“Michigan lottery winner arrested on charges of felony welfare fraud” -- Melissa Anders -- Poverty is an issue in America that has become a growing problem. While it may not necessarily be an issue that gains a lot of attention from people in today’s society, it is still a problem that should be addressed, especially in times of economic hardship like the ones that we are currently experiencing. Money has become tight for a lot of people, but there are still those that have always had a problem meeting the needs that they have in everyday life. In order to address this problem, the government put into place many government aid programs that are designed to help those when they are truly in need of it. However, it seems that today there are many people who are receiving government aid that do not truly need it. These are the people that cheat the system and the tax payers who are paying for the benefits that they are receiving. Before the topic of government aid is addressed, there is information about the poverty rates that puts the topic in perspective. The poverty rate in America has recently increased a noticeable amount. The poverty rate increased from 13.2% in 2008 to 14.3% in 2009. This meant that in 2009 there were 43.6 million people living in poverty (Poverty 298). With this many people that are reported living in poverty, it is clearly demonstrated that there are those who need the support of the government. However, it does not mean that everyone who is receiving government aid actually needs it. There are still those that manage to find ways to cheat the system, which creates problems for the tax payers. Since they are the ones who are forced by the government to provide the money for those that are struggling to make ends meet, they do not want to be responsible for those that are capable of doing it on their own. The goal is to address why the welfare system needs to be reformed, however first it is necessary to understand what welfare actually is. Welfare is one government aid program that is designed to help those living in poverty. It is essentially financial aid for those living in poverty. While this is not the only government aid program that exists to help those in need, it is a very large program. It was first put in place in the 1930s during the gre... ... middle of paper ... ...hose who need the assistance receive it. I think that the reform on the system is going to take a lot of time, but I also think that in the end, the reform will be a success as it will limit the amount of money that is wasted on those that do not need it. Works Cited B, Penny. “American Citizens Abusing the Welfare System: Your Reactions – by Penny B - Helium.” Helium – Where Knowledge Rules. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. < http://www.helium.com/items/1006371-american-citizens-abusing-the-welfare-system- your-reactions.> Borjas, George J., and Stephen J. Trejo. “Immigrant Participation in the Welfare System.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 44.2 (1991): 195-211. JSTOR. Cornell University, School of Industrial & Labor Relations. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. . Corcoran, M. “RAGS TO RAGS: POVERTY AND MOBILITY IN THE UNITED STATES.”Annual Review of Sociology 21.1 (1995): 237. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. “Poverty in the United States.” Congressional Digest 89.10 (2010): 298-300. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. Melissa Anders -- http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/04/lottery_winner_arrested_on_cha.html
Welfare can be defined as “systems by which government agencies provide economic assistance, goods, and services to persons who are unable to care for themselves” (Issitt). The United States welfare system is an extremely complex and unique entity that encompasses ideas and concepts from an abundance of different places. Many people believe the current system is an excellent resource for the population, while others believe the current welfare system requires reform and budget cuts to become effective.
When speaking about Welfare we try to avoid it, turning welfare into an unacceptable word. In the Article “One Nation On Welfare. Living Your Life On The Dole” by Michael Grunwald, his point is to not just only show but prove to the readers that the word Welfare is not unacceptable or to avoid it but embrace it and take advantage of it. After reading this essay Americans will see the true way of effectively understanding the word welfare, by absorbing his personal experiences, Facts and Statistics, and the repetition Grunwald conveys.
Poverty in America is a very complex issue that can be looked at from many directions. There are a plethora of statistics and theories about poverty in America that can be confusing and at times contradicting. It is important to objectively view statistics to gain a better understanding of poverty and to wade through the stereotypes and the haze of cultural views that can misrepresent the situation.The official poverty line in America begins with a person making at or below $12,060. To calculate the poverty line for a family, an additional $4,180 is added to the base of $12,060 for each additional member(“Federal Poverty Level Guidelines”). According to the last U.S. census, over 45 million or 14.5% of Americans are at or below the poverty line(Worstall). At this level, the U.S. poverty level has not changed much from the 1970s when the government began a “War on Poverty.” However,
In The Working Poor: Invisible in America, David K. Shipler describes the lives of United States citizens who live within poverty. He highlights the U.S.’s disregard for its working poor, the nature of poverty, and the causes of poverty faced by low-wage earners. Shipler performs an amazing job of describing the factors that play their parts into the lives of U.S. citizens who live in poverty and are in poverty. Shipler explains the effects of tax payments and refunds, the abuse of the poor by private and public institutions, the spending habits of the working poor, the culture of the U.S., and the presence of money as a factor in the lives of the working poor. In dealing with government bureaucracy or private business, the working poor are vulnerable to the abuse of con-artists, employers, financial service providers, and public service providers.
