Should the U.S. stop the welfare system?
410490
You do have a good point. The system sucks. If you do pay into it you do not qualify for any assistance. But if you do not work and have 5 baby's form 5 different daddy's and your only 21 yep I think that their is a problem. Or come over here and have your baby so he/she can be a American Citizen has to stop.
909412
It seems to me that the welfare system is not set up for people to succeed.  I was on welfare to go to college.  If I had a test and would not be able to make an appointment, they would not reschedule me.  Instead, I would have to go down the offices on a morning that I can go and wait all day until they had a cancellation so that they could fit me in.  If there were no cancellations, I would have to do the same thing on another day until they could fit me in.  If I didn't get in within a certain amount of time, my benefits were suspended.  As a full-time college student, a full-time/part-time (depending on my school schedule) employee, and a single mom, I did not have that kind of time nor could I afford to not have their help.\n\nAlso, for every dollar that I made at my job, I would lose more than a dollar in benefits.  When I'm not makin much at my job, the loss of benefits really hurt.\n\nPlus, though I was in school, I was supposed to take occupational classes.  If not, I needed all my profs to sign a sheet saying I was in their class - that I was on welfare I did not want everyone to know.\n\nI ended up graduating and getting a great job and I'm definitely paying the system.  I think that if someone is working hard to get off welfare that the system should work with them and that if someone is just abusing the system that it should be harder for them.  Just my opinion.
976642
No.  What the govt needs to do is make sure that the people on food stamps and welfare are actually citizens.  There are a lot of illegals in the "welfare"system and it truly irritates me.  I need help and I can't get it but people who aren't citizens walk in and get whatever they want.  The food stamps and welfare are for citizens who need short-term help for whatever reason.
350585
I lived in Germany for 18 months and had to go by their rules and regulations.  People coming into this country not only need to do the same for us but also speak our language as we do in theirs.  They should not be exempt from paying taxes and should NEVER be allowed to go on welfare.  They are taking money and food from all of us that are natural born citizens.  The open door policy that our country has needs to be closed.\n\nIm an American and dam proud to shout it out!!!!!!!!
983746
Four rules I would add to any welfare system are...\n\nIf you are a minor and get pregnant, you are not entitled to any welfare.  Your parents, the father and his parents are responsible.  No exceptions.  If the father refuses to pay, he should be neutered.  No exceptions.\n\nIf you are of age and get pregnant and want to go on welfare it will be mandatory that you are spaded.  If the father refuses or can't pay, he should be neutered.  You have acted like an animal and should be treated like one.  People who can't take responsibility for their own actions shouldn't be allowed to procreate.  No exceptions.\n\nImmigrants should not get any welfare, social services or tax exemptions at all.  If you want to be a part of a different country then you should contribute to it.  All these church groups that help immigrants come into a country should be forced to support them.  You brought them here, you take financial responsibility for them or they will be shipped back at your expense.  No exceptions.\n\nAny elderly or handicapped must show exactly where their assets went before receiving aid of any kind.  I have seen too often where senior citizens have sold their homes and assets, turned the money over to their kids and then went to live on welfare as a way to beat the system.  What is that but letting the tax payer support your parents when you should be doing it?
902599
Welfare reform is one of those holy grails of social reformists, getting rid of it puts people hard-up against the reality of paying their own bills, paying their own way and so forth. If you feel strongly that welfare should be abolished/reduced, then write your representatives and say that...
410949
Er, what exactly do you mean "won't help the people that are trying to make a living for themselves?"  Where I come from there's tax breaks given for investing, programs to help you get out of debt, programs that allow remote communities access to things like the internet and phone service.  \n\nNow, yeah, there are people who find ways to exploit the system.  I have no problem if we find 'em out and kick 'em off the system.  But there are people who do go on welfare because their husband left them and they have a newborn baby and can't work because they have no one to take care of it.  \n\nI'm not saying the system is perfect, or that there aren't people who get away with cheating the system.  Far from it.  Doesn't matter if you had all the manpower in the world, you couldn't prevent some level of corruption.  But should a child starve because his mother is a thief?  There ain't no easy answers to these sorts of questions, no matter how much we wish there were.
884655
Kinda hard to answer...welfare in Canada?  US?  UK?  Germany?\nItaly?.....????\n\nOk...in the US many states have enacted a 2 year maximum benefits policy and after that the person has to work on some sort of community improvement program...I agree with this as long as affordable child care is available.  Also, some states have welfare rules set very low...if you work at mcdonalds, you don't qualify, even if the cost of living is so high in the area that you have to live in a tent at a KOA or national park (ie. Georgia or the Sun Valley area of Idaho)...this is getting too extreme.  The question is...is it worth it to society to pay a little to single parents working at underpaid jobs and have kids taken properly cared of, or let them go as they will and have latchkey kids running wild and ending up in prison later.  I think that the welfare system in MOST of the US is too stringent and more money should be allocated for it...if we can afford a trillion dollars for Iraq, we can afford a hundred million more for struggling and working single parents.
