I grew up in a very small town where 80% of the population of this town was involved in the welfare program in one way or another. There were two distinct classes of people within this town. There were the people who worked for a living, and there were those who simply refused to do so. There never seem to be an in between. I know there are a lot of towns that have this problem, but the one I came from has one of the highest rates of people on welfare in the country.
People dont understand why moved away. I have old friends often questioning me as to why would wanted to leave. I often stare at them in wonderment when they ask me this question. Though I understand that there are some people who need to use the welfare program at a rough time in their life, I cannot condone those who believe the system is there for their own laziness. I know more than anyone that there are times in life when you need extra help, but those who have lived on the welfare program for more than 20 years of their lives have obviously never given the concept of working for a living much thought.
Luckily, the welfare program has changed over the years. I dont know if the change was a good one, but the results I have seen seem to indicate that it was. From what I understand, the welfare program is geared towards getting those who need help to get on their feet and moving. It will not support them and their families on and on for an endless amount of time. There are many women I knew who admitted that they had baby after baby just so they could exploit the welfare program. I do believe that these rules have changed and that this is no longer allowed.
The best part of the welfare program is that it allows a single mother to put herself through college and afford daycare while doing so. This encourages her to take care of herself, and to find a better job. Some of these women who would not want to be on the welfare program might be stuck in a minimum-wage job. By the time they paid for their daycare they would have nothing left. It is understandable why they may have been stuck in the welfare program for years. However, with a college education, they can get a much higher paying job and this might allow them the freedom that they wish for. I dont know about the welfares statistics in that town I came from now, but I hope many of them had been forced to get a job when they had done nothing to help themselves in the past.
3:48 PM