While I agree with helping Mr. Smith’s homeless children to get to school and to eat is very important, what is most troubling is that Dad is “thinking” about going to Cuesta to learn welding (“Homework without a home,” Aug. 14, 2008). This implies, to me at least, that Dad is not currently working, just sitting around waiting for Mom to get out of jail.

There is something wrong with this picture. I don’t care if he is collecting cans for money, he should really be trying to take care of his kids. If all the local illegal aliens can get out and work, and send money back to their homeland every month, Mr. Smith should be able to. Those kids are just watching and learning how to milk the system, but you have got to wonder, how can Dad walk down the street and hold his head up?