Limiting Welfare

Daniel Bobylov

Since the Great Depression, welfare has been a vital component of the American economy. There was once a time when unemployed citizens needed to demonstrate an attempt to find work in order to receive welfare. However, in the past decade things have changed; due to reduced requirements for welfare recipients, since the year 2000, the number of Americans living their lives off of government aid has nearly tripled from 17 million to over 47 million people. Leeches who are not do not contribute to any societal progress receive the same benefits as those working a part time job or are actively searching for work. One by one, states are beginning to combat the issue.

Governor of Maine, Paul LePage, has lead the fight in combating welfare leeches with legislation. In the State of Maine, to receive welfare benefits, able-bodied adults must either work part time for 20 hours a week or volunteer for at least 24 hours a month. This measure drastically reduced the amount of able-bodied residents thriving off of welfare from 12,000 to 2,500, saving the federal government over 15 million dollars annually.

Kansas has also started to take control of the welfare starting with reforms made by the State Senate. By a 30–10 vote, the Senate voted to restrict the amount of money taken out of ATM’s to prevent expensive off-the-books purchases with government provided money. This is also key to enforcing restrictions on welfare expenditures.

New Hampshire was another case of the local government taking control of ridiculous spending of welfare money. It had gotten so out of hand that the new legislation had to band spending welfare on alcohol, tobacco, firearms, gambling, tattoos, massages, piercing, spas, salons, cruises, etc. The hardworking taxpayers of America provide money to aid people between jobs; this is NOT money for luxurious cruises. It is outrageous that people “struggling to survive” can be found shopping on their shiny new iPhone's; these unnecessary luxuries should not be purchased at others’ expense. The only way to protect the American people is through government action.

The Federal Government needs to be proactive rather than reactive and limit welfare so that staying at home is no longer a better option than going out and getting a part time job. With stricter requirements to acquire welfare, able-bodied adults will all be searching for work and America will reach its potential of minimal unemployment and low taxes on the working class. At all costs must Americas economy be protected from the socialism that is taking control of our economy.