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kitten Jan 14, 2011 @ 2:39 am- 15 years ago I was working as a representative for our Headstart, this was during the Welfare reform period. The US also closed many bases,during my travels to conferences I noticed these bases being remodeled...I asked a constrution worker why and what was going on, he stated they also had built orphanges in the old schools, he found that strange. When they finally close the welfare program they will offer people the oppurtunity to retain custody of their children if you conform and live on their compound. Total govnt control over your lives-People need to be more informed of their rights as people of this nation before we lose all rights we have in the Constitution. When we as the people see injustices its not only our right but our duty to make a change, are we going to wait till they steal all our babies because we our poor???? Or all or property due to lose of jobs.. New World Order is not the answer- we need to remember whats more valuable our lives or money..They are stealing babies and getting away with it through our OCS programs causing unbeliveable trauma to families, but the richer ones need children- healthy children. With no children , no welfare.
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- National Welfare Rights Union
- The National Welfare Rights Union is an organization of, by, and for the poor in the United States and beyond. We are building a social movement committed to ending poverty and ensuring a better world ...
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ChloeHibb Jun 14, 2012 @ 9:45 am- Similar questions arise in the UK- government benefits leave some people actually better off then if they worked on minimum wage. It is a problem, and one which will not be easily solved, particularly when people know exactly hwo to work the system.
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Amber Jun 3, 2012 @ 12:42 pm- I believe that if you want to collect welfare then you should have to do a DRUG test and a complete backround test. There will always be people who screw up every system we have. Just take a look at disability for example. I know morons who collect because they feel a little depressed. But then again there will always be people who really do deserve it tho like someone who has one heart attack after another. Or the woman who fell in love with some loser who promised the world, got her pregnant and left her to defend for herself. Maybe we need to start teaching men to be men or just start teaching people how to be independent. Thats our biggest problem. I don't think taking away welfare will solve anything. I believe it will make things worse and we just need to EDUCATE people better and just be more strict of who can get and who can't.
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informationdan May 29, 2012 @ 10:04 pm- Yes I think welfare is inefficient and an immoral breach of property rights. That said, the real welfare in this country is the corporate welfare, foreign aid and bailouts of the politically well connected. We are allocating massive amounts of money to horrible investment programs that have nothing to do with poverty programs. I think we should cancel all of the programs that go to large corporations, reduce taxes and reinvigorate the economy before we pull the rug out from under the most needy. Once the economy is producing a realistic chance for people who want to be successful to do so, we should begin to remove all remaining welfare programs with only a small social net remaining in the long run.
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Kasper May 18, 2012 @ 1:39 pm- I've been married 19 yrs we have four children have never had welfare, I get angry when I see others getting hand outs, I think they should do away with most of it, But what about the family who losses their job and are down for a month do we turn our backs on the ones who are just down on their luck, I ask myself this all the time Could I really be selfish and say that its not something that should be around for working families that have lost jobs and are in between jobs? I myself totally understand, I wish we didn't have to pay out so much money for the people getting hand outs, But I can't say I support completely doing away with welfare as their are families who have hard times and do need some sort of help through it, maybe a limit for how long you can receive help, Like a month of help for those families in need due to loss of job. I honestly say I support it but I don't cause not everyone is Lazy.
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- speaktruth May 17, 2012 @ 2:07 pm
- I am all for endign welfare with those the exception of those that are disable. I mean realy diabled not some made disease or i am depressed or drink alot. i mean someone who is missing limbs or realy mentaly chalenged not ADD. My parents come from a country where if you dont work you starve to death and qutie honestly thats the way it should be. I would have all these lazy slugs waking me up in the middle of night because they have nothing to do and dont have to wake up early in the morning to go to work. Oh and did i mention they all have the latest video game consule, flat screen tv and cell phones!! that's poor?? Wake up america stop be lazy and everyone earn thier lives!!!
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debate76ster May 15, 2012 @ 3:07 pm- I think that the system of welfare is one of signals of a larger agenda to increase the rich poor gap in the United States. As long as the wealthy are dead set on bankrupting the American public, then they should have to pay for their survival. Check out my lens on the rick-Poor Gap.
