Sunday, February 03, 2008
Welfare Reform- My Perfect System, without research
In the town my wife grew up in, Mechanicstown, Ohio, her father is the only tax-paying citizen in the town. (population listed as 100, I'd say realistically more like 40) The young people in town, between 18 and 30, cheat the system over and over again, having as many kids as they can to draw more and more money from the system. One of the residents never learned to read, allegedly, though we know she can, and so she collects disability, welfare, and social security. I know this is one small town in the middle of nowhere, but if they can pull it off, imagine what bigger cities are doing. In my opinion, this is what welfare, social security, and disability should cover: people who are disabled to the point that they cannot work. The government is set up similar, but they don't check it out very well, or very often. Social Security, other than how it is set up now, the government, instead of giving money, should teach her to read. If you have been on a welfare system, and you continue to have children, social services should declare you unfit to raise a child and take them ALL away. Single mother's should be the people getting help from welfare, as well as small lengths of time for people who legitimately lose their jobs and need to pay bills, but how bout if the government physically paid the bills...they would then know what you were spending, recieving, and such. Welfare should be an absolute minimum amount of money to get by. You should not live comfortably off welfare. Any thoughts, let me know as I am interested if anyone knows people who cheat the system, or any criticism on my personal policies.
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7 comments:
This makes me so mad. I personally know people who claim children that are not theirs, claim older people saying that they live in their household, people who claim disablities they don't have..all kinds of things to get money.
I was laid off from a manufacturing job because all our work got sent over seas. I didn't draw unemployment, I went out and got a job! When that wasn't enough I didn't go out and apply for food stamps and what else, I got a second job!
I agree with what you said. There are some people out there that really do NEED help but government assistence should only be to get someone back on their feet. Like you said, not to live comfortably. Most people are just lazy!
I actually love this post. Not knowing how to read is no excuse in 2008. If someone is not able to read, SS should teach them. However in disablilty, that can go either way, some people claim it, (like may aunt) so she can make money, and when a child grows up, this woman has another child. I agree with you, that is very wrong. However what about someone who is only in a wheelchair? Should we take her child away? The thing about welfare is, it works for some people, like my mother who had surgery and had to recoperate six months, and then there are those who lie. Should my mother have to suffer because of other people's ignorence and abuse of the system? It's all complicated, and in the end, some of the ideas you mentioned are clever, like social security.
I, have no doubt that the logical falliecy: here is Lack of information. You can not live comfortably on welfare. My mother seperated from my father when I was only five years old. My father died when I was 10 years old my mother raised 8 children by herself. We recieved welfare so I would like to tell you about it. We stayed in the projects at first my mother worked three jobs at the same time for many years once evey couple of weeks we would line up in some long line at the recration center to wait for our ration, a big block or cheese, dried beans and maybe rice. My mother worked so hard that my older sister was often the parental care giver, she her self was only a teenager. I'm not mad about the way my life was but I will say that "Living On Welfare, Is Anything But Comfortably." Futhermore we should question ever source, we get our information from. This information sounds a little suspect!
The problem with these comments about welfare (and other comments about this topic elsewhere) is that they make broad generalizations that are backed up by unsubstantiated anecdotal evidence. There is no scientific evidence that I am aware of that shows any significant problems with people defrauding welfare. The rules dealing with welfare are also incredibly strict and the entire amount of cash assistance for welfare at the national level is little more than $10 billion. Out of an overall budget of $3 trillion. And it is clear that it's much easier to commit fraud in less-populated areas where nobody pays attention than in larger areas where people do pay attention.
Welfare (which is officially referred to as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) is set up so that people are kicked off of it after two years and there is a five year lifetime total that anyone is allowed to receive. After that, one isn't eligible for TANF any more. And the evidence is clear that the overwhelming majority of recipients never reach the two-year or lifetime limits, because most people get off welfare as soon as they can. It is designed to give money to poor single parents with children so that they do not have to work so many hours that they abandon their children. Social Security is significantly different, in that it is given to everyone who pays a certain minimum into the system and it is designed to prevent poverty amongst the elderly.
When receiving welfare, having additional children gives you minimal extra benefits. It varies by state, but the national average is an extra $50 bucks a month for having an extra child. Speaking as a parent, $50 a month doesn't even begin to help cover the additional costs and you actually lose money, overall, if you have more children. And the evidence is quite clear that the average family size of welfare recipients and the average family size of people who are not on welfare is basically exactly the same. Most welfare money in the U.S. that is aimed at relieving poverty is not given in the form of cash or check, it is given in the form of vouchers or other forms of distribution that is non-transferable. The amount that one receives on welfare is actually less than what is needed to get by and the number one reason for welfare fraud prosecutions is that people are actually working, so they get in trouble for trying to make the ends meet.
I'm not sure there is any evidence of anyone "living comfortably" off welfare. There is also little evidence that most people who receive government assistance are lazy. Most people who receive some form of government assistance actually have jobs, but because low-wage jobs don't pay enough for people to survive in America, people need help. And the evidence shows that, on average, people who are in the lower class work longer hours and work more demanding jobs under worse conditions than those in the middle class.
As for illiteracy, there isn't any reason to believe that it should be less in 2008 than in the past, primarily because funding for adult literacy programs, like funding for welfare programs, has declined significantly in recent years. while it makes sense that anyone who graduates high school should be able to read -- although because of social promotion that isn't entirely accurate -- don't forget that the national high school graduation rate is only about 70%, with another 10-15% who eventually get a high school equivilency. That means 15% of American adults have not graduated high school. The numbers are significantly higher for the poor, minorities and rural residents.
Mr. Kenneth you are a wealth of iformation, I am honored to be in your class. Just as JD mentioned in his post his view on this issue is very on point with the general thought on people who recieve welfare, there was a time when I use to bthink this same thing but through life lession I have learned differently. There are some small time thieves who committ fraud of the welfare system, the biggest area they do this in is the "food stamp" area. Many students as well as poor people commit fraud in this way. But they will be caught, it is easy to verify work and hours woeked.
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