Why do we have wellfare?

Question

it's really not that hard to find a job in the U.S. The government relly is paying people to be lazy. and it's not just citizens either. i live in California and illegals are getting wellfare too. it comes out of tax dollars too.

Answer 1

because the Democrats care enough about their American people to help them out and all the Republicans want to do is cut it out and let the American people die and they want to start wars for no reason like bush did and kill our american troops republicans are just pure idiots!!!!


Had Enough? Voted Democrat in 08!!!!!!!

Answer 2

The goal of Welfare is to help those who are not capable of making it on their own. The core target of TANF (it hasn't been AFDC for years) is children, obviously not in a position to support themselves. In addition it helps people with developmental problems, seniors living on a fixed income, or those who have been injured, or simply people who do not have the skills to get a job capable of supporting themselves.

Often this is women with children. This is to some degree a result of the high cost of child care. When you have to give half (or even more) of your net take home pay to have your children watched while you work, you have to earn a lot more then a person without children.

Are there people who abuse Welfare? People who are freeloaders, or even crminals guilty of fruad? Oh yes, certainly.

However the choice is to help those in need, with the awareness that the less deserving will take a share, or leave the poorest, and most in need unsheltered, unprotected, and unfed.

Myself, I'm willing to put up with the extra cost, though I would be happier if the government made a more serious attempt to catch those who are commiting fraud.

(Side note: With Medi-cal, the majority of the fraud is from the providers, not the clients. That's right, that guy in the Mercedes with the stethescope in his back seat has a greater chance of commiting significant Welfare fraud then the old lady pushing the shopping cart down the street.)

Answer 3

Welfare was invented during the Great Depression when government assistance was desperately needed. It was for a good purpose. Even now there are those who need it for a time, are not lazy people, and eventually get off of it. I don't begrudge someone welfare IF they are trying to better themselves. Neither do I begrudge it to those too elderly, ill, or disabled to work. But, for everyone of those, many more abuse it. Those people seem to believe that the government owes them a living. Poor management, one way and another, has made it what it is today.

Answer 4

To help people in need. However, it has been abused beyond reason. I think that women who are on welfare should be made to be sterilized after ONE child. That way they can't keep producing unwanted children and receive even more $$$$ based on how large their family is. We'll never do that because the bleeding liberals will say, "What about their rights?" Oh yeah?? What about my right to not be taxed to death because of lazy people's stupidity??

Answer 5

Depending on where you live in the US, it can be hard to find a occupation. Wellfare also helps the economy by patching up the gap between the rich and the poor.

Answer 6

Because many people believe it is the govt's responsibility to take care of those who cannot take care of themself. The idea is not all bad, just over-abused.

Congress has written the system so that a person can draw indefinitely from the welfare fund. It's a poor implementation of a half-bad idea.

Answer 7

You can thank the Dem party fot that one. Roosevelt was a socialist and it was his idea. And it just never stopped. It is good if you are disabled, or too old, but if you are healthy there shouldn't be a need. And if you need welfare to help raise you family, why do you have kids if you can't afford them? That is totally irresponsible.

Answer 8

What you may not understand are barriers to employment.

For instance, I live in Michigan, which has a 7% unemployment rate (that is based on those currently collecting unemployment and doesn't include those whose benefits are exhausted).

What about these scenarios:
A person living in Michigan and has exhausted their unemployment benefits and cannot find a job due to the high unemployment rate?
A person who has a knee injury and no one will hire him because he limps and the employers don't want to take on a risk of a worker's comp case? (true story)
A mother who has a child that needs 24 hour a day care? (true story)
A person with tourettes?
A person with severe ADHD who cannot concentrate long enough to stay focused on the job and medications are not working, nor can he afford the medications (true story)
A person who had a Traumatic brain injury and can no longer concentrate, even with medications (true story)
A person who has 4 children, daycare is $2 per hour per child? (true story)
A person who can only find a part time job at Wal-Mart or Meijer paying $8.60 per hour and that only offers part time work? (true story)
A person who has no transportation and lives in a smaller town with no public transportation and the nearest city is 45 minutes away and none of the places locally are hiring? (true story)
A person who has emotional issues that make them fearful of getting out of the house and the public mental health network is unable to help them, and they cannot get medications that will help them? (true story)
A person undergoing chemotherapy? (true story)
A woman who wears an eyepatch and cannot afford the surgery to correct the eye (true story)?
A man who is on disability? (true story)
A man who has multiple sclerosis so bad that his wife has to stay home to care for him? (true story)

Did you know that for a family of 4, annual income to be at the poverty level is 20,000 per year. Divide that by 52 weeks working 40 hours per week, that means they have to make $9.60 per hour on a 40 hour a week job just to EQUAL the federal poverty guideline? Add to that daycare costs and transportation, and you will see why so many mothers cannot get out to work.
A woman in her 30s who is returning to school for a nursing degree and cannot hold down a full time job while pursuing her studieis, but has 3 children to support and no child support (true story).

These are just some of the reasons why so many people are on welfare. It's not just lazy people who don't want to work.
All of these are examples of real people who are collecting welfare. You might be interested in knowing that 70% of the people receiving welfare are using it as it was designed to be, to get them through a rough time and in those 70% of the cases, they find work within 3 years. The other examples I've given are all real people I know personally here in Michigan. All would work if they had the barriers removed.

So the answer to your question is, to get people to work who are able to work
Provide more daycare subsidies for low income people
Offer nationalized healthcare so that people who are low income can get the medications and medical treatment to get to work.
Demand that society holds both parents financially responsible for the financial upbringing of the children. Absentee parents must be held financially accountable.

Answer 9

lazy-*** ppl that dont wanna work or have a life wanna be lazy. suxs to be middle class cuz we dont get any special stuff lazy *** ppl or really rich ppl have. some of us HAVE to work while others have no life. that is totally not fair.

Answer 10

because a civilised country is judged by how it takes care of its weakest people (elderly, infirm or temporarily unemployed).
US welfare payments are at a lower than subsistence level anyway.