Utah not like other states

The Deseret Morning News recently reported that Utah lags behind the nation in many indices such as welfare payments, food stamp participation and other commonly used measures of participation in the national welfare system. The article more than hints that this is because Utah residents are either insufficiently informed about these programs or Utah welfare officials are not doing their job. Perhaps it is time for Morning News writers to learn the lesson sociologist Lowry Nelson and historian Dale Morgan tried to tell us two generations ago: Utah, because of its distinct religious roots, is an identifiable subculture within the United States and cannot readily be lumped in with other states for comparison of many statistical phenomena. Public welfare services are a prime example.

David Timmins

Salt Lake City