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terri-jacobs May 13, 2012 @ 1:49 pm
- I am here to say that I was on welfare when I was forced to quit my job due to illness. I have worked for 33 yrs of my life. I was not fortunate enough to go to college. I have been on welfare & I guess you can say I am on it now. I live in public housing and I am currently on Tenncare for my medical. If you are a single parent it is hell to try & support you & your child & work. I am a very bad diabetic and have suffered kidney failure. Plus I am bi-polar & required medication to control this. Seriously if I did not receive this help I would commit suicide. I would not be able to make my bills, not be able to buy my meds & have no where to live. I receive no food stamps. Life is hard as it is & depressing. So to all you welfare haters who think that all of us are lazy & no good. I worked my ass off 33 yrs just so I can receive my disability check. It is barely enough to pay rent my overage & what little food I can afford. Just be thankful ya'll are still healthly enough to work a job & have enough money to pay your rent lites and food. You are blessed. A lot of us are not so fortunate to be able to do that. I paid the United States there part when I did work for 33 yrs. So I deserve to get the small disability check I get every month. As I tell my son so often. you never know what can happen your knees can get knocked out from under you at any time any age.So don't throw those rocks from your glass house.
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- me May 1, 2012 @ 5:55 pm
- welfare breeds welfare
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- john fisher Apr 28, 2012 @ 10:26 pm
- the real problem is hidden it is one main falily tricking the world hitler was a rothchild so is queen and they have told us lies have over 500 trillion dollars stop them they are ruling all governments and there calender runs out this year yes the rothchilds where myia religion the evil that are lizard decendants real and they eat humans i hear true jail and take all wealth from them and the world will be so much better remove the poison frouride from the water aswell give me so investor money for my inventions i will feed home the world and give all power that is renewable energy myhum2001@yahoo.com john
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godysdawn Apr 28, 2012 @ 8:11 pm- Lovely powerful squidoo. Highly factual & inspirational.
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- cathy bann Apr 20, 2012 @ 10:00 am
- people need to think of the children and not the food stamps system
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- me May 1, 2012 @ 5:52 pm
- if they can not feed the children they should not have them
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- cathy bann Apr 20, 2012 @ 9:51 am
- the govemnet should never let any children to go without food poor people have a bad time dont hurt the system that help these kids eat
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- me May 1, 2012 @ 5:54 pm
- the kids of these people become there parents and continue the cycle
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letsthink Jan 27, 2012 @ 6:25 am- There are no easy solutions, but it sickens me to see politicians supporting massive bailouts for bankers while wanting to really punish the poor.
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- Mr. Crocker of Lawrence Massachusetts Jan 17, 2012 @ 12:11 am
- What corrupts anything like an assistance program is greed and laziness. Unfortunately, greed and lazines exists in all classes and walks of life. It is easy to vilinaize welfare because we view it as nothing but system that sucks the resources of our society dry without recognizing that the individuals and groups that have the ability to change the welfare problem do not make an effort to change anything. The reason being the very essence of lief. the balance of the Universe as we all know it. There is always an oposite because it is essential. There is up and down, there is right and left, wet and dry, false and truth. There will always have to be poor in order for someone to be rich. That is why there are poor public school systems that do not teach the way the schools attended by the children of wealthy teach. The wealthy are always going to be in power and they will always make the decisions that will keep the poor right where they are. Wealthy circles are competitive enough and they do not need any more competition. Welfare will never change, because the wealthy do not want it to.
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Ella90 Dec 3, 2011 @ 8:10 pm- Hate how people always act like welfare is something they will never need like there immune from illness, accidents or job losses. Hate to break it to them but there not and if they ever come onto bad times they'll have to depend on the things there complaining about. You should never assume that because a small minority misuse the system that all people do. Stories of welfare fraud are often blown out of proportion so that it can cause a frenzy for the media, they love to wind people up and people who want a reason to complain will lap it up without thinking about the people who need and depend on welfare and who have no other choice. Seriously a guy works hard and gives plenty in taxes and service, and he suddenly loses his as the company goes bust and finds it difficult to find a new one as the jobs just aren't there particularly for someone his age, you really just want to let him and his family become homeless and starve rather than let the country he has worked for help him out a tiny little bit with the pittance that welfare is today till he can get back on his feet
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godysdawn Apr 28, 2012 @ 8:13 pm- Very well said Ella.
