Wellfare Reform

In the past twenty years, welfare fraud and abuse has become an overwhelming problem. Large numbers of people are living off the government alone, with no attempt of finding work. Our welfare system is out of date and needs to be slimmed down. Congress needs to eliminate the mindset of Americans that welfare can be used as a free ride through life.

No matter how liberal or conservative, all politicians agree that welfare costs could be greatly reduced if abuse and fraud were eliminated. Welfare was first introduced in the 20's as a program to help people get through the depression. The government created many public works jobs to employ the thousands that lost their jobs. At the time it was a great program but seventy-five years later, major reforms are necessary to eliminate the widespread abuse and fraud. Today, the U.S. spends well over three hundred billion dollars a year on welfare.(Federman 5) That is up over a hundred billion dollars from ten years ago. Almost five million households receive benefits under the primary federally funded program, AFDC. For some recipients, government aid is a temporary substitute through hard times. But half of all welfare recipients will stay on welfare for more than ten years, and many for life. "The fate of their children is also bleak: a child raised on welfare is three times more likely than other children to receive government aid as an adult."(LeVert 34) Current benefits include cash benefits provided by the AFDC. The national average monthly cash allowance is $399. Food stamps are given in addition to cash. They are food redeemable vouchers that are given on average of $278 a month. Medicare is also provided to welfare dependents. It usually costs $4000 per person per year. The government also provides people with some sort of housing. It can be in a subsidized housing project, or the more recent option of providing rent for welfare recipients to live away from government subsidized building projects. This was created in hopes of creating a better life for welfare children. Welfare is definitely a helpful program; it just needs to be reformed.

Jimmy Carter first attempted change the current system, but the reforms were under funded and nothing was enforced. The most recent reforms to be passed were in 1996 under Bill Clinton. The most significant changes he called for were time limits, work programs called "welfare to work", and work incentives. The problem is, he didn't increase the budget for welfare so chances are that these reforms will also go uninformed.

Many have said that the current welfare system encourages dependency. They say that the value of welfare benefits is more attractive to many long-term recipients than are entry level, minimum wage jobs. In several states, welfare programs pay recipients the equivalent of a $25,000 a year job. The value of the full benefits of the average welfare recipient exceeds the poverty level ( McCuen/Rector 29). Welfare benefits are tax-free so the dollar value is greater than that of a comparable worker. The following are some prime examples of the abuse that takes place within the welfare system.

-In 40 states welfare pays more than an $8.00 an hour job.

-In 17 states welfare pays more than a $10.00 an hour job.

-Hawaii, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and Washington D.C. pays recipients the equivalent of $12.00 an hour. That's more than twice minimum wage.(Tanner 18)

-9 states pay more than the average first year salary of a teacher last year.

-The largest pay off is in New York City where recipients receive $14.75 an hour.

With these figures it's no wonder why people choose to live off the government. Welfare makes their lives too comfortable. The goal of welfare should be to encourage recipients to leave the welfare roles and enter the workforce. 68.6% of welfare recipients report that they aren't actively seeking work. Why should they? There are plenty of lazy people who aren't completely dumb. Why work when they can make more doing nothing.

In the Opposing Viewpoints book, Rachael Wildavsky and Daniel R. Levine interviewed three life long welfare abusers. The story of "Marie" is a prime example of how easy welfare life can be.

"Marie says she "hates" welfare, insisting that she is different from her mother, who "could have worked," but was on the dole for more than 30 years. Now 43, Marie has had nine children by five different fathers. Her welfare includes rent-free housing, food-stamp benefits, Medicaid and- when any of her minor children are living with her- tax-free cash grants through the ADFC program. Marie stopped attending school in the seventh grade and became pregnant at 15. She hoped to marry her 17-year-old boy friend but things fell through. In the next nine years Marie married twice and bore six more children. In 1982 she went on welfare and moved into subsidized housing. "I've been on public assistance ever since." Her government subsidized home is a three-bedroom town house, complete with dining room, den, laundry room, dishwasher, and microwave. Marie had two more children and four or five abortions because she had reached her maximum allowable AFDC grant of $518 a month. In the last two years the police have been called to Marie's apartment 72 times. She was finally kicked out of the trashed townhouse, but moved into another just down the road. This one cost 87,000 dollars. She has furnished the new house with a king-sized waterbed, three color TVs all with cable, and a stereo/video system that cost $2500. She has to pay for electricity, water and phone, and she complains that welfare does not pay enough. "By the end of the month, my money is totally gone."" This is a perfect