Alaska has higher rates of mothers on welfare
Published Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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Stumble It!OMAHA, Neb. -- Alaska is one of eight states with statistically higher rates of births from women on public assistance.
New census data released Monday says Alaska joins Nebraska, Utah, Texas, New Mexico, Iowa, Wisconsin and Tennessee in having higher than average rates of mothers age 15 to 50 on public assistance.
The figures are based on data from 2006, a decade after the passage of welfare reform in 1996.
Census officials say the measure gave states greater flexibility to put in place initiatives to reduce welfare dependency for members of low-income families with children.
The national average rate of births from women on public assistance is nearly 155 births per 1,000.
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If they would close their legs maybe they wouldnt be on welfare.
AmandaL,
That is too funny. I about spit my drink out. Thanks for the laugh.
"If" is such a small word, with so many big possibilities. Small-minded, ignorant people...that is what makes me laugh. Thank you!
good lord. by welfare, do they mean cash assistance, or health care assistance? i guess they DO note "public assistance", but.. i am on denali kidcare because, in case you've never given birth, it is an extremely expensive endeavor. my husband and i are well below the federal poverty line, but we budget like mad to ensure we live in a nice place and have nice things, just nothing extra. without denali kidcare, i don't know what we would have done, because i don't have health insurance. but the designation of 'welfare' really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. i don't feel like i'm milking the system!
Have you ever seen the income levels for welfare in this State? These women may be that service worker cleaning your office at night, or waiting on you at a local box store or fast food place, or cleaning your home, etc.. Or their husband maybe the guy doing the same kind of work. Being on public assistance does not mean you are not working.
missmeow--the article is about single moms. Since you have a husband I don't believe you are included in the statistics.
Yes, Denali Kid Care is welfare. All us folks that hold down jobs, and pay our own way, are paying YOUR way too. If you can't afford them, don't have them.
Actually, the article is about Alaska having higher than average rates of mothers age 15 to 50 on public assistance than other states. There is no mention of the mother's martial status in the article. I will guess, however, that a majority of these welfare moms are single with a spotty work history (if any at all).
If the cost of living keeps going up, we may all be on welfare. Don't judge until you have walked in these peoples shoes. I have walked in these shoes and it's not easy, especially if you lose a job (that is out of your hands). Never judge you maybe the next person to be standing in line at the state office.
Alaska, highest rates for credit card debt, diabetes, over weight people and now this to add to it. Alaska sure is looking lazy these days. Welfare reform, I know who woman who are still on it from ten years ago. All out laziness from both the men and women.
Those women just don't have any incentives to have a job or to keep a job. I really do not see how they can afford to be out of work with the cost of living and housing in Alaska.
People actually come to Alaska becuase of the welfare system. It is much easier to qualify for than the majority of states and the benefits are also higher.
Not a big surprise.
I think Alaska is at the top list for rapes per captia. Lets just blame the high percentage of Moms/children on that statistic!!?
Permanent Fund is not reduced for welfare folks. They should not get one. Ours is reduced to keep theirs coming.
I know I will be called a military basher but many young women are left behind as their boyfriend is deployed.
And as stated previous you can work full time at many locations and still be below the income limits.
Society in a way rewards women for divorce and not working if their husband has a decent job. They can collect child support and welfare and lay on the couch watching soaps and Doctor Phil while their ex pays the bills.
AmandaL thanks for the laughs and you are quite right.
Pat
I would rather support Americans on welfare than keep throwing our money away in places like Iraq!
Joe that statement is just wrong!!
There are plenty of mothers working full time jobs, raising children going to school... and need a little help! There are plenty of families where both individuals are working and are just making it... and who knows WHO is going to need extra support after this winter!! Hard times can fall on anyone!
I, in no way condone long term use of the wellfare system... but if it helps you get a leg up... use it... don't abuse it.
Alkfairbanks, How do u know women who were on welfare for ten years when the limit is five years? Before u start judging people u should know the real deal before posting comments soo u dont sound soo stupid next time k?
Perhaps if the child support laws were changed (enforced) we would see less mothers on welfare. (This is, of course, ignoring some of the societal issues that lead to single-parenthood).
h2os--If you check the census bureau website and womensenews.org you can view the entire report. The DNM picked up this article from the AP and it is a press release from Omaha that is not very complete. From the info I gathered in the whole report it appears that the numbers it is referring to are for single moms. The numbers had dropped after the welfare reform act of 1996, but started back up after 2000 when the economy started its 8 year slide. The story is the same for all poor and working poor, but Alaska hasn't made the top 7 in the other categories....yet.
These figures are probably misleading. How many unwed mothers do we have compared to the other states mentioned? Our population is but a fraction of the welfare recipts. in the other states. Once again statistics rears its ugly head.
Some of you are to judgmental. Many years ago my husband left me when I was six months pregnant. I got plenty of job interviews but when I walked in I could see right away no one was going to hire me. No one wants an employee who is going to go on leave in three months. So I did what I had to do, I signed up for welfare and low income housing. Then I got a student loan and went to a trade school. As soon as my baby was old enough for day care I got a job, went off welfare and within a year moved of low income housing. For most people, welfare is just a hand up, not a hand out. So please don’t put all welfare moms in the same category.
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