LETTER: Food stamp benefit increase a godsend to the needy

In response to your Monday editorial on increasing food stamp benefits: I understand the view that there are more jobs available, and I do not negate the fact that there are those who are choosing not to work and to continue to collect assistance. The editorial, however, did not take into consideration the number of people who are on disability and unable to work or those who are elderly or retired who cannot work.

There are a lot of people, like myself, who are retired, and on Social Security (which I paid into for a great number of years) and caring for minor grandchildren. And did you take into consideration the fact that the price of groceries has risen considerably in the past few weeks? That’s along with the costs of housing, gasoline and the cost of living in general.

Not everyone who is seeking assistance is lazy and simply wanting to suck off the government. There are those who are actually in need. It’s unfair for you to group all people on government assistance together and to say that raising food stamps a total of an average of $36 per month is something that shouldn’t be happening.