EDITORIAL
Broken marriages are a symptom of other ills

There are many studies that show the benefits of a stable, happy two-parent family on children.

While there are many successful single-parent or "non-traditional" families, statistics suggest that youngsters from intact families have a better shot at doing well in life than those from unstable homes.

So there is at least some logic to President Bush's proposal that $300 million in the new welfare reform law be set aside to promote "healthy, stable marriages."

But the basic flaw in the idea is that marital stability cannot ultimately be achieved through governmental counseling or sound advice. The larger threats to marriage are drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and instability and lack of work.

Thus, rather than spending large amounts on a public relations campaign in support of healthy marriages, the focus should be on improving those conditions that make such marriages possible.

This means jobs and childcare programs so both parents can work without putting their children at risk, drug and alcohol counseling and the like.

Broken or nonexistent marriages are not the direct cause of welfare dependence; rather they are symptoms of deeper problems that deserve committed national attention.