Issue Position: Welfare

Issue Position

"YOU CANNOT BUILD CHARACTER AND COURAGE BY TAKING AWAY A MAN'S INITIATIVE AND INDEPENDENCE."

Abraham Lincoln

There are simply too many people on welfare in America and not enough sustainable work.

The Federal Government's fight, although noble, against poverty has done nothing but create a trap for the poor. Instead of creating the best educational system in the world in order to help everyone rise up and better his or her situation (my goal) the government wanted a "quick-fix" to the problem that has resulted only in locking the poor into a situation they cannot climb out of. Poverty can only be solved by job creation, an equal educational system and by supporting local charities, churches and communities that are really the ones that can effectively help the poor. By giving subsidizes to charities and churches, these organizations can replace the government welfare programs who has been only able to increase the number of poor in our nation.

I want to phase out welfare over the next 20 years and replace it with an emergency only type of help for the unemployed and poor. Neither Conservatives nor Liberals have any real solutions to fix our welfare problem in America.

It is time to fight poverty with our local communities, family, church and private charities. In order to truly help the poor, inefficient and costly social welfare programs must come to an end.

American individuals, corporations and foundations gave an estimated $290.89 billion in 2010

http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/news/2011/06/pr-GUSA.aspx

FOOD STAMPS

"The food stamp program cost federal taxpayers $56 billion in fiscal 2009, triple the $18 billion cost in fiscal 2000 and will "cost $85.2 billion in the year starting Oct. 1, up 15 percent from levels in 2010."

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-14/usda-budget-would-rise-11-with-number-of-people-on-food-stamps-at-records.html

"The food stamp program has spawned a black market as recipients exchange their food benefits for cash. Law-breaking retailers have typically offered 50 cents on the dollar for food stamps. Today, food stamps are issued in the form of electronic debit cards, and that has reduced fraud, but more sophisticated forms of electronic fraud appear to be arising.The government says that the program's rate of erroneous and fraudulent benefit overpayments is 4.5 percent, which costs taxpayers more than $1 billion annually."

http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/agriculture/food-subsidies

TO fix the Food Stamp fraud problem in America, I suggest that instead of giving individuals food stamp cards that they can sell, the money should go to local markets where individuals can sign up and get Food Stamp Credits that are controlled by the local market of their choice. This will stop the wanton fraud in our system and ensure that only people who truly need food assistance will get it. I also recommend that only healthy, nutritious food be purchased with the food credits- no more soda, sugar snacks or unhealthy food can be purchased. This will help our obesity and health problem among the poor.


The United States spends billions of dollars on welfare but has done little to reduce poverty.

Communities and private charities will help the poor more efficiently than government can.
America lacks jobs with livable wages and benefits. I do not blame behavior or values as the reason for being poor. If this were the case-what excuses do wealthy American Corporations have?

Government has a motive to keep people locked in the cycle of poverty. It is a security measure to keep people from their God-given Rights to Life, Liberty and his or her Pursuit of Happiness.

It is a joke that a poor American gets chastised for taking welfare yet Corporations are subsidized significantly and no one says a word.

WE MUST-

Reduce poverty by creating better livable wage jobs while also subsidizing public day care, job training, and public transportation to and from work.

Better educate our young people. Only through education and good job training will poverty be reduced.

Raise the minimum wage so full-time workers receive more than a poverty-level income or abolish the minimum wage so employers can give as many jobs as possible to Americans and the free market will naturally work out the details.

Establish a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for contributions to private charities.

Reform Education

EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO A DECENT JOB

We are all obliged to help children and those who are not able-bodied but everyone who is able should be self-sufficient.

Government assistance to the able-bodied poor is justified only for short periods.

Reforming our Welfare system will not be easy. The government will not want to reform, as the welfare bureaucracy loves the control over the poor and the taxpayer money they waste off the system they run so inefficiently. Those who are currently on welfare will not want to change, as they fear they will be left in the cold. We are a compassionate society full of brilliant caring Americans who can create a better society for all but we must begin to depend on our local communities for help not bureaucrats from Washington D.C.

Our current outdated and fraudulent welfare system only has one goal- to lock people into poverty and keep them there.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
-Chinese Proverb

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