Well written response Mr. Barranco. You made some very valid points. Perception is not always reality.
Every citizen is entitled to his/her own opinions and beliefs. I was not trying to be argumentative with you.
I was simply sharing my opinion that senior citizens should be “given a larger piece of the pie” instead of rewarding people for simply having children. I have no problem with our government helping people in need. I do have a problem with people who abuse programs designed to help needy citizens. Did you know that many of our local non-profits have linked together a system whereby they are able to communicate with each other whenever a person comes to them for assistance. Why do they do this? Because some people have taken advantage of them and their limited resources. By communicating with each other, they can identify fraudsters and not allow them to deplete their resources. I must dispute your statement that elderly and disabled citizens in Mississippi receive the largest percentage of SNAP benefits. According to the January 2025 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities State Fact Sheet: In MS more than 67% of SNAP participants are in families with children. Only 41 percent are in families with members who are older adults or are disabled. In my opinion, these numbers should be reversed. Didn’t there used to be a government-funded program called Planned Parenthood?
I believe this program helped couples plan their futures prior to having children, covering such things as budgeting. In other words, if a couple develops such a plan and it states that they cannot afford to have children… then maybe they shouldn’t have children.
Seems like common sense, but I guess that only applies to couples who don’t plan on relying on government assistance after having children. Guess this is an antiquated idea to many people in today’s society. Please don’t preach to me about helping people in need. I have personally helped close to 1,000 people with disabilities obtain gainful employment during my working career. I have donated to Disabled American Veterans, St. Jude and the MS Special Olympics for years.
Stan Wheeler
Columbus
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