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2012-02-25 Home Front: Politix

Plans to drug test welfare recipients get momentum

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Posted by Besoeker 2012-02-25 03:51|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 What is rarely seen by the public are the layers of bureaucracy whose sole purpose seems to be to keep those receiving welfare from bettering themselves enough to get off welfare.

The purest example of this was seen in the old Swedish welfare state, where it was said that

"If you are an incompetent and crappy artist whose works no one wants, you will live like a king and get the highest tier of benefits. But God help you if you sell anything, because at the first sign of any success, the government will chop you off at the legs."

In the US, the welfare bureaucrats often have redundant and frivolous demands, such as how recipients must travel to the far side of a municipal area from where they live, likely by public transport taking several hours each way, to attend "mandatory meetings" that consist of an empty room with a sign-in sheet.

If they fail to obey, they lose their benefits. In some cases, such requirements are made for them for 3 or 4 days of the week. Then add to that "real" meetings, that are little more than jobs programs for counselors, have nothing to do with employment or anything useful, where the group sits around talking about their feelings.

Oh, and they also have to apply for work in the middle of that. It is a dehumanizing, demoralizing, and exhausting experience unless you take the attitude that "it is my job to be on welfare, and if I quit I will be utterly helpless." Which is precisely the attitude that the system wants. Total, absolute dependence.

Posted by Anonymoose 2012-02-25 08:52|| 2012-02-25 08:52|| Front Page Top

#2 Almost 40 years ago I was introduced to the evil of bureaucracy and it's effects on the truly needy.

I was hired by Social Security in the explosion that was SSI. All people had to be dealt with under various grand father clauses. In NYC 2 blocks from the WTC the office dealt with many of the worst sorts from the vaious slums of the lower east side and Brooklyn. There was a group of NGO types in the lobby of the building handing out instructions for these people on how to claim disability for what we came to call the four 'A's: most everyone claimed to be disabled due to Angina, Allergies, Asthma or Arthritis. Disgusting to say the least.

BUT there were also the victims of the bureaucratic power struggle. It seems that the NYC welfare department decreed that ALL recipients of city welfare had to apply for SSI despite their complete unsuitability. The saddest case I got was a 20 year old woman who was squeeking by on Aid to Families with Dependent Children. A widow with 2 kids and no education or family. THEY STOPPED HER BENEFITS until she could prove that she wasn't able to get SSI. It took my boss 3 weeks to even get through to the city people and another 3 to get them to own up.

That job turned me from a full on libertarian to much more of a compassionate conservative. It also led to me running screaming into the woods to become a nail-banger for the next 6 years.

Posted by AlanC 2012-02-25 11:35|| 2012-02-25 11:35|| Front Page Top

#3 Apparently Republicans aren't very interested in actually winning back the White House this year.

How about we drug test everyone if they receive any kind of government benefits? We can assume that everyone is guilty unless they prove themselves otherwise by peeing in front of a medical tech watching us through a slot in the wall. And it'll be a very inexpensive program to run too.

We can drug test anyone receiving farm subsidies, or anyone taking a tax break on their tax returns for any reason, using Medicare, and anyone having the privilege of obtaining a driver's license.

Yeah, that's the answer.

Posted by Croluse Claiger9492 2012-02-25 15:25|| 2012-02-25 15:25|| Front Page Top

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