I suppose there will those who will find this article offensive and that its my intent is to attack the FLDS , its going to happen . But what if this article is true ? What if the united effort plan of the flds and its many millions came about simply not by hard work but rather not paying for what they could have paid for ? Will a Man rob God ? Or will God's people rob Man ?

My question then is , who's attacking whom ?


Polygamist Community Rakes in Taxpayer-Funded Benefits
November 12th, 2007 @ 10:00pm
John Hollenhorst reporting

Residents of the polygamist community headed by Warren Jeffs receive food stamps and taxpayer-funded medical care at rates many times higher than the rest of us.

An Eyewitness News investigation raises questions about whether they get more than they're entitled to.

In Warren Jeffs' territory, it's not uncommon for one family to consist of several wives and dozens of children. People often wonder, "How can they afford such large families?" The short answer is, they get lots of help from you, the taxpayer.



It's no secret that it takes a lot of groceries to feed the typical family in this community. But even a long-time resident was surprised when we told him how reliant the polygamist community is on food stamps.

Former FLDS Church member Richard Holm said, "To have those kind of ratios, it's just wrong. It's sick and wrong in my view."

Holm was kicked out of the FLDS Church when Warren Jeffs came to power. But as a long-time resident he's familiar with one key fact: Most residents are kids.



"People are encouraged to have large families. I think the median age in this community is probably unique in America," he said.

On the Utah side of town, the median age is 13. Across the street in Arizona, it's 14. The national median age is 35!



To feed that local surplus of kids, it helps if you can pay the bills with a taxpayer-funded Horizon "food stamp" card. State officials administer the program using federal dollars.

Curt Stewart, of the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said, "It's something they decided years ago, that people need to eat. And the best way to do that is to somehow subsidize their income."

Food Stamp Benefits
Hildale -- 847 recipients -- 43.4%
Colorado City -- 1,782 recipients -- 44%
Utah recipients -- 4.8%

Of roughly 6,000 residents in the twin towns, more than 2,600 get food-stamp benefits. That's about 44 percent of the population, almost 10 times Utah's statewide number of 4.8 percent.

"I think it would be hard for them to survive without those benefits," Stewart said.

The flow of tax dollars contradicts one of the founding myths of the community, that people of God could become self-sufficient through their United Effort plan.

Richard Holm said, "I think it's a shame. It's a shame on the community to have that kind of a reliance on the food stamp program."

It's also way above average on Medicaid benefits for the poor.

Receiving Medicaid Benefits
Hildale 51%
Colorado City (no data)
Utah 6%

Arizona wouldn't give us data. But on the Utah side, 51 percent of Hildale residents get Medicaid benefits compared to 6 percent statewide.

Cost to Taxpayers
Food stamps $2.4 million
Medicaid $6.6 million
Total: $9 million

We conservatively estimate it costs taxpayers at least $9 million a year just for food and medical benefits. Are the benefits legitimate? Eligibility is based on household income and family size.

"The household is defined as a group of people who sit together in a house and eat meals together," Stewart explained.

But critics say some husbands divide their family, on paper, into subgroups of wives and children so they qualify separately for benefits. Richard Holm says he's been offered food as barter for goods and services, suggesting somebody had food they didn't really need.

Stewart said, "We've gone in there a couple of times. But we've not found anything that is above the average of any other area, as far as fraud and abuse."

But two long-time residents say they can't remember any welfare investigator ever coming around and asking questions. Whether the aid is legitimate or not, it's clear that taxpayers are subsidizing a lifestyle many disagree with.


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[QUOTE=furnace,Nov 16 2007, 07:19 AM] [QUOTE=1 yankie,Nov 15 2007, 11:21 PM] I suppose there will those who will find this article offensive and that its my intent is to attack the FLDS , its going to happen . But what if this article is true ? What if the united effort plan of the flds and its many millions came about simply not by hard work but rather not paying for what they could have paid for ? Will a Man rob God ? Or will God's people rob Man ?

My question then is , who's attacking whom ?

[/QUOTE]

This topic can be a little touchy I guess , I dont think anyone would suggest not providing health care or taking food out of children's mouths . But still , I feel there has to be a level of personal responsibility from the parents . With the FLDS I think the answer is obvious , if parents can not provide for the children they have they shouldn't have more children .

With the rate of medicare and food stamps being near ten times higher than their neighbors through out the state of Utah I also feel parents who could provide food and health care to their children in many cases are not doing so , but spend these savings elsewhere . In any case , if the rest of the state of Utah went about their lives with the same attitude as the FLDS there wouldn't be any health care or food stamp program .



Just something to think about .

DELETED

When the people in YFZ aren't supported by other businesses whose workers get on welfare, you may have a claim about YFZ getting off government welfare. Before I left, I was under pressure to get government aid, but I was stubborn and refused my $1000 donations if I couldn't afford it, and I certainly wouldn't give out donations to the priesthood while at the same time looking too poor to take care of a family. I felt it was wrong to have any employer give you a reduced check in the name of "giving business profit to the priesthood" and then having their workers get on any government welfare. I know first-hand about an FLDS business that played this deceptive game so people's wages would be lower. Technically legal? Perhaps, an employee can agree to minimum wage while their employer sends the profits elsewhere. Just because it is legal doesn't mean it's right, nor does it mean God authorized it. It's also legal for taxpayers to raise a stink about this type of welfare abuse.

I will credit the FLDS with industry. In fact, that is one reason I left. I didn't want to work 20 hours a day with no family life and be someone else's slave. But, I have also witnessed the blatant violation of OSHA and child labor laws with my own two eyes, so you can't tell me about "listening to the rumor mill" on this one. (I haven't read Carolyn's book "Escape" yet, but I know Merril is as guilty as anyone--maybe she gets into that)

Furnace:
Your'e in Colorado City , right?? Is there any change in the people you know since the video of Warren saying how wicked he was?

Yank’s obviously been yanked.
______________________________
street, how many food stamps does it take ta build a temple?

I'm not a very smart person as you can see from my posts, but if they legally qualify, i.e. are non married single mothers (as defined by the government)with no personel income then why is it always referred to as welfare fraud? I know that it is a loop hole, but if it is fraud don't you think with the overwhelming wave of anti-polygamy sentiment that they would be prosecuting these people? And don't be tricked, they are looking for ways to prosecute them for anything but POLYGAMY. I'm no WJ fan but he wasn't charged for living polygamy. The state doesn't want to look like they are prosecuting people who's religion is polygamy, so why wouldn't their be welfare fraud cases?

As someone that used to live in CC, I know that alot of people are on government assistance. I also know that it is a loop hole in the law that the government could fix. The problem is that the fix to the government and to most everyone here is worse than the problem. The fix would be to legalize plural marriage.

That would also have an interesting affect on the FLDS. It would diminish the us against the world mentality. They could come out of the shadows. Their lives wouldn't have to be secretive. Abuses of any kind wouldn't be so readily hidden. The leadership would loose there all controlling grip on the those people because the world wouldn't be out to get them.

$.02