Regulate the Welfare Abuse
Posted: Monday, October 06, 2008
by Kyle Krannebitter
Millions of Americans are enrolled in the welfare system; a program designed to give a boost to the poor and needy families to help them make it through the year while they got back on their feet. Unfortunately, it has now become a way of life for many. Many argue that welfare is now destroying our culture and creating dependent people who learned to abuse privileges that come with living in America . Welfare has become a target for gluttonous mothers and others who have no values or willingness to obtain a job. This definitely makes an impact on the needy families and people with disabilities who deserve to receive aid from this program. Mothers who sit around waiting for the next check to come in the mail and are not willing to do anything to help themselves or their families should not have the privilege of receiving government assistance. That is why there should be enforceable guide lines that are met to regulate how long people stay on the welfare system.
The bill allowed $18 per month for one child and $12 for each additional child. The bill expanded on the infrastructure of state programs that had been set up as widow's funds'. Only single mothers received funds. At this time, just about 50% of those receiving AFDC were children supported by widows, 17% were children with an incapacitated father, 21% were supported by a woman who had been abandon by her husband and just 2% of children on the welfare rolls were supported by women who had never married (Snyder 1).
This bill continued to stay in effect until 1996 when President Bill Clinton negotiated with Congress to pass the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act which drastically changed the program. The program replaced AFDC by calling it the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). TANF was very similar to AFDC but limited the receipt of benefits to five years and with few exceptions made recipients responsible to find work as soon as ready, or no later than two years after coming on assistance. Bill Clinton's reform was criticized by many because they believed it was too much like AFDC and would have no effect on a change. Statistics show that:
There were 2,032,157 families receiving TANF cash benefits in June 2003, the most recent month for which data is available. The total represents a 0.3 percent decrease from March 2003 and a 54 percent decrease from August 1996, when TANF was enacted. A total of 4,955,479 individuals were receiving TANF benefits in June 2003, 0.6 percent fewer than in March and 60 percent fewer than in August 1996. From January 2001 to June 2003, the number of TANF families declined 5 percent and the number of recipients declined 9.2 percent ("Temporary Assistnace" 1).
Although statistics show that Clinton 's reform works, people are still continually abusing the system Recipients find new ways each year to prolong their dependency on the system. It is not fair to hard working tax payers who are giving their well earned money to greedy, lazy Americans that are able to work, but do not choose to. Mothers are the most common offenders among the many million Americans who receive aid from the government. Women easily cheat the program by simply having more children, by having more children means more money comes in the mail. They also live with partners, which according to the regulations are not allowed. In order to be a recipient, mothers eligible to receive welfare are to be single and be the sole support of their children. Drug and alcohol use are the two other ways that mothers could and will abuse the welfare program. Many problems occur when welfare recipients begin to use drugs. They tend to use their allotted money on drugs which leaves no money for taking care of their children. Their next step into deceit is to resort to getting pregnant because they know by having more children means more money. Pollack states in the "American Journal of Public Health" that, "Among 2002 National Survey of Drug Use and Health respondents deemed "in need" of substance-abuse treatment, welfare recipients were significantly more likely than non-recipients to receive such services.Controlling for other factors, welfare receipt was associated with higher prevalence of illicit drug use" (2024). This study shows how people on welfare are still abusing the system even with the reforms that have been activated and put into effect.
To show personal experience or occurrence with this situation would be an example my grandparents informed me of. My grandparents have a dear friend that lives next door to a woman who is collecting welfare. The row home she lives in with her three children and her boyfriends rents for approximately $1300. per month. But being that she is on government assistance, she only pays $24. a month. This lady does not hold a job and also gets food stamps and subsidized electric. She receives money from the government for her three sons. Critics on the opposing side may say that she might not have the skills to work. This is a totally false statement. It is a personally known fact that if someone is looking for a job that is on welfare the government will provide training and help that person find a job. This is a known fact because it has happened to my second cousins wife before they got married. The most ridiculous part about the welfare program is that the government is willing to provide help for people that are capable of working but are just too lazy to work. A more irritating situation is when a honest working family becomes a victim to hard, unfortunate times and requires assistance from the government but don't qualify to receive the help. Here is an example from the news; a father and mother are both working two jobs to make ends meet, they have a son who has a chronic illness that can not be treated because they don't have the money for pay for it. The government would not help this family in any way, so the married couple had to get a legal divorce so that they could say their son lives with and is supported by a single mother and she doesn't have enough money to pay for the bill. By the mother being single and having a child she was able to receive the health care. This situation completely makes no sense. Basically what the government is doing is allowing people to cheat the system just so their child can receive treatment. What is wrong with this picture? You would think that the government would be willing to help the family instead of putting them on Medicare which would go against their ultimate goal of decreasing the governments' responsibility for yet another dependent family. The government needs to re-evaluate and enforce their government assistance system.
