Welfare Reform - Welfare Recipients MUST take Personal Responsibility E

Welfare Reform - Welfare Recipients MUST take Personal ResponsibilityPublic Welfare is an important support governing body of the United Statesgovernment. Welfare has its benefits, but the system has pitfalls. Instead ofabolishing social eudaimonia as critics of the system suggest, reforms can be made tocorrect the problems while government, either on the state or federal level, cancontinue to assist the impoverished.The term eudaimonia is used to describe a variety of programs that depictincome support and puddle a safety net for poor individuals and families. Suchbenefits include Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, food stamps, housingallowances, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Aid To Families WithDependent Children (AFDC) enables states to provide cash payments to childrenthat are deprived of the care or support of a parent. In terms of welfarereform, this is the program most often discussed.The media has created many myths regarding welfare and the reasons thesystem should be done away with. Stating that the majority of new welfarerecipients are poor, single mothers, claims have been made that poor women havemore children because of the incentives of welfare benefits. It has beenproven that is no correlation between womens choice to have children andwelfare benefit levels. Furthermore, for each special child, a mother canexpect an additional $90 of AFDC benefits, far too low to serve as any type ofincentive. In addition, those states that provide higher benefits do notnecessarily fork over higher birth rates among their welfare recipients. Familiesreceiving AFDC benefits have 1.9 children, just about the same as the nationalaverage. (ACLU 1)Another myth created by the media concerns the amount of capital spent andthe results. It has been said that after spending billions of dollars since themid-1960s on anti-poverty programs, there have been little or no results. Tobegin with, spending on AFDC between 1964 and 1994 was notwithstan ding $500 billion, lessthan 1.5% of federal spending for that period. Further, there have been results.Between 1964 and 1973, the poverty rate fell from 19% to 11%. It is true thatsince 1973, poverty has increased. This is ascribable to economic forces such asdeclining real wages, rather than a failure of the system itself.A third myth regarding welfare concer... ...People must be held prudent for their actions economic and moralfailures are not societys fault. As Speaker of the House Gingrich said,We are re-establishing work as an American tradition.(US peeleds & World Report 12)The welfare system is an important aspect of American society. Itassists the impoverished individuals and families of our nation. It helpssupport the unemployed during their time of need. The welfare system mustremain to help people shoot back on their feet, as it was designed. However, itmust be reformed so that dependence on government aid is avoided.Works CitedAmerican Civil Liberties compact The C ivil Liberties Issues of Welfare Reform.New York The American Civil Liberties Union, 1995.Five Media Myths About Welfare. Extra 1-3.Hoehn, Richard. Blueprint for Social Justice Lets Get Real About Welfare.New Orleans Twornery Center for Peace Through Justice, 1995.Kaus, Mickey. The Revival of Liberalism. New York Times. 9 August 1996 A27Say You Want A Revolution. US News and World Report. 9 Oct 1995 11-14Schiller, Bradley, Why Welfare is Still So Hard To Reform. Challenge November-December 1995 16-19