Hey guys, i have to do a paper on public policy and my question was: To what extent should welfare in the U.S exist, if at all?

I was just wondering what you guys thought and if you could contribute anything that might aid me in my paper since i'm not too familiar with the issue...



I started doing a little research, and I feel like welfare is good in that it can help to deter poverty (after all, the wife that loses a husband and is left to support 4 kids is out there) but at the same time has many loopholes that people can take advantage of (popping out babies for foodstamps, making less income than capable of intentionally, etc.).

This makes me think that welfare should exist, but that the requirements to get it should be much more strict and that individual evaluations regarding welfare/financial need should be carryed out.

thoughts?

It should exist in my opinion. In its heart, its raising the poor while taking a little from the people who have the money to spare. If everyone is taxed the same amount, it doesn't necessarily hurt just the people being taxed. The economy will still find its equilibrium, for instance prices will drop on certain things to adjust for the higher taxes (though it depends on elasticities), as suppliers still need to sell. Also, more people are able to contribute to the economy, so it doesn't kill economic growth by any means.

Morally, there are a lot of different situations where one could have need for it, and it can change someones life. However, it can be used for the wrong reasons, or people take advantage of it. So stricter enforcement and more effective use of it would be helpful, but its still a very good thing.

The welfare system right now in my opinion needs to be totally scrapped. It's become a free ride to people. A new system could be created for those who have extreme circumstances, but that's all. I don't have much time right now, but I figured I'd at least throw this 2 cents in now.

My mom worked at a store and saw people abusing it all the time. Buying fucking lobster an shit with food stamps. Complete bullshit. Crack down or get it rid of. Waste of fucking tax money if you ask me. I don't see how its that hard to get a job. Ok, in the past year things have come to all-time lows since the great depression but that no reason to take some minimum wage job for a little time while looking for a better job.

I think there is a general disconnect between what people can do, and what people are willing to do. People can support themselves no matter the circumstances. They can work 2 jobs, even if they are minimum wage, and be completely self-sufficient. The problem is that because the welfare system is set up to where they can bust their ass to do it on their own, or they can sit at home and get the same amount of pay. My mom grew up in with a single mother andshe was one of 4 children. My grandmother worked 2 jobs, and all of the kids worked, even when they were kids helping out in the community. That hardworking spirit is being crushed by how easy it has become to just ride welfare. People just aren't willing to do what they have to do anymore because they have an easy way out. People say that American industy will fail without illegals doing "work that regular americans dont want to do anyway." I say that's bull shit, take away welfare, and force these people to get jobs or starve and there goes your need for illegals. 2 birds with one stone. Just get rid of welfare and you will have all of the labor you need.

Ya fuck em. Let them starve to death. Whose fault it is, theirs. Suck it up or die pretty much.

I don't know where you guys love bit here in Richmond it's hard to get a job. Also I don't know anyone who abuses welfare. I'm almost positive that the story of the food stamps for lobster story is shenanigans. Also you all make it seem like the welfare is being abused more than it is helping people. You guys need to get out of white seburbia because everyone I know who lives off welfare runs as much work as they can...

As to the comment TM3, that basic thinking sickens me.

No bs seriously. I dunno how many times my mom came home and told me about these people buying shit they don't need with food stamps or the person has food stamps and drives away in a nice ass car or something like that. Fuckin ridiculous.

I worked in a grocery store for 2 years...Alex isn't exaggerating. People would come buy loads of premium shit and make me fill out their damn food stamp papers.

I'd say welfare is to the point where more people are abusing it than it is helping. There are a lot of jobs that can be filled. People just aren't willing to work minimum wage labor intensive jobs because somewhere along the line they got the idea that they are above those kind of jobs, and no work became a more honorable alternative to minimum wage.

When their are no jobs people used to generally not stick around in that area. They would find work. Instead because of the welfare system people are able to just plant themselves and mooch. They could move to AZ. There always signs at fast food places saying they need workers. Or hell they can landscape. Why don't they sit in front of home depot and offer their services? "Oh no, Americans dont want those jobs, they're for illegals" Bullshit. There's work for those who want it. Why do you think mexicans keep coming over? They get work. It's there, people just have to get off their high horses.

I worked at Wal-Mart for six months. More often than not, when someone came through my line with WIC or some other kind of government-funded program shit, they would buy all the basic food necessities, run everything through the system, and then proceed to buy beer, toys, DVD's, chips, soda, etc... on a separate order. And we're not talking about casually either... I got to the point where I recognized the people because they came in every single week religiously, usually on a Saturday afternoon, and buy $40-100 worth of unnecessary bullshit.

But there was also the people who were legit. They came in, bought their food, maybe $20 worth of clothes on a separate ticket, and that's it.

Meh.

get rid of welfare and see how fast some of the free loaders get jobs and are able to sustain themselves without gov't help.



