I Want My Money And I Want It Now!

    My first real post will be about welfare. Welfare as stated by the Google dictionary is "governmental provision of economic assistance to persons in need". Now alone this is fine. People that actually are in need (mentally disabled, physically disabled, etc.) do deserve economic assistance if they are unable to supply it for themselves. But what is happening today? People are abusing the system. Along with that, people get this feeling of entitlement, they feel as if they deserve the money the government is giving them. This entitlement issue is driving the country further into the deficit. In 2009 over 600 billion dollars was spent on welfare.

    The US Department of Labor reported that 1.9% total UI payments for 2001 was attributable to fraud or abuse within the UI program. If you do the math this is 11,400,000,000 dollars in fraud... There are so many stories about welfare fraud such as in April 2007, Los Angeles County- Through their citizen children, illegal immigrants in Los Angeles County collect $420 million annually in welfare and food stamps, according to a report requested by 5th District County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.  The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services told the supervisor that payments to illegal immigrants' children amount to approximately 24% of the county's combined CalWORKS and food stamps budget. These are illegal immigrants using our tax money to live in our country illegally!
   

     Wikipedia defines entitlement as "a guarantee of access to benefits based on established rights or by legislation." To make this clearer, I conducted a small experiment at my school. I gave people on my bus one piece of gum everyday. I did this for one week. Towards the end they wouldn't ask and I wouldn't offer, I'd just give it to them. But on Monday of the next week I got on the bus chewing my gum and my friends just all put out their hands waiting for their daily "share". I didn't give them anything. They asked where their gum was and I said I didn't have any for them. They were shocked! I told them I didn't need to give them gum... It was mine. But they resisted and said I owed them it. As if I were in some sort of debt to them. When I didn't give them any gum they started to do things even as severe as hurting me (playfully of course). They started raiding my bag, and when they fell to their defeat, they just didn't even talk to me. I just sat on the bus and smiled.
   
    Now, how does this in any way relate to welfare and the government? The government is giving these people who really don't need welfare their "full share". These people get into a habit of getting their check and it starts to turn into a routine. When the payments stop though, they don't like it (obviously). They will try to get more! But, the problem is, the payments wont stop. Politicians will continue the government handouts to gain support for their political reign and continue to receive the votes.

    Why is this bad? Someone once asked me. If everyone gets money why is that bad? Well, the answer lies in the simple phrase, "take from the workers, and give to the lazy". The government is taking the money from the hard money making workers and giving it to support this corrupt system of government handouts! Pretty much, the lazy Americans (or illegals) on the receiving side are being paid by the hard workers for doing... Nothing! Does that sound fair?

    If politicians really cared about the citizens of America, they will stop the payments and get the lazy Americans to work for their money! Stimulate the economy and we will all be happier.
Thanks!

Austin