Since poverty affects a wide array of people, poverty has evolved into a very complex issue. And even though the government has passed legislature to try to ameliorate the situation, many of these means-tested measures like food stamps, have only been able to help the surface of poverty and fails to rip out the long roots poverty has grown throughout history. Poverty’s deep effects are seen especially in minorities as they struggle much more to leave a current situation that has been created by historical process. Even though government assistance like food stamps do help alleviate some of poverty’s burden, these measures fail to recognize the reality that many of the impoverished minority have undervalued homes or no homes at all and even if they can rent, that rent can be high enough to take up more than fifty-percent of their paychecks. Overall, poverty in America is a vastly complicated issue rooted throughout history. And even though the government has attempted to pass legislature to help provide relief from poverty, America still has yet to provide measures that target the roots of poverty and until then, the government assistance it does provide will only be superficial and fail to provide long-term solutions to a complicated
In today’s America, there are many people who would either be disgusted at the very mention of Welfare or be highly grateful for its existence. I believe that in order for welfare to be more effective in America, there must be reform. From the time of its inceptions in 1935, welfare has lent a helping hand to many in crisis (Constitution Rights Foundation). However, at present many programs within the system are being abused and the people who are in real need are being cheated out of assistance. The year after the creation of welfare unemployment was just about twenty percent (Unemployment Statistics). The need for basic resources to survive was unparallel. Today, many people face the same needs as many did during the 30s. Some issues with
Welfare programs are an important part of American society. Without any type of American welfare, people will starve, children will not receive the proper education, and people will not receive any medical help simply because they do not have the resources available to them. Each of the three aspects of the American welfare system are unique in their own ways because they are funded differently and the benefits are given to different people. While support for these welfare systems has declined in the more recent years, the support for it when it was created was strong.
Programs that help people who are in poverty are known as Public-Assistance programs that only help citizens whose income doesn’t meet the law standards of living and as well to those who are not covered by social insurance (Katznelson 326). These programs are known as “undeserving” as they are not indexed and organized by the state. The programs include supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) known as food stamps, Temporary assistance to needy families (TANF), and Medicaid. These programs are set to help Americans who are struggling, but unfortunately, these programs have been abused.
As of 2012, roughly thirty five percent of the population in the United States was living with some sort of government assistance. The Welfare Reform Act was passed into law in 1996. Many of the country’s leaders promised to end welfare with this act. (“Welfare Reform”) This act ended the legal entitlement to welfare benefits. The bill also created time limits and work requirements for participation in the program. Welfare in the United States should be reformed because reform decreases poverty, increases independence in the country’s citizens, and increases the quality of life for former welfare recipients.
...ican welfare system has many flaws and I have identified major problems and possible solutions/policy recommendations. We can’t completely dismiss government assistance because we are a land of the equality of all and should be proud to have services that help the less fortunate. However, we must identify people who misuse and people who become too comfortable. We can’t continue to fall deeper into debt by supporting people who are not making an effort to support themselves. Nonetheless, we should help and assist those who are constantly trying to become educated, skilled, and experienced enough to become self-sufficient. I will close with a quote from the article about welfare helping a lady survive while she was studying. Currently she has a degree and a job as a manager. “I had clear goals,” “I wasn’t raised to sit at home expecting a check to come in the mail.”
Welfare is a great incentive program to help the ones in need, to maintain basic human needs. Over time people have started to misuse the system. The program is created for the ones who worked really hard or can't work because of any physical or mental challenge. Many Americans on Welfare today, don't want to work, and collect free money from the government. The homeless that are on the streets deserve it more than anyone. Our country is aware, but we are not taking action, we need to step up and end this immorality. Welfare should be reformed, because many people are abusing it, its putting our government in debt, and giving away tax money from paychecks of the ones who work. However, Welfare is great for the ones who work hard, and still have a hard time supporting their families.
Welfare is described as a short-term program designed to give Americans a chance to build them up financially in order to stabilize. This government assistance is supposed to give those in need time to get a proper job and to stabilize. It helps its receivers by letting them become aware of the different programs the government acquires. Such programs include its childcare services which give the child or children a place to stay while the mother finds a job or is working. Another program is it gi...
The article “As American As Apple Pie” is about, poverty and welfare and how they are looked down upon and treated with suspicion or outright antagonism, and how many associate those in poverty with negative stereotypes often seen as deviant such as homeless, lazy, and criminals. Mark R. Rank points out how poverty across the world is a lot more normal than we think it might be. Some people are at greater risk than others, depending on age, race, gender, family structure, community of residence, education, work skills, and physical disabilities. This article provides the readers with data and analysis of American poverty and welfare over the course of the past 25 years. Rank also talks about how we have framed the poverty issue, and how we should frame it.
Poverty is an undeniable problem in America. In 2014, 14.8 percent of the United States was in poverty (“Hunger and Poverty Fact Sheet”). There are more people in the United States than it seems that do not have their basic necessities. In an
Although poverty is a tremendous issue in America, there are practical solutions to remove, or at least lessen, the inequality it poses in society. Through government intervention and an active commitment to the issue by citizens, progress can be made.