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Defense spending is a specified duty in the US Constituition (but no amount is required), Social spending falls under a passing comment in that document that congress shall provide for the "general welfare" of the population (I would read that as Federal roads, bridges, maybe ports, airports and schools, and other things that benifit the population as a whole, but I understand how it gets used for justifying a host of catch all social spending).
My thoughts on welfare (that would never get through the political process):
I think minumum wage creates a barrier to entry for unskilled workers, and has an adverse impact on minority teen employment, effectively keeping them from developing the work skills needed to progress in a career (and yes, showing up for work IS developing a work skill for a teenager!), but since we have it, I would like to see welfare for the otherwise able bodied limited to 3/4 of the minimum wage, so there is an incentive to find work and remain employed, but also feel we need some sort of a social safety net - crap happens, and not every area has jobs, even min wage ones.
The handicaped (mental or physical) should fall under a different "welfare" program, that would include specialized medical, housing, and mobility or supervisory support. I would not limit these expenditures to a specified dollar amount, but it would be tied to needs/requirements, and addressed on a case by case basis (although, I could see identifying classes of handicaps tied to classes of benifit to allow for effecient management of benefits).
Social Security, SSDI, and Medicare are different from welfare payments, in that we pay for those benifits with payroll deductions (congressional mismanagement and over spending aside, you have to put something in to get something out, i.e. not a welfare program).
Current welfare programs (that could get through the political process):
Cut food stamps by at least 10% per benificiary - there's a lot of fraud in food stamps (example I am aware of: sales of unused food stamps at $.50 per $1.00, netting ~$300 pr/mo.).
Limit Section 8 housing assistance to no more than a $1,000 monthly subsidy (we have folks living in an upper middle class neighborhood paying $173 per month with a $2227 pr/mo.subsidy).
Limit or eliminate welfare funding increases for additional children after the second (or first, or third, etc., but put a limit on it) child - worked exceptionally well in Milwaukee.
Drug testing for welfare recipients prior to initial welfare benefits distribution, and semi annually after that (No this will not cause the end of western civilization) and cut benefits by 50% unless the individual enters rehab. Cut all benefits for a (2nd?, 3rd?, 4th?) time offender.
I think coorporate subsidies should be eliminated and coorporate tax rates lowered. I am not sure we have gotten any real benefit from our "aid" to foriegn nations, and those expenses should be eliminated carte blanche, and then justified on a case by case basis, if indeed we send US tax dollars to any other nation for their use/support. Those two areas would cut approximately $59.5 billion out of the budget. US Federal Budget FY13 Estimated Spending Breakdown - Pie Chart
In FY 13 that alone (eliminating Foreign aid subsidies) would have taken the deficiet from $680 billion down to $620.5 billion - doesn't solve it, but it puts a decent dent in it! US Federal Deficit Definition - plus charts and analysis
Very good post, and I would agree with most of what you have to say. I would only quibble with the part in red.
From the preamble to the Constitution:
Quote:
provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare
There is a BIG difference between provide and promote.
There is a BIG difference between provide and promote.
That's a good example of how people try to rewrite the Constitution to justify their actions. "Promoting the general Welfare" has nothing to do with welfare programs, of which there were none at the time of the writing of the Constitution. All it says is that the Constitution was established in order to improve the lives of the people of America. In other words, the Constitution, if followed, would benefit everyone.
I always like to ask people: if the Founders believed in welfare programs, why did they forget to institute any for a few hundred years?
Corporations run from their responsibilities period. Their taxes can be cut way down so don't be bleating too loud about their terrible burden, and yes they certainly DO run away even though they seldom if ever pay the going rate for taxes.
If you earn income and pay taxes, you do the exact same thing that corporations do. Specifically, you take all the legal steps that you can to minimize your tax burden. To vilify corporations for doing what you as an individual do is hypocritical in the extreme.
Though exceptions to the rule exist, California actually has a 48 month limit and has for maybe 10 years now.
A family of 4 can only get $649 at most, so he was lying to you.
Actually, probably not, ne rented a room to his sister whose husband was unemployed ($2000 per mo here), and I suspect the $1200 figure included both families food stamps if it's capped at $649.
Yup, there was a whole lot of fraud in several welfare/entitlement programs going on in that group of people. I was amazed that no agency was interested in investigating it
There will always be a small percentage of people who abuse the system and create fraud in welfare. However ,,, eliminating or dropping all the welfare needs for those all those who are legitimately in trouble isn’t an answer. And there’s less money being spent on welfare for the poor and needy than the welfare for the corporations with all their government assistance programs and subsidies that they get.
Matthew 25:35-40
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
Isn’t the government of the people by the people and for the people? So why shouldn’t the government give to those in need when it’s the peoples tax money that they have?
Would Christ say "no" to food stamps......................................
Probably. He would tell them where to drop their nets though.
I think the real problem is that some people can't stand the idea of someone getting something "for free", no matter how badly they need it or how dire their circumstances may be.
The reductions and limitations that have been suggested here may help in reducing welfare fraud, but they will hurt people who need all they get. It's very nearly literally throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Welfare definitely needs to go away, or it should make people qualify for it. Where I live, there's a welfare family. They have six kids in a one bedroom apartment (2 high school, 2 jr high school, 2 elementary school). The father is an alcoholic, and neither he or the mother have apparently never held a job. So they get free money for rent, free medical for them and the kids, and foods stamps.
It really aggravates me. I'm surprised that the county hasn't put them in some sort of school or training program, to keep their benefits while they're being "trained."
