Welfare Costs in Shelby County, Tennessee Are on the Rise

Recently I read an article while at work on the Shelby County welfare's system and the increase in welfare that has hit Memphis streets. Being that I am contracted by the state in the organization that I work for, mostly by Shelby County itself, I deal daily with analyzing Shelby County's welfare system in whole. However, this article mentioned nothing nice about out county, only the very large dollar, which is paid out in welfare each month. The author caught me by surprise in the simple fact that as a journalist, you should know your facts. All I can think to myself as the anger grows within, "This must be the kind of author who thinks we are living in a gold mine right now." For someone who makes a living on writing to educate us as a public entirety, wouldn't it make sense to dwell into why it is our welfare numbers are this high. Hmm, could it be the fault of our economy and not the county?

Someone of education that writes without the reason or cause, only on the facts of numbers they see; should go back and continue their education you see. We are in the middle of a recession folks. Instead of quoting numbers, should we not focus on what we can do to get out of it or what might have caused this to come to where it is now. We have gas prices rising to equal more than our car payments each month. Everywhere you look, in any part of Memphis, you can see all the new businesses each week; the businesses that are closed and only open this last week. Maybe we should even factor in the equation of layoffs and cutbacks in our companies. Many things happen over time to put a nation into recession. In addition, guess what people? We as residents and cities alike, done it to ourselves, from your business owner to your man on the streets. We all played a part in the result we are now seeing.