How do conservatives want to help the poor?

Question

I have been critizied for claiming that conservatives don't have a plan or any ideas on how to help the poor and homeless in this country. well conservatives, this is your chance.
TELL ME WHAT THE CONSERVATIVE PLAN IS FOR THE POOR.
please be realistic.

many talk that too many people take advantage of the system, I agree but sometimes it is more important to help some one than it is to be taken as a sucker.

Answer 1

No.

One time I saw a question about 48 Million with no health insurance and a proudly christian conservative started a diatribe with "cry me a river..."

In other words, let'em eat cake!

Answer 2

I think the first notion of having a "plan for the poor" should be put aside for a minute. The plan should be, how do we maximize freedom & choice and keep government taxation & regulation at a minimum. These concepts will give rise to solutions to many other issues.

Reducing the tax burden, having a robust economy and as many choices as possible for people (including in education, health insurance, etc) will have positive effects on everyone.

If people have more disposable income they will donate more and take care of their friends & families instead of having to have some government program that does it. This is exactly what happened in the 1800's and early 1900's when there was no such thing as a government welfare.

The problem is that we have such a high tax burden now that people don't have money to donate or simply don't feel the moral obligation to since they are paying such high taxes. People simpy figure that the government will help people (but remember, the government is you!).

A robust economy creates jobs & opportunity for people.
An education system that was market oriented would save the country billions and improve education which in turn would improve the opportunities for people.

If government were to get out of the way and simply do the few things it is suppose to do and leave everything else up to the people we would be much better off.

In the end there could still be a couple small government programs to help those people that truly need it but this number would be extremely small.

Even today the so-called "poor" sector of the U.S. is greatly over emphasized and mischaracterized. The statistics on poor people in the U.S. usually do not take in account the numerous young people that work jobs while in high school & college which thus increases the number of "poor" people when in reality these are simply kids trying to make a few extra dollars and not people raising families. Also, there are many people working 2nd & 3rd jobs for extra money and these people are often included in the statistics. Also, most "poor" people in the U.S. have cell phones, tv's, cable, multiple cars and eat out at least twice a week. Does this sound poor to you?

Freedom & opportunity are the biggest things you can give to people and then after that they have to work hard, be motivated and make something of themselves.

I am a middle class American and I personally don't know anyone that I would consider "poor". I know many people that are lazy, unmotivated and blame all their problems on everyone and everything but themselves and even these people I would not consider poor because they have many luxuries that they could get rid of if they wanted to. It's about the choices people make that often put them in bad situations. Government will never be able to cure this.

Answer 3

Copied my answer to your previous question:

Well, there *are* far too many people who abuse the system. I have absolutely NO problem giving someone a hand up, but I do *not* want to give anyone a hand OUT.

No, the poor don't always get the opportunities, but they *do* still have some opportunity. We certainly need to ensure that our poor children don't fall through the cracks.

However, in the case you're taking about - that guy should be prosecuted. Period. If it was up to me, deadbeat dads like him would have a HUGE tattoo on their forehead. announcing to the world that he's a pathetic excuse for a man.

I disagree VERY strongly with your assertion that Conservatives don't want to help the poor. If you look up the statistics, Conservatives are *far* more likely to donate to charity. We *do* belive in helping the poor - we just don't think the goverment is the best way to go.

Back to welfare. I knew a girl in California who was a single mom, living with her boyfriend (not the baby's dad). She did not work - he had an excellent job. She collected welfare, and guess what she did with the money? She went out and bought a BRAND NEW TRUCK! WTF? Then, she had the nerve to complain to me about welfare reform! I blew a gasket (no pun intended) and told her she should get into MY truck and bring it to MY house since *I* was paying for it. I also pointed out to her that neither myself nor my boyfriend had a new car, and we both worked full-time!! Needless to say, that was the end of that friendship. I still regret that I did not turn her in for fraud - she was taking money that should have gone to someone who really *needed* it.

I have another friend who lives in Minnesota. She was a single mom, and needed a hand up. She went on welfare for two years - and purchased her first home six months after going off of welfare. SHE is the type of person we need to be helping - NOT the selfish ***** in the first example.

I also think that we need to take better care of our low-wage earners. When I used to wait tables, before I was married, I made too much to qualify for help had I gotten pregnant - but I can assure you, I certainly did not make enough to support myself, let alone support a baby.

