A National Disaster: Examining a Welfare System Broken by Reform

This is a long read, but I believe it's well worth it. On this Labor Day, I hope we can all take a few moments to remember the poor and working class of America and to consider the struggle they endure while the wealthy and the comfortable ride on the backs of their labors. I wrote this piece a year and a half ago, and I've never shared it with anyone except for the professor I submitted it to until today. I think it's an important topic to discuss, especially considering the plight of the poor in America today.

Happy Labor Day.

Lyric (formerly oktoberain)

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Within the sphere of American politics, there is extensive debate about controversial topics that range from same-sex marriage, to abortion, and other “culture war” fare. In the midst of the ideological firestorm, one particular subject has faded into political obscurity, left behind and forgotten in a nation that cares more about the latest pop star scandal than basic food security for poor children. That subject, of course, is poverty—specifically, the poverty that has persisted in a post-welfare-reform America, and has even flourished in some respects. There is no doubt that it is more than past time that we re-evaluated our welfare system and reformed the "reforms" that have left our social safety net barren, gaping, and not the least bit safe for anyone involved.

When the opponents of welfare sold us on the idea of "welfare reform", what we were supposed to get was a responsible, compassionately-repaired welfare system. What we actually received was, for all practical purposes, an abolishment of welfare for the sake of partisan politics. Little to no thought was given toward the future hardships that might be imposed upon America's poor; at the time that the reform bill passed, the country was in the midst of an economic boom, jobs were plentiful, and wealth was increasing at a staggering rate. Fourteen years later, as the nation faces an economic turndown of epic proportions, staggering job losses, sharply rising costs for food and fuel, and disappearing retirement accounts, the only things that seem to be increasing are need and despair.

Although welfare reform has resulted in a massive reduction of individuals "on the rolls", this drop is not necessarily a positive thing, as it has not been accompanied by a significant rise in self-sufficiency. Caseloads have decreased because of a combination of time limits and hassle-related drop-offs. Poverty remains a serious threat to the fabric of the nation, especially deep poverty, and the reformed welfare system is ill-prepared to address the imminent increase in poverty in a post-economic crash nation.

Therefore, the reformed welfare system must be re-evaluated and streamlined to eliminate hassle and red tape, the failed work-first philosophy discarded in favor of an education-first approach, motherhood revalued and respected again in our society, and strict time limit regulations relaxed in favor of personalized empowerment goals to be negotiated between recipients and their social workers. We as a nation must take this moment to ask ourselves—is our “safety net” functionally capable of handling American poverty during a serious economic downturn? Does the reformed welfare system actually accomplish anything positive for the poor? By what standards shall we measure success or failure? And, what will we do with the knowledge we gain? In order to answer these questions, we must first examine how the reform bill came to pass.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/9/6/899478/-A-National-Disaster:-Examining-a-Welfare-System-Broken-by-Reform

A person's skills should be evaluated upon entering a program, with remedial classes as necessary, child care provided throughout. Once they pass the training, they should start interning in government sites, where they can establish a work record that can be used to get a regular job.

If they can't pick up what is needed for higher level jobs, they need to consider the ickier jobs like working in a chicken factory or as a farm worker. But we must all acknowledge the dignity of work. Nothing should be too menial that we sneer on the people who do these jobs.

In the meantime we apparently have quite a bit of jobs we say Americans won't do. We need to turn those jobs to livable wage jobs.

rather than a "work-first" program. Yes, there is dignity in all kinds of work--but there is NOT necessarily a living wage in all kinds of work. Rather than focusing on "job training" (which too often involves a few night seminars and a certificate that doesn't actually lead to a living-wage job) we should be focusing on higher education. There is NO more effective road out of poverty than education. Education is not only job training--it's life training, and the benefits of it extend to your children, grandchildren, and so on. Unfortunately, many states do not consider higher education to be a "work-related activity", and thus people who pursue higher education (rather than working at a minimum-wage, dead-end job) are not eligible for cash benefits--or if they are, the rules and regulations about who and eligible and when are ridiculously complicated and nonsensical.

For example--I am an impoverished mother here in West Virginia, and I am also a college student. However, I am NOT eligible for TANF because I am already in school. However, my younger sister works at McDonald's and is *thinking* of getting her GED and applying for college. If she signs up for TANF *before* she starts college...THEN it's considered a "work-related activity" and she can receive benefits while she goes to school. How does that make any sense at all? It discriminates needlessly.

Who do we expect to do jobs that don't provide a livable wage?

and of a larger scope, I think, than this thread. It deserves one of its own. I agree with you, btw.

Those "icky" jobs should be optional and anyone who chooses to do them should be offered a very high standard of living. Janitors and farmers should be highly paid. The elderly and the ill should be fully compensated to live a good life with the best of services. All children should have the same opportunities.

And all of this should be funded by the working class reclaiming all the wealth they produce from an owning class that doesn't deserve a dime.

I will say, that as far as jobs are concerned, those that are the most necessary to a functioning society should be the best paid. Think about that.

Also, B.F. Skinner, who was a behaviorist,and I have no use for that field, proposed something many years ago that I think has a lot of merit. His idea was that *everyone* should take turns doing the "ickies"..... Doctors should have to collect garbage once a month, etc.