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Sonaprint Oct 30, 2011 @ 7:06 pm- I believe the solution to this and other poverty issues is education. Solutions to poverty is never going to be as easy as ending a program or starting a program. I have been researching this for months for my blog. Here are just a few statistics to ponder... 90% of welfare recipients are high school dropouts, Low literary costs $73 million per year in terms of direct health care costs. A recent study by Pfizer put the cost much higher, Penal institution records show that inmates have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help, as opposed to 70% who receive no help. This equates to taxpayer costs of $25,000 per year per inmate and nearly double that amount for juvenile offenders, About 1.2 million students drop out of high school annually, according to the America’s Promise Alliance Web site, if the students who dropped out of the class of 2007 had graduated, the nation’s economy would have benefited from an additional $329 billion in income over their lifetime, According to a 1983 study published in Illiterate America by J. Kozol, the imprisonment of over half the nation's inmates can be directly linked to functional illiteracy, equating to a cost of $6.6 billion yearly, Combined federal and state means-tested welfare is now the second largest category of overall government spending in the nation. It is exceeded only by the combined cost of Social Security and Medicare. Welfare spending is greater than the cost of public education and is greater than spending on national defense, Unless high schools are able to graduate their students at higher rates, more than 12 million students will drop out during the course of the next decade. The result will be a loss to the nation of $3 trillion. These are just a few disturbing statistics I have run across. It seems to me we need to look at the big picture...Poverty produces more poverty. Who is taking advantage of the system verses who is not... is like picking up a grain of sand when its a boulder in the way. We should make it a requirement for prisoners to get their GED or they do not get parole. We should give the welfare parents some sort of incentive for every A their children receives in school instead of more money for each child they have. If their children graduate High School an even bigger bonus. We should ask the dropouts WHY are they not staying in school and work on fixing this problem. The parents on welfare should get a free computer, broad ban and free schooling to get THEIR GED. Maybe if their children graduate give the parents a full paid scholarship to college for their education. If the government would attack the root of the problem and work on fixing every aspect of the root eventually there would be less and less in poverty and more Americans paying taxes and buying houses etc. How hard is it to comprehend...less prisoners...less deficit less drop outs...less welfare...less deficits and so on. Some people would argue "How will you pay for this?" are we not already paying dearly..funnel the money to a solution it will turn out better in the end...Right?
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Strawberryangel Jul 6, 2011 @ 10:51 pm- I like that you point out that public education IS a form of government welfare. Many people don't see it that way. I believe welfare enables people, makes them comfortable in their poverty because they don't have to do anything for it, it's a handout. I don't have the right to force money from you and give it to someone else, therefore, neither does the government, so I would also argue that welfare is against the constitution. I recognize a need for people to be helped where they can't take care of themselves, that's where families, churches, communities and individuals come in. Our government was established for a moral people. If we aren't moral enough to not take advantage of eachother and moral enough to help people when they are in need then I guess we do need the government welfare system. We aren't as a society adult enough to care for eachother, we have to be forced to do it. Sad state our country is in I believe. Blessings to you for taking on such a controversial subject. That takes courage!
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- crazygirlandi Apr 4, 2011 @ 1:12 pm
- finally, a very humane piece on welfare, it's refreshing. most of what i read other places does nothing but put people on assistance down,and that angers me. i am on assistance, and have been for a little over a year now after my mental illnesses that i have suffered with my whole life became so bad that it is hard for me to function on a very basic level daily. i would love to work, and get child support from my childrens' father, but neither of those things are bound to happen, i can't work, and i can't make him pay for his kids. what i do want to say is that if anyone is seeing someone on welfare with a top of the line cell phone, nails done, designer clothes, etc, i can assure you they are not having those items because of welfare. those people are the cheats that have money coming in besides welfare. i say this because i'm in new york state, which has, from what i've read, one of the highest welfare benefit levels in the country, and for my family of 5, our welfare grant is only 803.00 per month, plus 500 in food stamps. because i am not a welfare cheat, i cannnot afford a car, or any new clothes even if not designer, i can't have my nails done and i have no phone whatsoever, as i cannot afford it. people on welfare who are playing by the rules have to make harder choices than you may think, like choosing between dishsoap and toilet paper, or laundry soap, whatever the case may be, because welfare payments are about 1/3 of poverty level income. unfortunately, for people like me, we have to live this way for a while and pray that we will have the very basics each day until we figure something out.
