee reported that in 2011, the average U.S household below the poverty line received $158/ a day in government support. To put this in perspective, the median household income is just over $50,000, which averages out to $137.13/ a day. Welfare now pays the equivalent of $30 an hour for a 40 hour week, while the average job pays $25 per hour.

Anyone who has studied history knows that we cannot continue to follow this path!

Gerald W. Ray

Spokane