Just who is on welfare? | The Salt Lake Tribune

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In his letter "No vote if on welfare" (Forum, July 9), James C. Green maintains that people who are receiving public welfare assistance should not be able to vote. I would like to lay out some figures:

• 37 million retirees are collecting monthly SSI checks

• 6.3 million spouses of retirees collect monthly SSI checks

• 43 million people are enrolled in Medicare

• 1 in 5 mortgages is an FHA loan

• 37 million student loans are outstanding

• 9 million students per year receive grants

• 46 million people are enrolled in SNAP (food stamps)

• 15 million are on unemployment

Do you really want to disenfranchise all these groups? Or just the ones you and people who vote like you don't belong to?

Should we disenfranchise all government employees, since they also might vote in their own best interest?

Kyle Waters

Draper