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- kitten Jan 14, 2011 @ 2:39 am
- 15 years ago I was working as a representative for our Headstart, this was during the Welfare reform period. The US also closed many bases,during my travels to conferences I noticed these bases being remodeled...I asked a constrution worker why and what was going on, he stated they also had built orphanges in the old schools, he found that strange. When they finally close the welfare program they will offer people the oppurtunity to retain custody of their children if you conform and live on their compound. Total govnt control over your lives-People need to be more informed of their rights as people of this nation before we lose all rights we have in the Constitution. When we as the people see injustices its not only our right but our duty to make a change, are we going to wait till they steal all our babies because we our poor???? Or all or property due to lose of jobs.. New World Order is not the answer- we need to remember whats more valuable our lives or money..They are stealing babies and getting away with it through our OCS programs causing unbeliveable trauma to families, but the richer ones need children- healthy children. With no children , no welfare.
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KathyT Jul 27, 2010 @ 3:24 pm- Hi Linda! Congratulations on your Sunshine Award! The subject of Welfare (these days called "Temporary Assistance for Needy Families" or TANF) is a touchy one, indeed! You have done a great job with your lens. A few years back, I worked extensively with individuals who were on assistance, and it was a very emotional job at times. As your commenter "Alyssa" below says, for some people it has been a lifesaver - which was the original intent. I have seen a lot of folks, however, for whom assistance had become a sinkhole from which they were struggling to climb - but with little or no success. In thinking back to the jobs I had working with TANF clients, I would honestly have to say that I recall only ONE client of mine who made the break while I was involved - and this was a very strong and courageous person who just had it in mind that welfare was not how the family was going to live. There are no easy solutions - in part, I believe, because the welfare program has become so wide-spread and expected by so many, that it would take an enormous overhaul that I'm not sure the country is up to (yet). Tough topic. Nice job presenting! Cheers, Kath :)
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- Alyssa Jul 24, 2010 @ 11:13 pm
- hi im on wefare and its not by choice i got pregnant and due to it being high risk i couldnt work and even tho my fiencee was working we couldbarley make our bills we even tried moving to a cheaper appartment and we still struggled i held off on welfare as long as possible but bills started to pile up. when my son was born he was verysick and has remaned so (hes 14months now) with all my hospital trips and stays its been hard for me to work then my fiencee got laid off if it wasnt for the welfare program my son would probally hav died and i would be on the street. you see i have no family to help me and my fiencees family is very poor so we have no outside help i do however believe that some if not most people abuse the system because hey are lazy and dont wanna work. but for people like be it has been a life saver
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RandyK54 Nov 23, 2010 @ 12:19 am- "not by choice" Give us all a break. This is 2010 and there is no such thing as an unplanned pregnancy. Therefore you are where you are by choice. If you can't afford the baby, why don't you put it up for adoption. Once again you have made a choice, haven't you? If you are that poor why not live like my Grandmother joyfully did, without electricity, water, or indoor plumbing. Raising chickens and are garden for veggies where other ways she made ends meet. Oh yeah, all of these things are uncomfortable and not good enough for you, yet another choice.