That may be because they are mentally ill. If so, they may be getting Social Security and though they try to get those people jobs, it's not at all like the Welfare programs who really push them into it. I am only speaking for California. My Brother in law, before he passed away, was schizo. He married a Bi-polar, very sick woman who had a child. They got the child taken away but that was their situation
You obviously didn't read that article. Or you did, but did not comprehend it.
I comprehended it just fine, it only re-iterated what I already knew. That though there are a ton of poor people here, very few use this program. I am not sure why you are so confused. In your mind, this should be a good thing
Not too terribly long ago, I was on welfare for the first time. So instead of just signing up, cause there is no FREE lunch in my mind, I MEMORIZED the Food Stamps program. That's the only program I can speak about, it's all I have experienced. And during that time, they never allowed me to work. always threatening to cut me off, illegally, to where I had to stay home to clear up the program. Appointments were made to the Low income Legal Center who helped me with the law. I worked a little in between, as much as i could. Also an Uncle of ours was dying so I cared for him, which helped us out. So we were on it less than a year
Within the first 2 months, illegal actions were taken which kicked me off so many times that I couldn't look for a job. It lessened but their shannanigans never stopped. I spent days studdying the law and eventually realized they lie about almost everything. That never ended. It always ended up the same, they want me to come into the office. Gas, time money should be spent for a job, not to get a miniscule amount of food to keep yourself fed. And no the car was broken down so I couldn't keep going to clear up their illegal actions. I learned to check the box on the backof the form to get an adminstrative hearing. The day before they always cleared it up saying oh ok, you are right.
During that time, my teeth began to have issues because of the length of time we were eating junk food. Why? Because BOTH our vehicles broke down and we could only walk to the gas station which was the only "store" around which took EBT. So by the time we paid the money for the dentist, I had such a high fever that to this day, I get sick very easily. I let my body go down so far that it never really re-couped and I eat very healthy now. Stress takes a huge toll on the body
So during this time we lost our home we had been paying on for 18 years.
My eyesight was already poor, but due to the lack of healthy food, I was in pain constantly. And my vision was so shaky I could barely read. Why? Because I normally eat KALE. It tones down the pain and actually makes my vision clear for a few hours, at least, per day. How that is is beyond me.
So...fast foward a few years. Home values went up so we actually, after getting into a short sale, got paid more than enough for our home to pay off the loan. At one point, a lady offered more money (cash) that what the house was listed for and the bank REFUSED IT. Since laws have been passed but it was a nightmare.
So...what does that mean? It means somehow, despite a short sale, we have excellent credit. As it should be, though we were late for 3-4 months (3-4 times, we paid partial amount) out of 18 years...and it was paid more than in full so we should do ok.
And...we got our contract back which allowed us to go back with the school system to work together over the Summertime. So 1/2 of our income takes place just 3 months out of the year
We have two cars, nicer, than we had before. What I learned was make as much money as possible in a short time, within as few of months as possible, then go on food stamps the rest of the months. You may have enough to squeek by but not enough to actually live healthily
We were able to save enough to get into a rental where we can sublease. Less $ put out per month.
We now want to move to a town 30 min away, int he foothills because the resources via the atmosphere allows for hunting and fishing. There's our food and the reason Alaska comes in last regarding food stamp participation. Not because they aren't poor, but because they don't sign up becuase they have food right outside their front door.
I also looked at all the taxes and bills and realized if we built a house on some property somewhere, illegally, we'd have no house payment. Since we are inheriting $ within the next few years, and a newly built home worth 500 thousand, we'd not need to do that. BUT WE WILL ANYHOW.
I cannot speak for any other welfare program except to say these foodstamps wer a godsend. And UNLESS you choose to so called "cheat" the system, you will not have a chance to get out of the system. You will become unehalthy, and cause Medical bills beyond your means. The amount of food stamps provided was maybe half of what aperson needs, even with getting paid minimum wage. You will be out in the cold, very sick, with rotting teeth. Exactly what you see in the homeless the program is way to stringent upon the little amount of money you are allowed to make.
We are thin, and in good shape compared to most.Our business turned around, we are back to working via word of mouth. In a nicer home than before. So until that time, hardly even needed a DOCTOR. Now I seem to go much more, ever since my body got so run down.
Medicaid became available which provided my husband a breathing machine called a CPAP. He's painted since age 19 so the fumes, maybe got ot him. And I was able to get health issues taken care of too which occured during those two years. We were on the program less than a year of it. Since then, we both have worked ALOT, I'd say 6 days per week (physical labor) for the last year. We've finally caught up except the Credit Card bills used to buy food. He's a Contractor
If you want to moan and groan about welfare, direct it to where the true immense fraud exists. Within the Corporations who are given a free pass in not paying into the system. Don't concern yourself overly, as you have, with the little people who make up very little of the pie. Your posts are a bit crazy, you sound neurotic the way you speak to people here in this thread. Relax
Last edited by CaliforniaGal1; 12-13-2014 at 02:22 PM..
I think the real problem is that some people can't stand the idea of someone getting something "for free", no matter how badly they need it or how dire their circumstances may be.
The reductions and limitations that have been suggested here may help in reducing welfare fraud, but they will hurt people who need all they get. It's very nearly literally throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
I agree, good point. It sounds as if one or two here are going a bit rabid. As a Society, we can be quite inhuman
The problem is by reducing food stamps it will actually COST US money. If I hadn't have been on the program, I'd not know this.
Couldn't resist when I saw this on my sis in laws FB... apparently the same frustration applies over in the UK.
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