Welfare
Welfare
Welfare. Whether you collect it, or you pay for it (and for EVERY
working American does one of the two), most citizens of our country are familiar
with it. Yet as every second of the day passes, more and more of my money and
yours is being allotted to this growing epidemic called welfare. The Personal
Responsibility Act, signed by the President, was a monumental change in welfare
as we know, or used to know it. The welfare system is still in need or more
strict and stringent policy reform, yet the Personal Responsibility Act was a
prodigious step in the right direction.
In the past few years, the federal governments and state governments
have tried to change and improve the welfare system. The Clinton Administration
campaigned to "end welfare as we know it." The Administration's proposal limits
AFDC benefits to two years, during which employment services would be provided
to recipients. Nearly 20 welfare reform bills have been introduced in the 103rd
Congress. Besides the above mentioned bill, three major proposals were offered
by Republican members: The GOP Leadership Welfare bill, The Real Welfare Reform
Act, and The Welfare and Teenage Pregnancy Reduction Act. Now the Republicans
have pulled together a strong and controversial bill on welfare reform. The
Personal Responsibility Act is an attempt to overhaul the welfare system by
putting limits on eligibility and reducing dependency on government. This bill
addresses the increasing problem of illegitimacy, requires welfare recipients to
work, and caps welfare spending. Current programs will be consolidated, time
limits will be placed on benefits and savings are to go to deficit reduction.
The bill's main thrust is to give states greater control over the benefits
programs, work programs, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)...
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