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- Anonymous May 21, 2012 @ 4:42 pm
- So you want to break up a family through adoption in the name of "saving the tax payer." Now there is the "Adoption Tax Credit" that adoptive parents receive, which is also basically a "hand out." The adoptive parents get a 13,000 dollar check plus the child's med expenses are covered by the tax payer until he or she turns 18. Anyone who thinks adoption saves tax money is a moron. I talked to many adoptees, not all of them really like being adopted they are still denied their original birth certificate and treated like 2nd class citizens and the birth mother never heals from the trauma. Open Adoptions where the adoptive parents and birth parents remain in contact, are not legally enforceable. 70% of open adoptions get closed in the first 2 years and 80% of those that get closed are closed by the adoptive parents, only 20% get closed by birth parents. So with the so called adoption "tax credit" regardless if a woman decides to keep her child or place it for adoption, your tax money is still going to pay for it. http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/02/pf/taxes/adoption_tax_credit_refund_delay/index.htm http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080307161056AAEg0n3
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poutine Jul 18, 2010 @ 12:08 pm- Very thoughts provoking. I believe we need some welfare for SOME people as those ones will never be able to look after themselves. But I am totally against welfare for girls who get pregnant just so they can leave their parents home and live with their own rules. I believe that the father should be the one paying for his child, not the people who work hard for their money.
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poutine Jul 18, 2010 @ 12:05 pm- Very thoughtful and thoughts provoking lens.
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amillar Jul 5, 2010 @ 6:05 am- An interesting lens. This might seem like an extreme example, but when tax money is used for war, it’s a form of charity for arms manufacturers and those of that ilk who profit for war. There are many such instances where ordinary people are subsidising the profiteers.
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WordCustard Jul 4, 2010 @ 5:12 am- This is very thought provoking and I love the intelligent and thoughtful debate it has provoked. You've certainly got people talking, and it's a very timely topic. Congratulations on a well deserved contest win. This also deserves an ~*~* Angel Blessing *~*~
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VickiSims Jun 26, 2010 @ 1:20 pm- Congratulations on the Summer Sunshine Charity Award! A great lens for promoting thought and discussion about a very difficult problem.
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mbgphoto Jun 22, 2010 @ 9:43 pm
- Very thought provoking lens! Congratulations on your Summer Sunshine Award. Well deserved!
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charlino Jun 22, 2010 @ 7:39 pm
- Excellent topic and presentation. This is due for a lensroll.
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foovay Jun 22, 2010 @ 7:23 pm- Congrats on the Sunshine Awards - well earned! This is a contentious subject but I think it is good to hear everyones opinions - from there we can begin to see what needs to be changed and improved. I don't think we can abolish welfare over night - nor should we. But it needs to change and to stop rewarding irresponsible behaviour and making having illegitimate babies a career choice that pays better than any job most women can get.
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KathyMcGraw Jun 22, 2010 @ 5:31 pm- Your views or questions are interesting. If I am correct even in feudal times there was some sort of welfare system. When I think of welfare I don't think of some of the things you have mentioned..I look at those as a civil societies answers to the needs of the people. Now do all people need "welfare" that have it...probably not. But for the ones that do need it, I am all for it.
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Spook Jun 22, 2010 @ 1:35 pm- I always forget. Lensrolling this somewhere provided you don't mind.
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Spook Jun 22, 2010 @ 1:32 pm- Right up my street, fantastic lens and congratulations on your award. I could have gone on forever up there but for space permitting.
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BevsPaper Jun 22, 2010 @ 8:36 am- Congratulations on winning the Squidoo Sunshine Award with this well deserving lens! It is not an easy issue but one that you have presented most admirably.
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SquidooKimberly Jun 21, 2010 @ 5:22 pm- Congratulations on your Sunshine Award for this lens, benefiting Food for Everyone! http://blogs.squidoo.com/squidblog/2010/06/21/sunshine-award-end-of-welfare/
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LindaJM Jun 21, 2010 @ 6:03 pm
- Oh my goodness... thank you!! I am SO EXCITED... I'm grateful this issue is getting some attention, and excited to be helping the Food For Everyone Foundation.
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OhMe Jun 21, 2010 @ 3:37 pm
- Congratulations on winning the Sunshine Award today for you and Food for Everyone. Great Job!
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- Thanks so much! (from a very excited lensmaster)
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Brookelorren Jun 20, 2010 @ 8:41 pm- To get rid of welfare, you would also need to reduce taxes correspondingly. Businesses are drowning in taxes right now, and it costs them a lot to hire a new person. People could afford to give more if they weren't paying as much in taxes. That being said, it would probably be helpful if it was phased out... right now people plan on having a safety net. We don't save six month's of expenses for an emergency fund, because people expect that unemployment will be there to help pay the rent. More people would be malnourished, because they would opt for peanut butter and jelly and Top Ramen more than nutritious food. We're currently living off of about half the poverty level. We're working our butts off, but it's just not paying much. My husband's in law school though, so our income is likely to go up when he finishes.
