So What About the Poor?

Up until recently, I would have to admit to being fairly uninformed about the trials and tribulations of the poor in America. My volunteer work has opened my eyes to our country's permanent underclass, and given me lots of insight into how they got there and why they stay there.

The primary cause of our permanent underclass, of course, is LBJ's "Great Society". I remember being shown films touting these terrific welfare programs when I was in elementary and jr. high (no, not "middle") school. The reasoning went something like, "how can the richest country on the planet neglect our own poor?" Thus, the welfare state as we know it.

So now we're in the 3rd or 4th generation of the Great Society, and in that generation we have a huge and growing class of government-created children. They drop out of school as soon as they can, or get kicked out, having learned no real life skills. They have babies so they can get easier access to social services, nearly all of which are focused on children. They get subsidized or free housing, free medical care, food stamps, even free transportation. And local charities keep them well clothed, give them free access to food pantries, and provide very nice toys for the children at Christmas.

Sometimes things get a little tough for them, but overall it's not a bad life. You can get everything you need without anyone asking you to do anything for yourself. Is it any wonder there were so many helpless poor people stranded in New Orleans after Katrina, just waiting for someone from the government to come and save them? Our society now has millions upon millions of illiterate children that cannot care for themselves, and I don't mean literal children but adults who are as helpless as children.

If that were all we had to deal with, it wouldn't be so bad. But now we have to admit to the horrible additional factor that affects this underclass: drugs. They're taking them, selling them, cooking them in their kitchens, selling their food stamps for them, selling their own bodies for them. They're neglecting their children while constantly seeking that next fix.

So what can be done? Should we keep giving them handouts or lock them up while hoping the problem goes away? Gee, if you look at the current social services structure, that has to be your conclusion, because that's exactly what the system is doing today.

Famous actors, athletes, and rock stars just check into the Betty Ford clinic or another like it whenever they're addictions get out of control. They can afford the extremely high cost of treatment. But what about the poor addict who just lost her children because she got caught cooking or taking meth?

This woman (or man) has no options. Sure, she made a stupid choice in starting with drugs in the first place, but can you really expect much else from a product of the government dole who has not even the most basic education? She is told by social services to clean up her act or her children will be taken away permanently. So how, exactly, does she do that? She's a 4th generation welfare mom who has no concept of work and has never known any lifestyle outside the dole. She has no education, in fact can barely read, has never held a "real" job, is hooked on drugs, and probably lives with other people just like her. Even if she succeeds at getting drug-free for awhile, what happens when she moves back in with her old pals who are still cooking, selling, and using?

It's inexcusable for government to create creatures like these millions of wards of the state, but that's the effect of these poorly conceived social programs. It absolutely floors me that there seems to be a total lack of understanding, even by the social welfare workers on the front lines, of how governmental welfare policies have created and maintained these terrible problems among the poor of America.

What is the solution? In my opinion, the entire social services mission should be radically changed. Rather than handing out free housing, food stamps, welfare checks, medical care, etc., Change the system into a safety net system.

Are you broke, can't feed and house your family? Come in, and first we'll see about finding you a job. If we can't find you one in the private sector, we'll put you to work in public jobs. Anybody can pick up trash, mow grass, sweep floors, paint, whatever. For an honest day's work you can get an honest day's pay. We'll even give you counseling on budgeting your income and paying your bills. If you don't like menial tasks the local government has for you, it will motivate you to find something better in the private sector. But bottom line, if you're physically able to work and refuse to work, you get nothing.

While you're at work, need day care? We'll take care of it, no charge. In fact, some of the daycare workers will be former welfare moms just like you.

OK, so let's move on to the drug addicted. They've obviously got a problem that won't be solved by simply putting them to work. Not that they shouldn' t be put to work anyway; that should be part of the solution. But, those struggling with addictions should be enrolled in drug therapy programs, whether run by the state or contracted to private providers can be decided based on best use of resources. The most difficult cases could be housed in secure facilities if necessary for intensive treatment aimed at helping them kick the habit and once again become productive.

Yes, I know: drug addicts won't willingly enroll in such programs, unless they have big incentives to do so. Some will become homeless and even willingly give up rights to their own children to maintain the habit that controls their lives. Fine. I don't believe this is harsh, even though it sounds so, but they should be given no assistance unless they voluntarily check themselves into the rehabilitation program that was proscribed. If they choose to go the homeless, panhandler route, they are subject to arrest and jail time for drug possession and vagrancy. That may be the only way to get through to some of them.

There are those who are actually incapable of working or caring for themselves. Most of them were turned out of the state hospitals in recent years, which is quite a mystery to me. These people have to be cared for in an institutional setting, precisely because they cannot care for themselves. Now if charitable organizations want to form group homes, great! But the "low functioning" people who are out there floundering in a society they are not equipped to surive must be taken care of by someone.

All this only really scratches the surface of my ideas on these issues. These ideas go much deeper and more detailed, but would take too long to write in the context of this blog. But the bottom line is that I am appalled at the ineptitude of our government in failing to even begin to understand the problem they keep throwing our tax dollars away trying to solve.