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Letter: Budget allows only limited assistance

The Columbian
Published: November 8, 2011, 4:00pm

Sharon Long’s Oct. 30 letter, “No cost leads to abuse,” insinuated that the state budget cuts were a result of abuse of the DSHS benefits. The actuality is that DSHS is able to provide so little on the meager budget it has been allotted that it is able to cover only the necessities of the families receiving assistance, if that.

The anecdote about a mother trying to get her biological child a doctor visit hardly constitutes a story of abuse. This mother was merely expressing concern for the health of her child. The foster family receives money to help support the child; the biological mother does not receive any benefits. Furthermore, Long is implying that the mother be the one to pay for her child’s visit although she does not have custody; to have no rights but have a financial obligation hardly seems fair.

DSHS makes life sustainable for those in less fortunate circumstances. Were we able to provide fees for medical bills, the services would not have been incorporated into the U.S. budget. Repercussions from the cut in services will be highly detrimental to the America we have worked so hard to build.

Kelsy Alston

Vancouver

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