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skiesgreen Jun 19, 2010 @ 10:58 pm- Nicely framed opinions on this subject. *-*Blessed*-* and featured on Sprinkled with Stardust and also on my awards lens charity-lenses-for-summer-sunshine-giveaway
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JaguarJulie Jun 16, 2010 @ 12:58 pm
- Well, I fully suspect that if there we no more welfare, there would be a lack of humanity ... you know?
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susannaduffy Jun 16, 2010 @ 5:28 am- Good topic to choose! Well presented and highly readable, blessed by an angel today
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- You have sure given your reader something to think about. I remember back in the early 60's that my dad was making speeches about this very same thing and warning us not to become a government dependent society. He always felt that if the churches did their part, we would have no need for welfare. Excellent lens and good luck on the contest. I am going to feature this lens with Food For Everyone on Sunshine Award Nominees and I am nominating this lens.
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- Very thought provoking lens. Well done! It certainly is a dilemna!
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Stazjia Jun 15, 2010 @ 5:04 am- Good, thought provoking lens.
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End welfare? - What if there was no welfare?
Ranked #381 in Culture & Society, #9,465 overall | Donates to Food for Everyone FoundationEnd welfare? What would happen to humanity if there was no welfare?
Welfare, as an institution ofgovernment, may be on the way out. What will happen to welfare recipients if there is no welfare? What can they expect? Can welfare be done away with - without causing mass starvation? Why do we have welfare? Is it necessary? I've stated some of my thoughts on the welfare state on this page and I'm asking you to think over the issues and contribute to the conversation at the end of the page.What if there was no welfare?
...would all the poor people die?
If there was no welfare, working people wouldn't have to support non-working people, but would taxes go down or would the government find some other reason to keep our money? Of course not all poor people would die, but would some of them? Do we have to view this process of release from the welfare state as one of coping with "acceptable loss?" I would have a hard time with that. Even one child dying because of poverty seems like too much to me. I've been on the fence with welfare issues for many years. I can see that the welfare state has robbed people of motivation, encouraged dependency, and created an era of protracted poverty mentality. But how can we withdraw a helping hand when so many are destitute already? Do you think it couldn't happen? Already California's governor tried to abolish welfare for the poor, and if it could happen here, it could happen anywhere. Our country is in very bad shape, financially. How can we continue sending support checks to so many?Would children starve?
...or would community organizations pitch in to help them?
I've met so many generous people, especially since I started writing here on Squidoo, a site that was created to make donations to charities. This site has definitely helped me to become more charitable. But is charity enough to supply the needs of the poor and destitute? Today while doing the research for this lens on YouTube I came across a video about Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, a church that attempts to help the ailing and suffering masses in the poorest districts of that city. Though charity was massive and constant, they still didn't think they'd be able to do enough to fulfill all the needs of the people who would be left suffering if welfare ended. I believe many people will help more, so much as they can, but that not all people will find the kind of help they need when they need it. Single mothers may be one of the most difficult groups to help because they can't work if they can't maintain a home and child care. If welfare ends, there will probably be a lot more people dining in soup kitchens. A society encouraging charity would be an amazingly different place than this society we have dependent on welfare.Would families be destitute and line the streets with tents?
...would they ever get on their feet and find housing and jobs?
If all the money the government spends on hand-outs was instead spent on putting poor Americans to work, these people might have hope. To pull the rug out from under them without helping them find stable situations would be cruel. That begs the question - how cruel can we be? It seems some politicians have no problem with forcing people into the streets and out of their homes. If you're living on the poverty level and on any kind of welfare program, you had better invest in a good tent and other camping equipment, just in case. Start now to create your own backup plan so if everything crashes down around you -- you can walk out of your comfort zone without being in a panic.Would young women be more careful not to get pregnant?
...would the birth rate go down? ...would the abortion rate go up?
Most of us would like for young women to think before they agree to be in a situation where pregnancy could happen. Our country isn't focused on trying to make young people resist having sex, however. In fact, sex education as taught in the schools may encourage early experimentation.
