Email from Brownback’s office: ‘Shackles of artificial government assistance’ a burden to state

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has sent a message to supporters criticizing government dependence and touting his welfare reforms.

In an e-mail to supporters, Melika Willoughby, the governor’s deputy director of communications, wrote that generations have been “locked into the crippling cycle of government dependence.”

“One of the central missions of the left in America is to increase the number of Americans who are dependent on the government. This growing dependency is necessary to justify the big government and high tax policies they support,” Willoughby wrote. “Under the guise of helping struggling Americans, they’ve spent billions of dollars in the so-called ‘war on poverty.’”

The Wichita Eagle reports that Brownback’s office regularly has sent out emails lauding his policies since he was re-elected.

In the email, the Republican governor accuses Democrats of trying to “increase the number of Americans who are dependent on the government.”

A bill Brownback signed in April that solidified a work requirement for able-bodied welfare recipients without dependents also was praised in the email.

The email sparked backlash on social media, with critics pointing out that Brownback hasn’t fulfilled his promise to create more jobs.

Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, said the suggestion that those who need government assistance are shackled shows “warped philosophy” about the nature of poverty.

He called it ironic the governor’s office sent out this message the same week as Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, as the pope has been a major advocate for showing compassion to the poor.

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Email from Brownback’s office: ‘Shackles of artificial government assistance’ a burden to state."