791029
Unfortunately, one of the most corrupt government spending programs is entitlements/welfare.  I really dont know how to fix it now since it is far out of control.  It would be hard to reform the system and "fine-tune" it when it is so far out of control, but we should give it a go.  I say out of control because some people who as far as I can see receive these entitlements now are not worthy of such benefits.  I think people who are deserving of these benefits are only the eldely and handicapped (mentally or physically).  Any person who can physically work should be working, ceteris paribus!  I understand that is an issue for debate with some.\n\nFurthermore, I think taxes should be levied entirely on a user basis.  I am speaking not only of school taxes, but I am going to take it a bit further by saying there should be no income taxes, instead tax items for sale.  Basically, what you buy is taxed by the government in place of the income tax.  Why should people have to pay taxes on items they do not benefit from, ie. school taxes for single homes.  I understand there are some issues with this, but it is just a thought.
568837
Only if they learn our language and our ways. As long as they\nhave to pay for the same things we do. We don't need anymore\nhere on welfare. Also learn our laws and respect our culture.
460970
I think it would definitely help if people repaid the welfare system once they could afford to(voluntarily), what people should remember is that they're not paying it back to help the government, they're paying it back to help those in need who are now in a situation that they were once in themselves. I think that it's appalling that only men have to pay back welfare, in Australia it's a little more even.
693439
If the country was being run like it should be, we shouldn't have anyone here in the US living in poverty.  \n\nSadly even the minimum wage is a "poverty wage".  You can work 40 hours a week and work all 52 weeks a year, and you would still be considered living in "poverty".\n\nSo to answer your question:  Yes, the government is wasting our tax dollars and making impractical decisions.\n\nIf they were running the country properly, we wouldn't have to have a need for welfare, or be hated by more people than ever from other countries (war issue).
1039171
Why in the world would we liberals want to be a part of a welfare system that perpetuates poverty and dependency?  We are saying help those who can't help themselves, with schooling and health care and a host of dozens of other programs to improve the quality of life for many AMERICANS, you dumb ass.  We want to give them a hand up, not a hand out but you bastards keep cutting the programs.  These programs also EMPLOY many Americans so when you cut them you cut jobs, you ignorant prick.
1165187
Excellent question. Though there are some homeless people who are simply lazy, the issue is much more complex than conservatives would have you think. Even if the person is a lazy bum, maybe they have children. Should their children have to live on the street because their parents are lazy? I think not. As far as being mentally ill, this is true also; however, I fail to see what it has to do with the question. So, mentally ill people should be left starving and homeless? In the richest country in the world?? It is ridiculous and it is sad that our government is more concerned with immoral wars and increasing their own wealth than helping the poorest among us. And all the while sending billions in aid to other countries. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with helping poor people from ANY country; however, American citizens should come first. No American should be homeless or hungry. No American citizen should be unable to see a doctor because of a lack of insurance. I will repeat, we live in the RICHEST country in the world and we let our own people suffer like this while at the same time rushing to "liberate" Iraq at a cost of billions of dollars. It is shameful.
1124810
I say 'trash welfare'. There should be some kind of structure to support women with little kids and no income, because some guys knock women up and hit the road...never to be seen again. Such impromptu 'families' need public assistance. I don't support doing that for foreigners, because that paves the path for the 'anchor baby' thing...anyway it should be done on a case-by-case basis, whatever's done needs to be well-managed so that riding a public program doesn't turn into a career for people....\n\nI've held minimum-wage jobs, and they sucked, but I did em anyway. If someone's hiring, don't turn your nose up, turn in an application. Maybe it doesn't have all the benefits and 'sugar' you want, but maybe you really don't need half that stuff anyway.\nI'd rather see americans roll up their sleeves and get out there and do some manual labor, rather than paying Manuel 3 bucks an hour to do it for them. I'm not saying that Manuel doesn't need an opportunity, I'm saying that it's not the job of american citizens to give him one. But: we can collectively do Manuel a BIG favor, and that's to lean on the corrupt institutions of Mexico until they see fit to reform and make their country a better place for those living in it...so they don't have to risk life, limb, incarceration and worse to try and have a shot at a decent life. Mexico's the real problem here, america's been plenty tolerant for decades, trying to help, trying to be a good neighbor, but you can't be blind to trends. Drugs and illegal labor have to be worth 50 billion annually to Mexico. Also, they need to cut their population growth rate, and stop expecting america to pick up the tab for their lack of planning...unless that IS the plan...in which case that fence can't go in place fast enough...
773686
Welfare is for losers. I'd rather starve.\n\nWith Granholm re-elected and the Dems in majority, I might get the opportunity to do just that!
731135
No such thing as too much money in a free market capitalist system. Hmmm what would you suggest happen? Income redistribution, give some to the poor folks? Nope, they can go to work and make there own!\n\nDonna H down below me, for your information rich Americans are the most benevolent givers of any nation. We give to charities every year more money then the gross national product of most nations on this planet. So don't say they don't give anything back because that my dear.......is a lie!