When my daughter was 12 and in eight grade I was notified by the school that if she wanted birth control, school officials would take her to the clinic behind my back and I would not be notified. (Crazy, in my opinion, but true! This is California!) So perhaps that's our civilization's answer... teach them about sex, take them to the clinic for birth control, and send them out on the streets.
Would these well-educated young ladies be more careful not to get pregnant? Perhaps they'd be more careful to get birth control, at the very least... but isn't free birth control a form of welfare? Who pays for that?
And oh, one more thing. The school notified me that if my daughter needed an abortion she could get that through them without notifying me. So, that's another option, presumably somehow paid for by the government.
It is hard to get away from government funded welfare programs these days.Would young fathers-to-be be more likely to stay with the women they impregnated?
...would they take responsibility and be fatherly at a young age?
Here's a very heart-warming notion. Would young fathers be more likely to stay with their girlfriends who were pregnant because they would no longer be able to think, "she can get welfare," or "she can get an abortion paid for by medicare," or "they can get food stamps?"
Would they realize they created a life (I don't want to say 'made a mistake') and try to do something manly like get a job and support mother and child?
Or would they freak out and become hobos while their children starved? What do you think would happen most often?A guide for teenage parents
...stay together if you can!
Your Baby's First Year: A Guide for Teenage Parents (Teen Pregnancy and Parenting series)
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Would young single mothers be supported by their families instead?
...if they couldn't get welfare, would their families help out?
Isn't that how it used to work, before welfare? If a young woman was in the family way, she was in B-I-G trouble if there was no man to step up and claim responsibility. These women typically had to incur the wrath of their parents and remain living with them. It was a terrible, scary situation for most of them.
Nowadays, if they're pregnant they can get welfare and move out on their own. Their parents may still be furious, but they don't have to live with the old folks.
It seems the 'new morality' is that you don't have to worry about being unmarried and pregnant. In 2009 almost half of all births in the United States were to unmarried mothers. This just doesn't have the same social stigma it used to.
See statistics in the NY Times: Out-of-Wedlock Birthrates Are Soaring, U.S. Reports.
...
This reminds me of a memoir I recently read. It is about a girl child who was raised by her single mother, who had to live with the grandparents. It took place before and during World War II in Belgium. A fascinating story!Lost in the Fog: Memoir of a Bastard: A Belgian Recalls the War, the Nazis, Her Fractured Life
Amazon Price: $8.00 (as of 06/19/2012)Debate about the need for welfare...
Thomas Sowell vs. Pennsylvania Secretary of Welfare, Helen O'Banion
He is one of millions who think poor people would be better off without welfare.curated content from YouTubeWould more children be taken care of by grandmas while their parents worked?
...somebody will have to take care of them!
I think there's no doubt that more children would be left with their grandmas (or grandpas) because the end of welfare also means the end of government subsidized child care such as Head Start programs and maybe even all public schools, since the government school system is another form of welfare. (Of course - government likes that because it gives them a chance to inculcate their values into the children at an early age.)
But what about families where the single mom is working at the local pizza parlor for minimum wage plus tips, and she has no family to leave her children with. This could be a disaster! I believe most families would be able to manage just fine, but it is those isolated cases of destitution and hardship that would keep me up at night. Would private charitable organizations be able to pick up the slack?Would people be more likely to seek creative income opportunities?
...there's no time like the present to brainstorm income producing activities.
For every door that closes, another opens. Don't be afraid of the future, because usually the door that opens leads to something far better than what was left behind.
Not every person can hold down a full time job, but everyone can think of something to do that would be creative, feasible, and profitable.
Have you read Acres of Diamonds - a speech by Russell Conwell? If not, this is the perfect time - don't hesitate! It is available at that link I just gave you...
...or buy it at Amazon:Acres of Diamonds: All Good Things Are Possible, Right Where You Are, and Now!
Amazon Price: $6.08 (as of 06/19/2012)Would the economy be stimulated because more people were working?
...economic recovery by ending welfare?
I am no economics expert, so I can't answer this question. I'm putting it out here for others to consider.
