I read all Sound Off posts and I have seen several recently concerning public assistance. I believe public assistance in St. Lawrence County is out of control and I agree for the following reasons: It seems that those that need it the most have the hardest time getting it (way too much red tape). It also seems that more and more folks are asking for and qualify for handouts that they do not need. The one example of this that irritates me the most is the retired folks that cut and burned wood while they worked decent jobs because they were too tight with their own money to buy fuel, but now that they are retired and sitting on a mattress full of cash, they qualify for and receive HEAP that they use to buy propane. In my opinion, this is like stealing from the truly needy folks.