This is in response to John Beans letter, “Good work” (July 17).

The Department of Human Services does do some good deeds, though very few as of late. Sometimes I feel they enable some.

But to compare them to our fire departments, which are often volunteers, and the police departments, which are gravely underpaid, is not only ridiculous, it’s a slap in the face of men and women who actually do help.

I have yet to see or read where these departments have lost millions of dollars like the state agency has. And their excuse was faulty bookkeeping. If we, as taxpayers, were to use that excuse to the Internal Revenue Service, we’d be in jail. The Department of Human Services has never stepped up and taken responsibility for that mess.

That department needs a major overhaul. There are people who need retraining and replacing. If they actually did their jobs instead of making poor people poorer, then I might consider saying good job. Until then, help people who need it and stop giving out free rides.

Lisa Ann Renaud-Walton, North Turner