"Others disagreed, however, and pointed out that the fundamentalist Mormons, who had been victims of government persecution, were owed money by that same government. These men slowly gained the upper hand within the inner workings of the FLDS as they sought ever more inventive ways to access state and federal dollars. Chief among these was Fred Jessop, a community leader who led the effort to incorporate the City of Hildale on the Utah side of the border and who was successful in getting a highway built to the town.
Soon, the informal policy known as Bleeding the Beast took on a life of its own. According to the Aug. 11, 2003, edition of the Prescott Daily Courier, the policy's ominous name was a reference to a similar practice implemented by LDS founding prophet Joseph Smith and his successor Brigham Young during the height of Mormon persecution,
The practice reportedly spread quickly as it gained acceptance among the FLDS faithful, which happened to coincide with the explosive growth of state and federal assistance programs. Multiple wives, who were married in church, but not in the eyes of the law, began applying for state assistance. Food Stamps and federal programs like WIC, which provide nutritional assistance to low-income women and children, were also tapped. So were healthcare dollars through Arizona's AHCCCS program, which provides most of the medical insurance for residents in Colorado City AZ. Last year over 4,000 residents were enrolled, reportedly costing the state about $8 million a year.
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Jon Krakauer, author wrote in his book "Under the Banner of Heaven" that fundamentalist leaders in Colorado City view the whole process as "creative budgeting." He says that they regard it as a "virtuous act."
For her part, Flora Jessop, who says she fled the group in order to escape living a forced polygamous lifestyle, says of the people in Colorado City, "They are told to go on welfare. It's called ‘bleeding the beast' and they find it amusing that Satan is supporting God's work." Source: Bleeding the Beast The Eldorado Success, Oct. 14, 2004.