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Welfare Queen is the term that refers to a woman who collects welfare checks (or excess amounts) through fraud or manipulation.

[edit] Origin

The first attributed use of the term "welfare queen" is by Ronald Reagan in 1976 during a campaign:

"She has 80 names, 30 addresses, 12 Social Security cards and is collecting veteran's benefits on four non-existing deceased husbands. And she is collecting Social Security on her cards. She's got Medicaid, getting food stamps, and she is collecting welfare under each of her names."[1]

Despite claims that the woman never existed[2], or that Reagan's story was "bogus,"[3], it seems to have been drawn from newspaper reports at the time. For instance, as the New York Times reported, Linda Taylor of Chicago was charged with using 4 aliases and of cheating the government out of $8,000. Ms. Taylor again appeared [4] as the investigation of her case by the Illinois state Attorney General continued. She was ultimately found guilty of "welfare fraud and perjury" in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.[5] In addition, the Associated Press reported on March 8, 1977[6] that "Joel Edelman, executive director of the Illinois Legislative Advisory Committee on Public Aid, has said his committee found that from early 1973 until mid-1974, Miss Taylor 'used 14 aliases to obtain $150,000 for medical assistance, cash assistance and bonus cash food stamps.' Edelman said, 'She went from district to district. She had a collection of wigs and was a master of disguise. She organized people and upwards of 100 aliases were used.'" Whether Edelman's accusations were true or not, they show that Reagan did not simply invent the story.

Other cases of welfare fraud include Barbara Williams, who was sentenced to eight years for defrauding Los Angeles County out of $239,000; Dorothy Woods, who claimed 38 non-existent children[7]; Queen Esther Johnson, who was sentenced to four years in state prison when accused of "collecting $240,000 for more than 60 fictitious children"[8]; and Arlens Otis, who was indicted in Cook County, Illinois for "613 counts of illegally receiving $150,839 in welfare funds between July 1972 and February 1978."[9]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "'Welfare Queen' Becomes Issue in Reagan Campaign", New York Times, 1976-02-15, pp. 51. 
  2. ^ Steve Kangas. Myth: There are Welfare Queens driving Welfare Cadillacs. Liberalism Resurgent. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
  3. ^ Paul Krugman, "Republicans and Race," NY Times, Nov. 19, 2007 [1]
  4. ^ "'Welfare Queen' Loses Her Cadillac Limousine", New York Times, 1976-02-29, pp. 42. 
  5. ^ "Chicago Relief 'Queen' Guilty", New York Times, 1976-03-19, pp. 8. 
  6. ^ Associated Press, Mar. 8, 1977, AM cycle, Chicago (available on LEXIS)
  7. ^ "Woman's Aid Claims for 38 children Are Examined", New York Times, Special, 1980-12-21, pp. 31. 
  8. ^ Associated Press, June 13, 1979, AM cycle, Compton, CA (available on LEXIS)
  9. ^ Associated Press, May 8, 1978, AM cycle, Chicago (available on LEXIS)