Thanks for publishing Jack Markowitz’s column “Smarter spending might beat poverty” (Business, Oct. 5 and TribLIVE.COM). It should be obvious — but I guess it isn’t — that success in America is easy if you adhere to certain traditional moral precepts: Get an education, get a job, get married and have children. In that order. The role of bastardy in perpetuating poverty, and the role of welfare in promoting bastardy, is one of the most important lessons of our time. Mr. Markowitz gets it. Brad Tupi Upper St. Clair

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