The Queen by Josh Levin

October 15, 2022

The Queen by Josh Levin

Linda Taylor (not her real name) was a mysterious African American woman who lived on Chicago's South Side. She had mink coats, drove a new Cadillac, wore designer clothes, and owned expensive jewelry. She was married multiple times and at various times, reported having as many as eight children. She used multiple aliases. Even her age and her race were uncertain. When she reported a robbery at her south side home (claiming a burglar had stolen her refrigerator and removed it from the house through a small kitchen window), the detective assigned to the case recognized her as a woman he had arrested for welfare fraud in Michigan. As he investigated her claims, he realized that Taylor used a number of aliases to commit a variety of crimes in several states, including welfare fraud, kidnapping, con games, and possibly murder. The Chicago Tribune dubbed her the welfare queen and the title was picked up by then-presidential candidate Ronald Reagan, who made her story a national legend and a disgrace.

This is an unusual narrative about a shadowy figure who learned how to work the system and not get caught. Part of the reason behind her success as a con artist was the reluctance of government agencies and law enforcement to investigate. It took a crusading journalist at the Chicago Tribune to bring the case to the public's attention. This is an issue that really pisses off working people: our tax dollars going to people who don't work, smoke cigarettes, drink liquor, party, gamble, and frequently have a large number of children. While there are certainly recipients who fall into that category, many welfare recipients are going through a bad time and need help to temporarily bridge the gap until they can get back on their feet. The author is sympathetic to Linda and welfare recipients in general, but Linda was definitely a con artist of the first rank.

Linda Taylor (center) with her lawyer and (I think) her daughter Sandra