I have a welfare complex near me and its a shithole of crime and trash. The parking lot there has nice cars then on my street, its bs. My mom knew a lady that lived on welfare at this complex and somehow her husband owned a company and they put 3 of there kids through private school before they were caught and kicked off welfare. The two oldest daughters went to school with me but the others went to some private school.

I have no issue with providing temporary help through gov't programs but it needs strict rules in place and alot of enforcement. These subsidized houses have like 5-6 cars in there driveways (the ones that have a driveway). If your family or the people living in your house can afford to sustain a multitude of vehicles, you dont need financial help from the gov't.

People have to be poor....
its success to a good economy...

You're right TIP, and I'm glad you see that reality. They have to be poor workers, not poor receivers of transfer payment income (taxpayer money).

Not everybody is able to get a job, based on their background. You guys have to look at it from both sides of the spectrum. The people on welfare aren't the only ones that need jobs. Theres competition from the rest of the world. Now if you were in charge of the recruitment who would you hire?

Yes, getting welfare should have stricter requirments but it shouldn't be done till this lay off with jobs problem is fixed. There are some skilled, well educated ppl being layed off in large amounts. How much more harder would it be for someone with a serious criminal background with or without children? Yes, the mistakes ppl make they have to take responsibility for but that doesn't mean take away thier only source of income with out providing legit ways to become self sufficient.

No one has friends/family to help them through hard times anymore?

If nothing more, what I've learned on my 6 month hiatus from American society is that the US is far from being the only economic power in the world. Once you realize that a lot of what CNN tells you is just blatant exaggeration, you come to the inevitable conclusion that the world economic scene is more than just the USA. So while the job market might be a little stagnant here, there are plenty of developed or developing countries out there willing to pay for people who have experience in the American labor world just because of the reputation the States have developed for being efficient, result-oriented, and fair. So when worse comes to worse and a while collar worker who's been laid off is having trouble inventing ways to maintain his family, there's always the option of relocating. Asia, South America, and Western Europe are all full of people who are willing to pay a premium for people with an American education and/or work experience.

I agree with whoever said that we should only have welfare if you are at rock bottom.

I think we need some insurance in society to ensure that we all won't fall so far down financially that we cannot get back up on our own. For this reason, I think that we need some welfare, but it should be VERY limited and ONLY given out to those who really need it, for a temporary amount of time.

I live in a city with a population of 130,000 people and my mom teaches in our cities public school system. Ive seen both people who abuse welfare and who honestly need it. I think that yes, we should have some form of welfare, but the goal of it should NOT be or ever become wealth redistribution, the goal of welfare should be short-term aid to help people become self-sufficient. It also should not be given to people who foolishly depleted their finances and racked up debt by purchasing items and goods which they could not afford. For example, if some 22 year old bimbo who is trying to sustain herself by working at starbucks decides to go on $600 shopping sprees every weekend with her credit card and buys a fancy car and all new appliances, then let her fall on her ass and have to get back up after paying all of her debt off.

Welfare should only exist for people who are willing to work that have temporarily become either disabled or unemployed can proove that they are willing to do what they have to do to become independent again. I think that we should tell everyone who is currently on welfare that they can either get a job and work towards sustaining themselves and eventually becoming independent, or loose their welfare. It's that simple.

It's honestly funny. People who receive welfare and the liberals try to claim that conservatives and libertarians are trying to "keep them down". This is laughable. Conservatives and libertarians are the one's who lobby for more personal freedoms so people can rise up from poverty. They don't necessarily want to take away people's welfare, they just want to promote independency from the government. In reality, the liberals and neo-cons are the ones "keeping them down" by making it easy for people to take government handouts and become financially owned by and dependent on the government by creating an everlasting cycle of handouts and dependency.

"Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, feed him for a lifetime." This quote somewhat applies to the issue on welfare. If you keep on giving someone permanent welfare, you will only be helping them out temporarily. If you give someone temporary welfare and tell them to find a job and become self-sufficient, they will be better off because they will be independent from the government and "the man".

I have a great aunt who's like in her 80's now. When her husband (my uncle), came back from World War 2, they were poor. So they went onto welfare and moved into a housing project (a housing project which is now infested by freeloaders who live off welfare instead of using it as a temporary crutch). My aunt went to school to become a grammar school teacher and my uncle got a job, so they took themselves off of welfare since they were able to sustain themselves. They then began saving up money (and didn't spend it irresponsibly like people do today) and moved out of the projects and into a house. This is the way the welfare and public housing systems should work. They should be temporary crutches for people who have fallen to rock bottom and are willing to lift themselves up. Also, if someone decides to spend their money irresponsibly, buy things they can't afford, and recklessly rack up credit, then they should receive no help from the government what-so-ever.

welfare isn't the same as it was when it was invented just like everything else in this country its fuked

I think another good question would be, should healthcare be free in the U.S.?