In Clinton 's reform, "PRWORA permitted chemical drug testing. This allowed states to deny benefits to adults convicted of drug felonies, and allowed states to terminate benefits to illicit drug-using women who violated program requirements or who simply failed to find employment" (Pollack 2024). From the beginning of this reform, some states began to implement their state welfare programs to help illicit drug and alcohol abusers to receive treatment to able them entry into the work force. The state of California developed the "Cal-WORKS" program where "each county receives a portion of a 63.5 million dollar funding pool designed to help persons receiving welfare benefits remove alcohol and drug-related barriers to employment" ("California Counties" 1). Not only is the state of California trying to help drug abusers, but the "Governor of Illinois, Jim Edgar has proposed to reduce welfare program spending by 2.5 percent in the states fiscal year that begins July 1. He also is suggesting setting aside 3 million dollars in new money toward the establishment of a drug screening and assessment program for welfare beneficiaries" ("Illinois Considers" 4). If Edgar's proposal is approved, the state will require welfare recipients who have substance abuse problems to undergo treatment. The good part, state officials believe that beneficiaries will get off the public assistance treadmill and provide for themselves. The bad part would be for those beneficiaries who would have their benefits gradually decrease and have no intentions to cooperate with the rehab programs.
Welfare programs have proven beneficial in helping people and families that are in need. Because of the program's abuse, new state regulations were needed. Statistics show that the reform program implemented by Bill Clinton back in 1996 is working. It has succeeded in reducing the number of families and people on assistance. A quote from the Truman Show states, "we except the reality of the world who which we are presented." This phrase underlines what sociologist call agents of socialization. The book definition for agents of socialization is groups or social contexts in which significant processes of socialization occur." There are two types of socializations, the first is primary socialization which takes place in infancy and early childhood and is the most crucial period of culture learning. Children around the age of two tend to absorb a lot of crucial information at this stage. The family is the main source of cultural learning where they learn language and behavior patterns. If a child is born from a mother that abuses drugs and lives on welfare it is obvious to say that this child will be exposed to nothing but the environment they live in. This will start a family trend where everything is given for free and nothing is achieved. Children will have no incentive to achieve anything in life because they would not have the right support for their goals. The final type is secondary socialization which takes place from childhood to maturity. At this point other agents take over the family role such as peer groups and the surrounding communities. As children begin to develop into young adults, they start to be influenced by their surroundings and friend. Stereotypically, most welfare families live in subsided homes where there is nothing but government assisted families. This point refers back to the family where there is no incentive to make oneself better. No one peer involved in the young adults life will be able to support or encourage higher education because they may not have achieved that themselves. Not even the school could help the young adult because most teens will find school not important because most likely there parents dropped out or failed high school. So to them, there would be no need in school. The point is, if more welfare mothers keep having more and more children just for the money, they are just bringing more and more future government assisted people in the world. The children will not be able to see any other side of the world if they are trapped within that type of environment. The agents of socialization proves that the Truman quote is true that children are highly influenced by their families and environment. Without strict regulation, a vicious cycle will continue to grow with an increasing number of government assisted people. In the reform, Clinton allowed states to implement their own regulations to the program. Many states have introduced into their program assistance abusers. The results have clearly shown that the programs were helping, but if not regulated properly, many people will continue to abuse and find new ways to cheating the program. That is why enforcement of the laws that are already in place need to be applied and up held so that the numbers of recipients continue to decrease. The welfare program was implemented to help those who are in need of a little extra help until they can become a self sufficient individual and should not be allowed to be used as a source of permanent income.
