What has welfare done for our country (the USA)?

Question

Overall, welfare seems just like an easy way out for some people. (Sure, maybe there are legitimate needs out there: I'm not doubting that for a moment.) However, many claim injuries/handicaps/etc., which make them eligible for a fat check.

I guess what I'm trying to say is: I don't like paying for another to sit on his tokus.

Answer 1

The problem with welfare, like most of the social programs our government oversees, is that it is easily abused and doesn't actually help people learn how to help themselves; keeping them forever dependent on the government and my tax dollars.

I'm sure the original concept of welfare was fairly noble, but at this point the bad far outweighs the good.

There should be a limit on how long welfare can be received and significant limitations on how can receive it and why.

Able bodied people who simply made poor life choices just don't cut it.  At this point, again like many other aspects of our government, we should scrap the whole system and start over.

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For once I actually agree with "Pappy" (though he should learn how to spell severely), although he is starting to sound like a "right wing loon" (which he calls me).  

The welfare state system has actually created the demand for workers filled by illegals.  If we fix the system, the need for those illegals to keep the food service, lawn care and sanitation industries going could easily shift back to US workers as it was when I was growing up.

Answer 2

Well when welfare reform was introduced they actually got a lot of people off the welfare rolls and into work which was a good thing.  

The people who claim injuries and handicaps are not on welfare, they are either on disability from their jobs, or they are on SSI.  I have a friend who was put on SSI as a child, and wow is that a trap!  I think putting your child on SSI should be used only as a very very last resort because it's almost impossible to get off of.  

Social programs should help people not hurt them and there should be  measures in place to get rid of the scammers.  Nothing should be life long unless someone has a severe disability.  Usually, being on such programs hurts people emotionally too.  However, just because our current programs aren't that great shouldn't mean that we have to be anti everything.  

To the person complaining about the person driving the nice car and using food stamps. They might have been laid off, if you are laid off and file for unemployment chances are you will be eligible for food stamps.  It's a temporary measure.  Not everyone who uses social programs are lazy bums, some people run into situations that causes them to need temporary help.  You shouldn't judge those people because you don't know what their situation is.

You don't know if they were a hard working family and a family member died and now they are in transition.

You don't know if their company went out of business.  

You don't know, and yeah they could be abusing the system, but honestly, I'd like to think more positively.  The majority of people on the system are not abusing it nor do they want to stay on it.  

Answer 3

Perhaps some minimal welfare is beneficial, but welfare has also made many people dependent on the state, allows welfare mothers to only give birth and not work, and allows illegals to receive "free" services.

Answer 4

You are pointing to those who have given up and made a career of it! It is tough.  Are You familiar with the Welfare To Work Programs?  They have to Travel in milage from 10 to over 100 miles per day each way to get to employment that pays just over minimum wage in Michigan.  There are no jobs and others are closing!  What about that?

What About Corporations that are Recieving Welfare to keep their failing Multi Million Dollar Businesses alive and Nobody says a word about it and those are Your Tax dollars, while they have Chauffer driven limos and Benefits packages in the millions for sinking Business.

There are more Americans out of work than ever before and there is no end in sight to regain those jobs that were Outsourced overseas. Many who were upper middle class are now living in their cars or sleeping on the streets.  What about women who have been abandoned by their spouse that have children and No resources?  That's what sometimes happens when she has been a Stay At Home Mom!  Affirmative Action is still needed Because they are Discriminated against Because they are pregnant or have children and Business continues to penalize them for it!

Military Veterans are homeless and without Food.  That should Never Happen.  Most are Not just sitting on their bums and It no real fault of their own!

It would be beneficial to start their own businesses, that will stay in the United States and Not reward those who outsource.

Answer 5

Long term welfare imprisons people.  End long term welfare.  

Answer 6

The main reason we don't have enough workers in this country is because our Government rewards millions of American woman that give birth with an Apartment, a Pay Check, and Lifetime Medical. Why work if all you have to do is walk to your mailbox once a month and pull out a welfare check and food stamps. This has become a way of life that spreads decay into our cities and schools. It also breeds crime and babies without fathers. If you want to see what welfare can do to a great city, take a good look at New Orleans after Katrina. I saw thousands of women with 5, 6 and 7 kids and no fathers in sight. It took a lot guts for  Bill Clinton to stand up and fight this decaying problem. I agree, some people with health problems need welfare if their unable to work. I also believe if you’re able to get pregnant, you should be able to do a days work.

Welfare generally is for people that don't wanna work for whatever reason, just remember, everybody and welfare is a government employee getting paid to stay home and do nothing .

What do you expect, we have a Federal Government and a Judicial System that operates on a severe retarded level.

Answer 7

Welfare is not as much of a problem as the abuse of welfare is. Those that have a legitimate need should be helped but those that fraudulently abuse the system only drain  valuable resources that could be used for other things and create resentment between them and the ones paying the taxes.

I'm all for helping people but lets clean up the system.

Answer 8

Its helps the few that really need it. It denies the ones that should have it and helps all those who abuse it.

Answer 9

You're catching on!

Yes, welfare is mostly waste.  Contrary to the propoganda that most socialists are spouting, welfare IS MOSTLY waste and abuse.

When you were a kid, you probably thought people on welfare were a bunch of quadraplegic war veterans or 96 y/o women in wheelchairs.  Well, quite to the contrary, that is not the case.  Most of the people on welfare are people capable of working jobs just like you and I, but choose not to because they don't have the intestinal fortitude or self-discipline.

Go into any retail store in a low income neighborhood around the 1st of the month and watch people using their electronic food stamp cards to buy candy bars, while at the same time wearing the latest sneakers and talking on their nextel phones.  THAT is what welfare is mostly about.

Welfare is also single mothers taking care of children that they had with loser men.  So you also pay anytime 2 careless people decide to have unprotected s*x and decide to not make the relationship work.  And, thanks to welfare, they know that they have nothing to fear because YOU, the hardworking American, will take care of them and cover their bad decision making.

Charity in our country should be VOLUNTARY, done through family, friends and charitable organizations.  FORCED charity, done through taxation and welfare programs, is nothing more than socialism and totalitarianism.

Answer 10

I really bothers me when I see someone at the grocery store buying groceries with food stamps & they are driving a new Cadillac, carrying a new LV & draped in gold & diamonds.  What is wrong with that picture?  It happens all the time the system is grossly abused.

Answer 11

Welfare as I understand is the government helping people, kinda redistributing wealth to people "need" it.  It hasn't helped out country it rewards people for not doing their jobs.  On the other hand there are people who do need it because they're unable to work.  The Government shouldn't be helping people it should be the America people and fee enterprise organizations, not the government wastefully spending our tax dollars.  Less Socialism in our country the better, is what I say.