Addicts, Alcoholics to Lose SSI Benefits

I was very disturbed when I read the article on Dec. 29 regarding the thousands of addicts and alcoholics who will lose aid. My concern is that we are going to have a more serious and uncontrolled crime problem in our streets, and an uncontrolled increase in communicable diseases.

As a parent who wants to have a better community and safe streets for my children to live and walk on, as any parent wants, this worries me. As a community leader, yes, it concerns me, too. I do participate and get involved in bettering our community where I live and work.

I would like to challenge other community leaders, local politicians, business people, health educators and anyone who would like to find some solutions to the problem, which we all will be facing very soon, to get together and brainstorm.

MARIO MATUTE, Project Director

San Fernando Gardens

Community Service Center

Los Angeles Housing Authority

* These people who are crying that welfare reform is “unfair and scary” are doing so because they are afraid to get up early and go to work as the rest of us do.

Every day, severely physically handicapped and blind Americans go to work (this is called taking personal responsibility for themselves and not blaming the government for their handicap).

Until recently, I, because of my lengthy unemployment, found myself living on skid row in one of those residential hotels. What an eye-opener! These people are perfectly content to “hang out” drinking, getting high and selling dope! Many of them just sit around watching TV or listening to their radio. There’s not a damned thing wrong with these people other than plain laziness and their disgust for taking responsibility for themselves.

ROBB MELCHOR

Los Angeles