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More commentsNO.....I AM NOT A WELFARE MOTHER, I AM A 60 YEAR OLD WORKING MOTHER OF TWO GROWN DAUGHTERS. I WANT TO KNOW HOW ARE YOU BEING GLUTTONOUS WITH A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS, FOOD STAMPS AND A MEDICAL CARD. MOST PEOPLE WHO GET WELFARE DO NOT ABUSE IT> THERE ARE SOME THAT DO>THERE IS ABUSE IN EVERYONE THING WE DO>I WORRY MORE ABOUT THE WHITE COLLAR ABUSE (AIG) AND POLTICANS WHO TAKE LEAR JETS TO MEETINGS, TAKE VACATIONS AND GIVE MILLION DOLLAR BONUSES WITH TAX PAYERS MONEY, AND THEY CAN PAY FOR THIER VACATION. THE COUNTRY FELL APART BECAUSE THEY GOT TO GEEDY AND NOBODY IS COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT. YOU'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS WELFARE MOTHERS ARE GETTING, WHAT ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY(CRAZY CHECKS) WHAT ABOUT THAT ABUSE?, PEOPLE ARE GETTING AS MUCH AS 1800 a month. THE MOTHER AND EACH KID GET A CHECK. THAT IS OVER THE TOP(ABUSE). IN THE BIBLE IT SAYS , WE AS CHRISTIANS ARE SUPPOSE TO HELP TAKE CARE OF WIDOWS WITH CHILDREN, FATHERLESS CHILDREN, THE HOMELESS AND THE POORLADY YOU NEED TO "OPEN YOUR EYES" BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON WELFARE ARE ABUSING IT. BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN ON IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND ARE PERFECTLY HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE CHILDREN IF THEY CANNOT AFFORD IT JUST SO THEY CAN MAKE EVERYONE PAY. I DO NOT MIND PAYING OF PEOPLE THAT TRUELY NEED IT LIKE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRUELY DISABLED OR HAVE LOST THERE JOBS AND ARE TRUELY MAKING AN AFFORT TO GET BACK ON THERE FEET. NOT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WILL NOT GET OFF THEIR BUTTS AND WORK AND/OR GO TO SCHOOL. BY THE WAY IF THE "CHECKS ARE SO SMALL" HOW IS IT THE THAT PEOPLE THAT ABUSE WELFARE CAN AFFORD MOST THINGS THAT THE AVERAGE BLUE COLLAR AMERICAN CANNOT AFFORD. AND BEING A CHRISTIAN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE RIPPING OF THE COUNTRY, AND HOW DARE YOU USE THE BIBLE IN TRYING TO SAY THAT IT IS O.K. TO ABUSE PEOPLE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TAKING CARE OF THEM. LADY YOU NEED A REALITY CHECKN BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!your an idiot, im not saying that everyone needs welfare, but i dont agree with what you said, my boss works four jobs and has three kids, she lives with her 75 year old mother who has already paid off her house. its clear that your very ignorant.... and immature. and about the bible statement, your not a preacher so keep quiet about it.Yes, the Bible does say that we're supposed to HELP take care of widows with children, fatherless children, the homeless, and the poor (note "help", not support). But being poor back then wasn't something that most people chose. Now, it's become a lifestyle for many. There's a millionaire in California who dresses like a homeless man and sits outside and makes more money per week than the average American. There are people I can name off the top of my head who are receiving unemployment benefits, but they have under-the-table jobs so they can still get their check every month. I know the economy is bad, and jobs are hard to find -- that doesn't mean it's impossible (Burger King is always hiring). I know one man who used to be a roofer. He fell off a roof and hurt his back and can no longer do that job. Even though he's completely healed now, he's illiterate and refuses to go get help so he can get a job. In his household, there are 12 people, only 5 of them adults... if I'm not mistaken, none of them have jobs. I do know, though, that they're receiving welfare checks. I think that's wrong. Will we ever get rid of welfare? No. Should we? Definitely not. But does it need to be reformed? God yes.
comment on the post before mine. They should have never got our tax dollars in the first place then they wouldnt have spent them in the first place. yet again another thing the government has come up with that has failed
This really warms my heart about humanity. What do we need to keep the money for? I understand it is very important that you need a new plasma tv and its ridiculous that the government asks you to help a fellow human being eat but maybe if you struggle you'll survive.... Honestly.YES, people abuse welfare. Such is humanity. We abuse everything good we can get our hands on. However. There is not that much abuse. If you look at real statistics... REAL... you cannot really abuse welfare. Go on the site for welfare. Try applying. If you have the slightest thing off.... you can;t get it. If you are merely disabled... forget it. Also, to stay on welfare. You do not just sit around. You have to work your ass off to stay on it, and must have a job. Don't just form close minded opinions based off of greed.Your joking right? Or are you just that Naive? I have family members that sit on their asses day in and day out, not even remotely making an effort to find a job. Yet they receive govt. assistance, food stamps. Yet amazingly, on the rare occasion they actually have a job, maybe 2, 3 months top out of the year, they file their income taxes and get almost as much money back as they made in wages for the entire year. If this is what you mean by working their ass off, then you must have one pretty cushy job. It irritates me to no end to see my stepson and his wife sit around and do absolutely nothing, but complain when they have to sit around for hours at the welfare office with their 2 kids to get their govt. assistance. Neither of them worked more than 4 months this past year, not because they had to, but because they chose to. Filed their taxes and received nearly $9,000. Yet both myself and my wife both work hard every day, and because she had to cash in an IRA that was rolled over from a 401k plan from a previous job to help us make ends meet, we have to end up paying the IRS. How backwards is that. There are no REAL statistics, people can make things say anything they want them to. I'm telling you as a witness to people in my own family that you are dead wrong!!!
