Reply #9: I know this is not a popular view here, but welfare needed reform

[moggie12]

Please, don't call me a "freeper" or "fascist", but I worked in local government in New York for thirteen years and the welfare system truly, truly needed reform (eight years in NYC and five in Syracuse). It was a well-intentioned idea, but, as it grew over the years, it turned into something in large measure counter-productive. This is a rough calculation, but half the women on welfare were simply born into it -- it was a way of life in their families. They had babies when they were teens and never tried to achieve anything educationally or career-wise. Having babies that young puts you at a disadvantage your whole life and the government was, in effect, subsidizing/enabling it. My heart would literally break in two when talking to these women. By the time they were 30, they literally believed they were worthless, that they couldn't hack it in any job or career training program. Opportunities were there for them, but they were too scared and too set in their ways to try. We spent an enormous amount of time setting up peer counseling programs and providing support for those brave enough to try, but few succeeded. When it got too scary, they retreated to the safety of welfare.

Twenty-five percent at least were actively "scamming" the system: Working off the books, getting income from boyfriends, selling illegally obtained Food Stamps for cash, etc, etc. In my heart, I didn't blame them for supplementing their income -- it wasn't like they were living in mansions. Still, there were people in similar financial situations who didn't commit fraud.

The last 25% were the people the system was actually designed to serve: People who'd run into trouble (had a job but lost it, father of the baby had been supporting them but couldn't anymore, etc.) This was the most perverse effect of the system: The system was so bureaucratic, it couldn't help these people very well. For example, you had to wait 45 days before getting your first check -- well, for gosh sakes, if you were expecting your boyfriend to show up Friday and give you money for the baby's diapers and formula and he doesn't, is the baby supposed to wait 45 days until being fed??? (There were emergency programs but they were a nightmare, too -- because there was so much fraud in the system, the system was designed to be bureaucratic and require all kinds of documentation and draw things out.)

Well, that's probably more info than you ever wanted to know, but, in my opinion anyway, welfare reform was a good thing. Young girls should stay in school and get some career training and not rush into motherhood.