Reader Cermak`s letter of Aug. 29 has me stumped. Is he blaming Reagan for the ”self-perpetuating jungle that is the welfare state in this country” ? Any mention by Reagan of cuts in welfare brings loud screams from all the liberal Democrats, who are quick to accuse him of a lack of compassion for the poor.
If Cermak is concerned with ”economic liberty” for the U.S. welfare class, he should send some suggestions to his representatives in the House and Senate as to how we can help these people become self-supporting. With an unemployment rate of only 6 percent, the lowest in a dozen years, more people employed than ever before, and a labor shortage becoming daily more evident, we obviously have to find some incentive to reach the uneducated, unskilled men and women who have settled for a life on the public dole.
Unfortunately, most of our elected representatives are concerned with just that-getting elected. They haven`t the common sense or the gumption to insist that able-bodied welfare recipients work for what they receive. Chicago streets, alleys and public parks are in obvious need of clean-up crews and we frequently read of the refuse and litter in stairwells and halls of public housing projects. There are many states that have ”workfare” programs that enable welfare recipients to get out of the welfare ”jungle,” but they must be willing to participate with time and effort.
