Although not initially mentioned by name, Linda Taylor (one of hundreds of aliases) was brought to infamy during Ronald Reagan’s campaign trail in ’76. Reagan espoused her story as a lesson or anecdote of government waste and widespread welfare fraud.
Prior to the age of internet, many of Reagan’s left-wing opponents claimed his story held no ground and depicted a fictional individual. After all, how could one person possibly drive three vehicles and receive $150,000 annually on the government dole?
Unfortunately, Josh Levin, the author of this in-depth Slate article regarding the life and antics con-artist sloth Linda Taylor (as she was known in the height of her infamy), reveals that her actions were much, much more costly than even Reagan and his vested interest in exaggeration would have you believe.
Levin details Taylor’s journey as a young mother in Oakland, California to a brutal, heartless kidnapper, con-artist, and murderer throughout Illinois, Tennessee and Florida in his 12 page chronicle of her exploits.
I encourage you to read it when you get the chance and think about ways to prevent this fraudulent behavior in the future.
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