Let's Talk About Welfare

Every other thread and real life political conversation... welfare always seems to pop up.

It is no secret that conservatives are generally for removing the welfare social safety nets. For the purpose of this thread, welfare will include social assistance, housing, SNAP, unemployment benefits, and social security.

Let's use our imagination. Republicans succeed in repealing all the aforementioned welfare programs. What are the solutions for the following:

1) Potential increase in crime
2) Potential increase in homelessness
3) Potential drag on the economy, due to loss of unemployment benefits
4) Potential increase in elderly poverty
5) Potential shorter life expectancy

 

Corporate welfare should be abolished, how comes you don't mention that?

Also, SNAP should be converted into a cash payment because it is the equivalent of Stalin.

 

No one is for removing any of these things; however, some research as suggested these programmes have become a drag on the economy. These programmes are supposed to be means tested (falling or ending when comes rise), the government has been expanding these programmes, which has raised the effective marginal tax rate on labour income.

 

Socialised housing and medicine should be introduced - this will actually save money in the long time by avoiding the exorbitant costs paid , via welfare, to private landlords, doctors and hospitals.

 

Oh, I agree.

HOWEVER, I'm interested in hearing how the repeal welfare benefit crowd proposes to solve those problems.

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They are considered economic stabilizers. They could potentially drag the economy during a boom, but they certainly ease the damage during a recession.

 

We round them up and create jobs for prison guards.

Buy them tents. It will create jobs.

Already solved in #1 and #2 above

Support your own parents.

We have too many people. It will help solve this alleged AGW problem the left obsesses about. Dead people do not have much of a carbon footprint.

 

If by ease, you mean stagnate growth, then sure. The market is in a state of perpetual abyss, neither heading towards recovery or collapse. What these welfare programmes have done was created a disincentive to work, as high effective marginal tax rates makes increased dollar earnings unavailable to a worker because it is paid in taxes or offset by reductions in benefits from government programs. These welfare programmes may sound attractive in the grand scheme of things, but they do nothing to progress growth in the economy in the long-term.

The best way to fix the welfare issue is to create incentives for people to work. Fix the employment issue and the welfare issue may fix itself.

 

While I think your solutions are harsh, thanks for the honest response.

My coworkers were talking about welfare at work today.... one of them proposed the idea of "welfare colonies" in the rural areas, where they are made to work. It sounded like modern day concentration camps.

 

Your main point is just not true, most conservatives do NOT want to repeal those programs, they just want to curb the FW&A and make them fiscally sound. In some cases, many believe certain programs could and should be delegated to the states or at least some responsibilities should be shared. Look at what Clinton did in the late 90s with the GOP Congress, they got people off welfare and working by tightening the work req'ts. Those safety net programs can be administered a lot more effectively and efficiently than they are now, and THAT's what most conservatives want to see.

 

Doesn't sound that different than being one of the original colonists.....40 acres and a mule works well for me too.

 

So what requirements would you implement?

Can you give examples?

 

There's also another type of welfare that has expanded as well; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb0UNRl-paQ

 

Okay???

 

With only one job available for every three people looking, isn't quite going to solve the employment problem.

 

The biggest cause of Welfare are single mothers. Since the Liberals have sold the poor on it being such a good gig with all the welfare handouts and no need for Dads anymore the welfare condition has become a generational epidemic. This is exactly what the leftists wanted.... poor, uneducated people dependent on their big government handouts. Congratulations Liberals... you caused this mess. Now you want to "solve" it... what a total joke.

 

This is a fallacy. I can support absolutism without wanting mothers to have to be single.

 

They should try reading The Hunger Games series or the Divergent series.

Heck even Star Trek did a two hour epsiode on this.

Rounding up people who are poor, it doesn't end well.

 

It's one job available for every two people looking, actually. And there are over 4.1 million job openings currently in the market.

What are all of these unemployed people waiting for? I think I know...

 

Yup! Hunger games is a good example.

Which Star Trek episode was this? (I've seen all series)

 

You can't just get a job. Employers don't owe you a job.

 

A lot of them are unskilled and some just don't want to take a menial job.. which is a cultural problem.

 

Capitalism has done a pretty good job of that already. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect people to have to work for their food.

Why not? What do we keep them around for? If they don't want to do it, I guess it's time to bring out big government. You don't want that, do you?

If they don't owe me a job then I don't owe them the opportunity to exist.

 

While that may be true, many of these jobs are going unfilled. This can only leave one out of two possible explanations:

1. The skills the labour market possess is a mismatch with the skills employers require.
2. The unprecedented amount of social safety nets has dilute incentives to work.

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There are at least 2 million job openings that do not require much skills, according to JOLTS. If anything, I'd say it is a culture of laziness.

Can't say that I blame anyone. I'd take welfare over work any day of the week.

 

Social Security is NOT welfare. Everyone that works pays for it. Welfare is free schidt that is given out to buy votes.

Republicans have no problem with welfare for people that really need it, such as the very young, the very old, and the infirm. What we do have a problem with is lazy assed drones that just dont want to work, and expect the government to give them a cradle to grave existance.

The parks dept have the right idea with their signs. "Dont feed the animals, it make them lazy and dependent"

 

Technically, no one pays for it. You pay for someone else's, and when you retire, someone else will pay for you.

It's a transfer payment, just like any other Welfare Program.

I don't have a problem with welfare for anyone. If the government is going to give away free money, I don't see why anyone wouldn't abuse it.