The far-ranging effects of this kind of design of labor would be very beneficial in so many ways!

Most people hear the word "reform" and think "makes it better for people".

The government's definition is "re-form", which indeed is the detrimental result.

Tho I gotta say, Bush's "Blue Skies Initiative" was a wonder in BS.

No one with preschool age children should be forced into low wage jobs. The government subsidizes childcare, and the wages for the mothe. Instead of paying twice over for ripping these families apart, why not pay once and leave the parent-child bonding time intact?

think Democratic Party will give us a hand with that----------?????????

After all, it's their voters -- their issues -- ???

Nah -- not any more than they were interested in organizing their supporters

who wanted MEDICARE FOR ALL!!

But, you see, it is much more fun to stand in judgment.

campaigning for a Dem female candidate probably 30 years ago, that was the

first thing I asked about -- "Shouldn't we be organizing women/families on welfare?"

I was embraced -- they loved the idea -- but no one in the Democratic Party was

interested in getting involved in it!!

Well, you have just shot the rest of my day to hell.

Really, I am feeling so hopeless....

Its gonna degenerate into more violence and riotting, because the powers simply don't give a shit.

We are gonna hafta strike out on our own!

themselves and their own notions of enslaving others --

And, the main tool in the rise of the right is violence -- always has been --

they couldn't make it without it. That's what 50+ years of political violence

in America has been about ... not that it wasn't going on before that!

As I was sitting here thinking about this was trying to remember the candidate --

she was active mainly locally in women's organization -- think she was running

for the US House but could have been State legislature -- can't remember exactly.

That's how long ago I came to see that the Democratic Party was barring the way

to office seekers based on money. Now 44% of our USHR/Senate members are millionaries!!

My sister also probably 25 years ago in Boston to seek elected office there --

she got involved because she was active in homeless issues in Boston. Immediately,

she found the same thing.

Teddy Roosevelt was talking about "barring corporations from any involvement whatsoever

in our elections" -- that's a long time ago!

Anyway, if seniors don't begin to organize themselves -- other than thru AARP which is

an insurance company -- then there will be no fight for Social Security/Medicare because

it doesn't look to me like Dems will offer any opposition to right wing agenda, at all!!

However, 30 years ago, I remember the DEMS still considered unions, black people, teachers, poor people.... to be their BASE, so I am a bit taken aback.

I saw what Obama was in '04, and promptly lost interest. If you remember, during the campaign, I repeatedly said that Obama wouldn't do anything to help poor people.. he didn't care. I was constantly shot down with "Are you kidding? He grew up POOR!", yada yada yada.

And here we are... however, I have to admit that I *am* a bit surprised. I didnt expect him to help us, but I didn't think he would actually make things WORSE. !!!! :nuke:

I'm interested in your sister's story. Really, that sounds like history we need to know more of.

I gave up on politics a number of years ago.. useless exercise under facism. I'm working on educational projects... interested?

process (such as it is) a LOT.

Towards Psychologies Of Liberation

It is a textbook, and very wordy, but we need to be able to boil this down to everyday language, and do some organizing with it!

I'm series!!!!111

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=toward+psychologies+of+liberation&sprefix=toward+psy

Part IV - Participatory Practices of Liberation Psychologies. This section offers many examples of successful resistance, remembering, and local democracy as projects of transformation for self and others.

The title of the Afterword is fitting for a book as bold and humanitarian as this one is: "The Restoration and Repair of the World."

However, once the elites arm themselves to the extent they have -- including brutal actions

vs demonstrators/protesters and spying on the lowest levels of anti-war activists -- and having

moved our police enforcement in the same military direction making citizens the enemy ...

Then, IMO, they know that their agenda/practices will bring or has already created circumstances

which will lead to widespread upheaval. Not only have the new wars further brutalized our

outlook and our nation's stance, behind these wars many Constitutional rights have been undermined

or tossed aside. Same with the Drug War which continues to creat more violent atmopheres in our

cities and states.

I'm always interested in peaceful means of revolution --

Truly believe it's the only way --

What will work is not just nonviolence... TRANSFORMATION.

It will take ALL of us to convert those who are ignorant. Then the powers won't have so much grip on us.

But, so many of us are too busy being obsessed with Sarah Palin to do the hard work of transforming.

So, we sit and stew.

Bright-Sided and Empathy Gap

I'm trying hard to verbalize it in a way that isn't TOO blistering.

:rofl:

Or, you could discuss it with me... :hi:

a PM or two from me shortly -- think we should get out of the way of the thread?

but, unfortunately I haven't read that book by her --

did read "Nickled and dimed..."

We seem to still be presuming too often that GOP programs are carried out only

by GOP administrations --

This isn't reform -- it's "deform" - we should also be clear about that!!

that Bill Clinton signed this bill.

:hi:

and didn't read the whole thing -- but that's something which everyone at DU should

keep uppermost in mind since we now have Obama hot on the trail of Social Security

and Medicare --

DLC, "New Dem" and Blue Dog poison has to be kicked out of the Dem Party --

had I known that Obama was a "New Dem" I would NEVER have voted for him -- and

certainly would not have voted for Hillary who is part of DLC leadership.

If we want to support this party we have to be damned sure about WHAT it is we are

supporting!!

:hi: