What is your opinion on our state welfare programs?

I am writing a term paper for my history class over poverty and state welfare. I'd like to know others' opinions on who they think should qualify for welfare and if such programs are even needed. My mom, being a career transition specialist for Job Corps has come into contact with lazy well able teens who are sitting at home dependent on welfare and we are paying for them.

What is your opinion on our state welfare programs?
I am on Medicaid to pay for my pregnancy related medical bills. This pregnancy was not planned, and we were using condoms at the time (the condom didn't even break; it just had a pinhole leak that we didn't notice... so I didn't know to take Plan B). I couldn't bring myself to have an abortion.





Am I ashamed that I'm on Medicaid? No, not really. I'm a college student. I live pay check to pay check. Until recently I had insurance, but was kicked off of my Mom's policy when I turned 23 (which is the age at which according to the insurance company that I'm supposed to be financially stable enough to afford insurance... yea right!). All the insurance plans that were offered to me that I could afford did not cover pregnancy, birth control pills OR any gynecological exams. What am I supposed to do in this scenario? Kill my unborn child just because I can't pay the medical bills to bring it into this world?





Yes, I will struggle even with the help from Medicaid... but I am not lazy. My boyfriend works two jobs and I work full time as well. My Mom is chipping in and I've received lots of free baby items from other relatives, friends and neighbors. I'll take all the help I can get from the people I know...





The problem with welfare is that there is no transition. If at any time I make even 50 cents over the income limit I will lose my Medicaid and have to pay all of my medical bills by myself (which will cause me to have to declare bankruptcy, quite honestly). This puts a cap on the amount of money that I can earn (thank goodness my boyfriend and I aren't married! Then we would probably have to use additional state funding to afford everything else, right now since we aren’t married his income doesn't count against my Medicaid). So it's all or nothing. There is no transitional phase... I have to make less than a certain dollar amount in order to receive care... which makes it impossible for me to find a better paying job and eventually get off Medicaid. If we had programs that helped people with what they needed, and then gradually took things away as they became self sufficient then you would see a decrease in the amount of people on welfare. But as it stands now people are stuck in a vicious cycle. They can't get a better job because then they won't have any help at all. All or nothing does not help us get on our feet and pay our own way (which most people on welfare want to do), but instead does the opposite and discourages us from doing any better because of the fear of losing all of our benefits!





There is a huge stigma attached to being on any kind of welfare program. Are some people on welfare lazy? Probably. But I would say the vast majority of us really need the help and want to get off welfare as soon as possible.





Good Luck with your paper!
Reply:No, government welfare is not needed, especially not at the federal level. It creates dependency, and it's expensive to implement due to extra bureaucracy, which creates an even high expense on the people providing the welfare, the working people. This requires higher taxes, bigger government, centralizing power %26amp; money away from individuals to inefficient federal programs.





Private charity is much cheaper to run %26amp; much more generous, and does a heck of a lot better job of tackling problems like welfare. People who say private citizens don't do enough, while voting for government to have more of the money %26amp; authority to create welfare programs, which in turn gives private charities less money %26amp; influence, create their own spiraling cycles.





It also creates impractical guidelines on how to distribute welfare. What if they make this much, what about this age, what about this health problem, etc? Gov't programs have to create black %26amp; white lines, while private charities are suited to consider individual cases.





I linked an example.
Reply:Welfare is neither an easy program to get into nor an easy program to be on in my state. Even programs such as food stamps reevaluate you annually to make sure you have not been convicted of felonies and still meet the requirements for the program.


State Medicare will reevaluate you anywhere between 1-5 years, depending on your scenario. I have intractable grand mal epilepsy, hydrocephalus, I can't drive, I can bore you with the number of medications I have been put on and the number of surgeries I have been through, and Medicare still checks on me every 3 years.


So checks are necessary so that abuse doesn't happen. Sometimes it seems a little frustrating, especially when you're trying to get into the system, and you KNOW you are truly disabled. The scary thing is, when you think you are bad off, and you look around in those places, and you see people worse off than you applying for benefits. That creeped the hell out of me, but then I realized how lucky I was.
Reply:welfare should not be for lazy people, it should be for people who want to help themselves, not an easy way to live. it makes me angry when a woman and her boyfriend live together on section 8, when i have to pay rent for me and my 3 kids without any help. if i need some assistance from the government to maintain what i have i should be able to get it. i do believe it is needed as a platform to keep people from falling to far into poverty. if someone tells you don't worry I'll make sure you eat everyday and have money for other basic needs, you will continue to push forward. if that safety net wasn't there someone could fall between the cracks and never recover. most often someone is on welfare because they have a small child, welfare gives that next generation a chance to do better. if mom stays in poverty, that's all the child will know and the cycle will inevitable continue. give that mom a push, to know she doesn't have to worry about her baby starving she can focus on a master plan. it's the ones who abuse the system that will cause it to crumble
Reply:Well I am on welfare right now because of domestic violence. I think it is a great program for people that have certain crises or yes made a mistake. Welfare requires 32 hours a week of work, school, or job search. Many people are on to actually better themselves, and others are on it just for some extra money. I have heard many sad stories of people who need it but cannot get on because they have no children. I think it should be more than just for people with children.


I was a stay at home mom going to school, while my boyfriend brought home the money. After my baby was born, he became really controlling. I was just gonna put up with it until I could survive on my own. But then he got violent, so I had too leave. If it wasn't for welfare I would either be getting beat up everyday, or I would have had to drop out of school and go back to McDonalds. School is very important to me and I know it will make a much better life. So now I am going through phlebotomy training and will be off in a few months and then I can have a well paid job that I can work less hours but still provide for my son and be able to finish nursing school.
Reply:Your mother is right. I work in, what we will call social services field. I have seen so many people on disability for NO reason at all. They arent disabled, they are LAZY ASSES. We pay for their housing, meds, utilities, everything. My thought is this, to qualify for aide of any kind--you must take a weekly drug screen and pass it to continue to "get their checks". I bet over half of what each state is spending would be cut. I also think that for all these women popping out babies left and right and cant take care of them cause they are too lazy to work--court ordered sterilization. That also goes for the skanks who get their kids removed cause they wont quit snorting blow and shooting heroin while they are preggers. The welfare system is royally jacked up and needs serious reform. These lazy scags are living off of working people. I cant afford to go to doc every time I need to, but those people go to the damn ER to get an excuse so they dont have to go to school. The state is at fault too, they allow this bullshit to happen!!!!
Reply:I live in Michigan and our economy isn't the greatest right now, in addition to that we have the highest level of unemployment , therefore a lot of welfare recipients. Like two girls stated above, it can be a help to get someone on their feet, and when used the way it is supposed to be, should only be temporary. Unfortunately, it is abused by people who have no intentions of getting a job, or even trying to provide for their family. I have met people from both sides and think there should be some restrictions on it. Mandatory drug testing as well. I get a little irritated when I see the large chunk of money that comes out of my paycheck to let people sit on their butts, and yet I think it should be there for the poor children. They don't ask to be brought into this world by incompetent parents. I mean the ones that are not even trying and keep having babies to get more benefits. It is hard enough for me to pay my $1200 a month daycare bill for my two children, and pay for someone to just sit back and collect. Somethings gotta give.
Reply:I think welfare needs to be harder on people. It seems to me that too many well and able people just get paid to "Sit around". Some of these people have nicer things than really hard working people. If you are entitled to welfare, it should be governed and you must get a job within a certain amount of time. I also know of several people who just have kids so they don't have to work. Welfare should help pay for childcare so parents can work...Make them work if they are able.
Reply:I know in my state that we seem to have a handle on the welfare issue and after working in worker's comp and social security law, it doesn't seem to me that a lot of people are making a killing on welfare here.





I don't have as much of an issue with people using welfare, usually young couples with young children or disabled people, as much as I have an issue with how much it costs to distribute the funds. I think we pay much more in tax money for overhead, than we do for actual recepients.





But programs like WIC and free hot lunch and subsidized daycare are programs that I see often and that work and I think they are helpful. I don't mind my tax dollars going for that.
Reply:Welfare should be very difficult to receive and it should be limited. There should be a cap on children, so breeding for dollars will no longer be supported. Generations on welfare is a shame and should be a crime. It is nothing but modern day legalized slavery.
Reply:These are modern day slaves of the govt.


They have gotten enough to survive on for the basics there is no reason to work...why work when you get the same or more when you don't.....they say the illegals come here to do the work Americans wont do.....well make them do it.
Reply:welfare is fine. It is a wedge issue used by the republicans to divide people.





we spend more money each year servicing the debt run up by Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Bush than we spend on welfare
Reply:I think the welfare system is way over used and abused. It is a good program to have there for people who fall on hard times and may need a hand. But too many people take advantage of it and use it so they can live the life they feel they should live, instead of working harder or making sacrifices. In Michigan, we don't have time limits on welfare and it pisses me off. My sister-in-law lives on welfare because she feels it's her right to be a stay-at-home mom. Some of her husband's income is under the table, so they get a good chunk of money from the government. Yet they make absolutely no sacrifices in their budget. They have expensive electronics, drive nice vehicles, their kids wear designer clothes, etc. I think welfare should be a last resort, after you have cut out unnecessary expenses and still need help with the basics, like paying for a roof over your head and for food. I don't think it should be something used to supplement someone's income to they can live how they feel they are entitled to live, with no sacrifices.


I would also like to see more restrictions on the type of foods that can be bought using food stamps, similar to how WIC says which foods can or cannot be used. The only restrictions (that I know of) for food stamps are alcohol and tobacco. I think things like pre-packaged, processed meals, other junk foods, and soda shouldn't be allowed. Those things are expensive and not necessary.
Reply:It's not only teens. I get so angry at my neighbor...39 years old. She just had her first baby in April, and they take care of her boyfriend's two kids, plus the new baby. Living in a 900 square ft. 2 bedroom home. Electricity, cable and phone all have been cut off at certain points. They always are having to borrow money from his parents. And yet she opted NOT to have her tubes tied while on Medicaid after the baby was born. She said she doesn't know if she wants another one. She doesn't work, and he works 2 - 3 jobs...two of them being sales/commission jobs. I asked her "Wouldn't you rather get your finances in some sort of order before bringing another baby into your home?" and her response was "I don't know if our finances will ever be in order". I just don't get it. I don't understand how someone could still plan on having another baby living like that. But you know what? The welfare system makes having a baby possible...so easy because you don't pay a dime. My niece for example...now has THREE kids...all of them born while she was on Medicaid. And did she get her tubes tied after the third? NO! In my opinion, I don't care how young you are, but after you deliver baby number 2 (and didn't give any up for adoption), it should be manditory to have your tubes tied. Because after Medicaid for Mom...it transfers to the baby. Also the food stamps and WIC that comes along with it. It's too much. These people need to stop depending on the government to take care of them, and the government needs to put a limit to helping them!

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