I believe it helps for people to have lower expectations of what life should be giving them. Joy in living a simple life is what has saved me... there's still plenty of happiness to be had even if you can't buy everything you want.
The woman in the next video got off welfare and within a few years became a millionaire. She did it by hard work and saving money.Books about welfare
For and against...
The Welfare State Nobody Knows: Debunking Myths about U.S. Social Policy
Amazon Price: $22.96 (as of 06/19/2012)American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare
Amazon Price: $4.42 (as of 06/19/2012)Never Enough: America's Limitless Welfare State
Amazon Price: $10.65 (as of 06/19/2012)Flat Broke with Children: Women in the Age of Welfare Reform
Amazon Price: $7.00 (as of 06/19/2012)Why Americans Hate Welfare: Race, Media, and the Politics of Antipoverty Policy (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion)
Amazon Price: $11.26 (as of 06/19/2012)Would people be more likely to grow gardens?
...I sure hope so!
My grandmother had a little sign in her flower garden... it said, "One is nearer God's heart in a garden, than anywhere else on earth." I finally found the poem that line came from and put it on this lens: Preparing Garden Soil. If you've never had a vegetable garden before, that lens is a good place to start.
For those of you living in apartments: Urban Farming: Window Farms.
There's nothing quite as sweet as self-sufficiency. "God bless the child who's got his own."Welfare Rights
...for those who believe care for the poor is humane...
If you're poor and destitute, this site may help.Food For Everyone
...one of my favorite charities!
Profits from this lens go to Food For Everyone.
The Food For Everyone Foundation's mission is to teach and assist families everywhere to grow successful and sustainable vegetable gardens, and really enjoy the experience.Any other comments?
...your comments are very welcome.
The Welfare State Nobody Knows
The Welfare State Nobody Knows: Debunking Myths about U.S. Social Policy
Amazon Price: $22.96 (as of 06/19/2012)Want to know who I am...?
...or, if not, just skip this part. ;)
My blog: Linda Jo MartinLensmasterLindaJM has been a member since June 11 2007, has rated 2,559 lenses, and has created 160 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Vintage Beatles Albums - What Are They Worth?".See all my lensesRiver Girl
A Happy Camp Novel
My first published novel!!
In 1918 Claire Welch moves from the San Francisco Bay Area to the coastal town of Eureka, far to the north. She must leave her dearest friend behind.
From there Claire heads toward a difficult life, traveling inland to Happy Camp, a small town in the middle of a huge forest.
Near Happy Camp, in the Klamath River Valley, she faces the pain of loneliness and learns the true meaning of friendship.
For more information see the River Girlwebsite.River Girl
Written for children ages 8 to 15. Adults like it too!Amazon Price: $10.95 (as of 06/19/2012)Summer Sunshine!
...this lens is a winner!
Joyous news! This lens was chosen a winner of the Summer Sunshine contest on June 21, 2010 - Summer Solstice!
All proceeds for this lens go to the Food For Everyone Foundation, an organization that helps destitute communities and families create bountiful, healthy gardens.
Every weekday from June 7 to August 27 a charity lens will be chosen to win the Summer Sunshine Award. Here's more information about the contest: Squidoo Summer Sunshine Award.by LindaJM
"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." -Dr. Seuss
My blog: Linda Jo Martin
My book: River Girl more »Feeling creative? Create a Lens!Explore related pages
Think and Grow Rich
...by Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich
Amazon Price: $5.40 (as of 06/19/2012)There are ways to work yourself up off welfare. For example, if your writing skills are good you could make pages at this website, earn money, and eventually have enough for financial freedom. Join Squidoo and make your first page today!Acres of Diamonds
by Russell H. Conwell
Acres of Diamonds: All Good Things Are Possible, Right Where You Are, and Now!
Amazon Price: $6.08 (as of 06/19/2012)This book is inspirational (and short) ... it shows that your best means of making money are probably already nearby!A safe
...to keep your money safe in.
SentrySafe DS3410 Black Fire-Safe 1.2-Cubic Foot Combination Safe
Amazon Price: $134.99 (as of 06/19/2012)I have confidence that you'll make it off welfare and into prosperity. This safe could help you save your money in a safe place.Related Tags
