Is it true that there are no Mormons on welfare?

[The Backlash Cometh]

Barbara Bush seems to think so, so I was wondering if this is true.

Asked if voters should be weary of Romney being a Mormon, the former president's wife, Barbara, said "not at all," noting there are "wild people" in many religions.

"I mean it was in 1897 that bigamy was outlawed in that church," she said. "You know we have a lot of Christian wild people too, and a lot of Jewish wild people and a lot of Muslim wild people. The Mormon religion takes care of its own, they don't have people on welfare"


http://www.rawstory.com/showoutarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2FPOLITICS%2Fblogs%2Fpoliticalticker%2F2007%2F04%2Fbush-sr-bush-fatigue-may-be-setting-in.html

[mainegreen]

1. Total bullshit. My friends family is Mormon, and they are on welfare with 12 kids.

Nice people though. I like them. Those religious cartoons they're always playing though are a bit... daft.

[blogslut]

2. AAAAAKKKK!

Does her brain even work anymore?

[LiberalFighter]

13. Such a beautiful mind... best place for it is in a mental institution

[camero]

3. The polygamist they prosecuted in Utah was on welfare I believe.

With his 26? children.

[City Lights]

8. You are correct. eom

[Freddie Stubbs]

22. The LDS Church forbids polygamy

These folks are likley members of one of the break-away denominations.

[camero]

24. But technically still Mormon

Even if the big church doesn't recognize them as such.

[Freddie Stubbs]

27. Kind of like how Lieberman is technically a Democrat?

[Dogmudgeon]

4. Welfare, after all, is the Mark of Cain

--p!

[Chef]

5. Welfare

The church would have you believe that there aren't. It is discouraged and they do provide assistance through the church to limit the need for public assistance. However, there are Mormons on welfare.

[noahmijo]

6. Is it true that Utah has a "Mormon Tax" or something to that effect?

If that's the case at least in that state there better not be any Mormons on welfare.

[bluethruandthru]

7. Mormons are expected to tithe

10 percent of their gross earnings to the church...and they keep track of who does!

[WinkyDink]

9. So Bar doesn't regard Mormonism as Christian; interesting.

[liberal N proud]

Probably a claim they make because they probably throw them out of the church

if they go on welfare.

[alfred e bush]

11. total b s

been workin 30 years for welfare department....most big familys recieve some kind of assistance...all religions are represented bigtime

[bryant69]

12. Do you have any evidence for that assertion?

That Mormons excommunicate members who go on Welfare?

Bryant

[liberal N proud]

26. No, but nothing surprises me whit the fundies in religion

I grew up Catholic and my aunt didn't speak to my cousin for more than 20 years before she died because he got a divorce.
I have seen the Baptist shame a young woman/friend who became pregnant at 21 out of wedlock. She left the church and married a Catholic. I don't know what ever happened to the baby or her and her husband.

Religion does funny things to people, just speculation and I shouldn't make such remarks.

[Sparkly]

10. "Wild people?" What does that mean? nt

[Horse with no Name]

14. I've seen Mormons on Medicaid

as they come through the hospital.
HOWEVER, I recall this lady that was Mormon and her child was sick. She said that had fallen behind on her bills, was getting evicted, etc. She said the church gave her a substantial loan to get back on her feet. She had to agree to a flexible repayment schedule and she also had to do some missionary work to pay it back.

[hatrack]

15. Far from it - read "Under The Banner Of Heaven"

Signing up for WIC, etc., is regarded as "bleeding the beast" by the fundie polygamist Mormons in the west desert and Arizona Strip.

[TwilightGardener]

18. Read that book--very eye-opening. It seems that

the unofficial policy is to stick it to the "Gentiles" by using their welfare system to support all those kiddies.

[Balbus]

32. And we all now that the "fundie polygamist Mormons" are a fair

representation of the Mormon religion as a whole. Just like David Koresh was a fair representation of Christians as a whole.

[msongs]

16. they systematic destruction of non-white non-christian cultures is a form of welfare nt

[City Lights]

17. They have their own system.

Mormon Welfare

KCBS-TV (Los Angeles): 8/29/99
While the nation struggles with welfare reform, the Mormon Church promotes its welfare program as a model system for those in need.

Mormons who fall on hard times don't need to rely on the federal or state government to support them. Instead they can turn to their church. For more than six decades, the Mormon Church has been running its own welfare program without any federal assistance. In fact, the system is entirely supported by volunteers, private donations and money collected from church businesses.

