It's a crime to be poor

[Geoffrey Shaw]

I am going through the humbling experience of signing up for TANF (temporary aid for needy families) and I realize now that the government has made it a crime to be poor. To get $600 in aid for two months then $400 after that I will be required to do 130 hours of volunteer work a month to stay eligible. If you do the math that works out to between $3 and about $4.60 an hour but really to me it feels like the equivalent of community service if you commit a crime. The case workers are just a poor substitute for a probation officer. I'm not saying that there should not be a reasonable requirement for a job search and I think that you should be expected to help out when emergencies occur (this would allow you to feel useful) and if you are on the program for an extended period then you should be required to do more, but the way the Right to Work program was laid out to me in the orientation it seemed like punishment. I don't make any claims that I am faultless when it comes to my predicament, I certainly could of chosen not to take care of my Grandson which would give me much more flexibility. I also could be much more accommodating to the egos of the people I interact with, they seem to see my honesty as a personal attack sometimes when I am just trying to clear the air. The bottom line though is that I have not done any heinous act to end up in my situation, mostly there have been many factors that have happened concurrently that created the need to ask for assistance. I would like to think that compassion would be a better reply than disdain but that might be too much to ask.

[LAZARO JAVIER GARCIA]

Very honest comment. God bless you brother.

[Penguin Board of Directors]

Geoffrey,

You are no doubt going through your Egypt; but, you have the makings of a winner. Keep doing whatever it is you are doing; YOU WILL OVERCOME. I will talk to one of my friends and we will get in touch with you somehow. Meanwhile, keep doing what you are doing right now. God bless. Peace.