I am a state employee who has just reached his peek of the abuse of this system. I have heard every lie there is and I have seen those who konw the system and know exactly what to say to get benefits and I can't take this anymore and I'm looking for groups who are ready to fight this issue. I know sides of this story that many of you will never know, such as a mother of 2 living in one of the most expensive communities in this city in a 300k home who looks you square in the eye and tells you, my boy friend pays for the house and all the bills and expenses directly to the vendor/company; but he doesn't live with us. She has no income and receives no income directly from him and therefore qualifies for every program we have and as long as he never changes his license to that address or put his name on a bill there, I can't touch him and she get full benefits. Yes, this system needs to change. For those of you ready to get involved you are more than welcome to email me and work toward ending these people draining our economy.I'm writing a school project on contraversal topics, mine, welfare. I am against the current plan and hearing that you have been through jsut about every loophole in the current system, that really helps what Im doing right now. Thanks for some of the info.
im also writing a school project about welfare and I agree that some people are honest and work hard. But there are too many people taking advantage of the system. I read the comments left on this article and I see anger. Anger from blue collared workers who had enough and anger from welfare benifees who are outraged by the accuzations. This topic is very conterversial and it doesnt help either side by putting emotions into it. I honestly am on the welfare reform side because during my commute to school I pass a town. In that town I see middle aged people hanging around and doing nothing. I know not all people on welfare are like that but thats what I see. And if there is more reform that should seperate the honest people from the welfare dependent, lazy, "pardon the anger" leaches
i hate the people that join welfare because they are lazy. and you made your point in this article. good job!
You do have some valid points. However, as a family on welfare I have to let my side of the story be known. Maybe if the government had an insurance reform and we didn't have to pay out of our rears for medical insurance, people would be able to make it working a regular job. My husband was a hard working individual. He worked 7 days a week and made 15 dollars an hour. He was never home. His insurance took hundreds of dollars out each check. On top of that, the government takes at least 2 hundred out of every check. I had a new baby. We were struggling to pay rent, gas and electric, medical insurance, water, cable/internet, food, and gas. We never really used the medical insurance, and when we did it was a $45 dollar co payment to visit the doctor for 5 minutes and 10 dollars for each medication. When he lost his job because he refused to work 10 hours, drive home, get 2 hours of sleep and go right back to work; we decided he should go back to school to get a better education. Because we don't trust anyone with our kids and we have no family out here we are forced to live off of unemployment and food stamps, and sometimes cal works when our unemployment temporarily runs out. His job treated him like an immigrant because he is part hispanic. There are so many immigrants out here that work like slaves that there is no job security in California for laborers. They can replace you in a heart beat so they make you break your back and never pay you what you deserve. The government doesn't allow or make it a possible task to work in America and have health insurance and be able to pay for a family of 3. When were working, we made 100 dollars too much to be eligible for free medical insurance and be eligible for cash assistance. Isn't that something?
I am a landlord in South FL. Angry at how I have seen these women, on welfare, who then become my tenants, abuse the system. I have worked so hard all my life to achieve a "middle class" lifestyle. I do not rent to the Housing section 8 people anymore because of the cheet and deceit I have seen, They all sit in their butts, not working and waiting for the check in the mail, medicaid, food stamps etc. while my husband and me cannot even afford health insurance anymore.They all lie, they all live with men and are the lazyiest people you could eveer encounter! Why dont politicians "tackle" this overload of deceit and send all these people packing? Why do they allow this abuse???
I'm definitely going to say I have to agree! I'm glad more people think like I do!
AAHH!!!
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