The Mormon welfare system is quite simple. A Mormon in need goes to their bishop, whose main job is to organize and oversee church services such as the welfare program. Once the Bishop determines the person in need can't get help from their extended family and there is no alternative, he assesses their needs and refers them to the appropriate church agency and may also allocate money to help them pay bills.

In Los Angeles, recipients of the Mormon welfare program are referred to a Mormon aid center in Boyle Heights, on the edge of East L.A. The center there includes the Bishop Storehouse, where the needy can use vouchers to buy food, clothes and other essentials. There is also an employment office, where resumes are perfected and jobs listed, and a 40,000 square foot cannery, where many welfare recipients volunteer to work. The complex also boasts a thrift store where low skilled workers are trained to prepare them for the workforce.

There are 105 of these church-run stores across the country and, the program has assisted over 100,000 people alone in California. The goodwill, however, comes with a stipulation: the needy are expected to work in return. Those in need of aid might help the church transport handicapped people or work in one of the Church’s stores or canneries.

http://www.acfnewsource.org/religion/mormon_welfare.html

Polygamists are another story.

Utah Paying a High Price for Polygamy

Los Angeles Times/September 9, 2001
By Julie Cart

Law: Child abuse and welfare fraud are part of plural marriage's toll. Still, there is a reluctance to pursue lawbreakers.

<snip>

Widespread reliance on welfare. In the tiny town of Hildale, for example, along the Utah-Arizona border, as many as 50% of the residents are on public assistance, according to state and federal records. The fraud occurs when plural wives claim they don't know the whereabouts of their children's father.

Unusual levels of child poverty. For example, across the street from Hildale in Colorado City, Ariz., every school-age child in town was living below the poverty level, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates from 1997, the most current available.

<snip>

The poverty that seems to envelop those who live in polygamy is a concern for state child welfare workers. In Green's case, he was found guilty on a charge of criminal nonsupport for those of his 30 children who were receiving welfare fraudulently. One investigator put the state tab for supporting Green's children at more than $150,000.

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy69.html

[Hamlette]

21. that's $150,000 per year paid to or on behalf of Green and his family of 35.

the article wasn't very clear.

[City Lights]

25. The article isn't clear whether that's yearly, or total. Found this on BBC:

Friday, 24 August, 2001, 19:17 GMT 20:17 UK
US polygamist gets five years


Prominent American polygamist Tom Green has been sentenced to five years in prison for bigamy and ordered to pay back $78,000 claimed in fraudulent welfare payments.

Utah Judge Guy Burningham sentenced Mr Green to serve five concurrent terms of five years for four counts of bigamy and one of failing to pay child support.

Mr Green, who has argued that his Mormon background permits polygamy, could have received up to 25 years.

He may still stand trial on a child rape charge.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1508284.stm

[slampoet]

19. It is bullshit it's just that Barb thinks because they're white it isn't welfare.

Simple Ignorance from a woman who doesn't know the first thing about the subject.

[Hamlette]

20. welfare and mormons in Utah

There are mormons on welfare in Utah. Acutally, there is some coordination between church and state to provide better services by eliminating overlap.

The church refuses funds from the faith based initiative so they do it without any federal money.

The church believes people should give something in return but remember under our current welfare program people must work too so it is not out of step with federal law.

The state does not like it getting out that people here are on welfare. There is an ongoing debate between the feds and the Utah legislature. The feds found Utah to be an "under served" area re: food stamps which means DOA which administers food stamps runs ads telling people food stamps are available and to apply for them. Legislature went ballistic! They hated the ads. Feds pulled 'em. (In the feds defense, they did a study and found the church does provide food to poor mormons which might be why Utah is "under served."

I would point out they only serve "their own" which I don't see as particularily "Christian" but hey, that's me.

[lonestarnot]

23. Well from what I understand, no as they are too busy defrauding the

government with SS benefits and that's lucrative enough for them to stay off welfare.

[Tejanocrat]

28. Ron Lafferty is on death row and Dan is serving a double life term. Maybe that doesn't qualify as

welfare, but it's hard to see how the Church is taking care of their own in that case. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/October/14/style/stories/02style.htm

Of course, you could find people of any faith who are on welfare or who are in prison so that doesn't mean much other than Barbara Bush lives her life according to a series of bigoted prejudices which is hardly breaking news.

[WinkyDink]

29. You know, she's nothing more than a rich old college drop-out. She has earned ZERO credibility.

[Hobarticus]

30. The Quaker Oat Man doth speak bullshit....

Nice little country-club luncheon assessment of something you know NOTHING about, Mrs. Asshat.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

31. "You know we have a lot of Christian wild people too" - did she just say Mormons aren't Christians?

Same shit Dobson flung towards Catholics. Intolerant POS.