A letter to the editor in The Daily News Journal, Tennessee

Illegal immigrants receive government welfare

To the editor,

I recently tried to renew my son’s TennCare and was told that suddenly my husband and I make too much money. My husband works for himself and he has no medical insurance. I work as a substitute teacher and I have no medical insurance. We have no insurance because we cannot afford independent insurance. My son is supposed to be covered by his father but is not, so I have to find a way to provide it. I do not receive child support, either, so my son’s stepdad and I provide as much as we can for him.

I am an American citizen, my father was a Vietnam veteran, I pay taxes and I have a Social Security number and a valid driver’s license.

I have been to the Department of Human Services in Murfreesboro at least three times in the past 12 months, and I have seen at least 20 illegal immigrants who do not have Social Security numbers, jobs and who do not pay taxes.

I know this information because we are all in a big room like cattle and we are all asked to fill out the same paperwork, which requires everyone’s Social Security number in your family of whom you need benefits for.

Let me tell you what these people receive: food stamps, free child care, Families First and TennCare.

Does anyone see something wrong here?

Shari Stoneking

Colonial Circle

Originally published September 14, 2006