Dear Editor,

After reading the article in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent regarding state budget cut for Medicaid to illegal aliens: I for one, am glad that the state is taking a stand and thus saving all taxpayers $1.3 million, at least through June 30.

I think that we as a society should not encourage single women to become pregnant.

We should have more capably trained personnel in the county offices who can screen applicants carefully. A valid Social Security number or valid green card should be required, and Social Service workers should verify employment by calling their jobs and checking to see if check stubs presented reflect an applicant’s true earnings.

This should be true when anyone is soliciting our tax dollars, whether it be by WIC, Medicaid, CHIP, or even free school lunches.

When a single mom goes to apply for Medicaid, it should be mandatory for her to give the father’s name. The state should then try all means possible to get ahold of the father to investigate his earnings and hold him responsible for paying half of the medical expenses.

Are we not encouraging women to get pregnant if we offer them a solution to their financial problems by offering them WIC, Medicaid or CHIP?

Applicants should then be held liable for paying the taxpayers back any funding they took later, when their income rises and they are no longer in need of government funding.

Janet Gill

Carbondale