Finally, if you give people something for nothing, you're not really helping them. Most people want to have some self-respect, and they don't get it by being kept in poverty. Teach them some basic skills and then SUPPLEMENT their income if it's not very high. That makes far more sense than paying someone to sit on their *** all day.

Answer 4

I can't claim to speak for conservatives everywhere, but think the general idea is to make enough jobs - so if someone wants to work, they can. Conservatives and liberals differ in that conservatives believe that hard work will pay off (for anyone) - liberals believe that the 'system' keeps certain groups down - so it's the government's job to step in a pay (literally) for the perceived imbalances. You help the poor by allowing them the opportunity to help themselves, not by plugging them into a system that only serves to perpetuate their condition. Just my opinion. :-)

Answer 5

Here is the conservative plan for the poor and homeless:

(1) Those who cannot work because they are physically or mentally disabled will be cared for.

(2) Those who are homeless will be offered shelter, food, and medical/psychiatric treatment but it will not be forced down their throats.

(3) Able-bodied people who can't find jobs or can't support themselves will continue to receive welfare AND will receive job placement assistance and additional education or vocational training that will enable these people to get jobs that pay well enough so they can support themselves, at which time they will be weaned off welfare -- in short, help these people get to the point where they don't NEED welfare anymore.

(4) Those select few individuals who are able-bodied but basically sit on their lazy butts and collect welfare but refuse to work will be cut off. You don't work, you don't try, you don't eat. Period. If you have children, your children will be taken away from you and placed in homes or with families who will ensure that the children will be properly fed, clothed, sheltered, and cared for.

Answer 6

Conservatives as you call them, tend to lean towards capitalism and free market forces to improve the lives of everyone. This is done by giving everyone including the poor the opportunity to improve their own situation. By allowing everybody to pursue their dream with the least amount of interference as possible from the government. The theory is that if the Government just stays out of the way people will be able to live a better life by helping themselves. One area conservatives can be criticized is that they error on the side of letting people and companies have too much freedom, which can be abused.

Answer 7

Tax reform. I think that at least most people wont argue that we are taxed alot.
When business has more money, its able to hire extra people.
When unemployment is lower, and consequently jobs are available, then some of the people in the lower paying jobs move up to higher paying jobs.
As a result the lower paying jobs have to have more incentive to get people so they raise the wage or add some benefits.

Quantity of jobs improves, and to some degree quality of them does as well.
More people work more money is made, and the lowered income tax is compensated for by more people paying taxes.

Also some of those people who were unemployed were drawing unemployment, some drawing welfare. which instead of a drain on tax funds now they will be paying into them.

This is why tax cuts work.

Answer 8

TO open up opportunities to help them work their way from being poor. Democrat programs make it easier to be poor, but makes it harder for them to advance. Look at the successful and less than successful minority groups. The African American actually has moved backwards in the last 50 years. THe Chinese, Greeks and Jews continue to advance. THis is done through schools and small businesses. Neither has treated schools properly, but the Republicans are a stronger supporter of small businesses.

Answer 9

One small way is through the unemployment rate. The tax cuts allow bussinesses to expand and hire more people. Our unemployment rate is now very low. There are always going to be people who just can't or won't work, so we've reached the point where employers are not trying to hire the unemployed, but are instead competing for the ones who want to work. They do that by offering better wages, better benefits, and better working conditions.

Once the unemployment rate drops to a certain point the quality of the jobs starts to get better from the bottom up. I actually work in one of those "lower" jobs myself and I am starting to see a lot of improvement in my working conditions and the condition of my paycheck.

Answer 10

I volunteer at a local homeless shelter regularly. I'm working with the pastor that's running it to provide some educational tools that can help "poor people" (as you put it) get out of the rut they are in. Examples of this are: Learning how to balance a checkbook, learning how to save, and invest their money, and we also provide information as to how to start their own business. Some people take to it, and learn, some people don't because they refuse to leave their comfort zone. It's up to the individual to change, not government.

Answer 11

The plan is to make them stronger by denying them affordable medical care, food and shelter, and educational opportunities. If you deny the poor of these things, they'll be forced to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. See. " Mission Accomplished"....