Welfare Reform Has Not Gone Far Enough

"Frankly, I am fine with a nation that does not feed people who are not willing to work."

Craig R. Smith is an author and conservative commentator. In the following viewpoint, he asserts that despite attempts to reform welfare, the system is in trouble again. Smith argues that it is time to reevaluate a system that allows unproductive citizens to receive government assistance. He believes it is time to get tough with all government assistance programs. His suggestions for stricter policies include instituting surveillance of recipients to crack down on cases of fraud; taking payment for emergency medical treatment for the uninsured out of future earnings or welfare benefits; and sending medical bills for illegal immigrants to their native countries for payment.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What percentage of American households does Smith maintain depend on some form of income from the government?
2. How many working Americans pay into Social Security for every one recipient as of 2003, according to Smith?
3. How many additional baby boomers does Smith indicate were about to get SSI benefits at the beginning of 2010?

The time has come in America to let the pains begin.

Over the last 87 years our politicians have been slowly building a welfare state in America with an abundance of unproductive takers and a steadily increasing deficiency of productive participants.

With 42 million Americans now receiving food stamps and 50 percent of all households depending on some form of income from the government, just how long do we think we can keep the system afloat? How many more nonproductive citizens, who have grown very accustomed to their bills being paid by the government, can we add before our system collapses under its own weight?

FDR [US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt] introduced the first of many government dependence programs falsely called "Social Security." By 1950, there were 16 working Americans paying into the system for every one beneficiary. By 2003, there were 3.3 contributors for every one recipient. It is projected by 2033 that ratio will be 2:1. That is a system with a low chance of survival.

Social Security Is Doomed to Fail

This admonition was offered by [US Federal Reserve chairman] Alan Greenspan in February 2004 in a AP [Associated Press] story: "As 77 million of the baby boom generation become eligible for Social Security starting in 2008, this dramatic demographic change is certain to place enormous demands ... demands we will almost surely be unable to meet unless action is taken ... as soon as possible, the country will go from having just over three workers supporting each retiree to 2.25 workers for every retiree by 2025."

He was right!

I know what you are going to say. There is a trust fund. Once we start taking in less than we pay out, we tap the trust. Wrong sparky! Your wonderful politicians spent the money. There is no "lock box." The FICA payments paid were spent just like every other tax dollar.

Social Security was a tax spent wastefully and foolishly by a bunch of nit wits thinking they could make a program work. But it was doomed from the start.

But that is just one of the many programs destined to fail.

As the number of illegal aliens receiving free medical care and social services increases, how long will it be until other states face what the bankrupted state of California is facing? So much for the unbridled success of "sanctuary cities."

We have come to a point in America when we just need to say no!

Just Say No

Will it be painful? Very! No doubt. But it is surely coming and steps must be taken immediately if we are to remain a nation with freedom and liberty. The ability to succeed or fail is the backbone of freedom and anything short of that is slavery in a glossy wrapper.

I know we don't want people dying in the streets for lack of medical care, and I doubt America's image in the world would improve if photos of starving people living on the street were broadcast like the pictures from Abu Ghraib. However, we must come to grips with reality. We cannot afford to pay for all this care for everyone who allegedly needs it.

It is now clear that, without substantial entitlement reform, it is impossible to stop future deterioration of the economic wellbeing of the country. We just can't continue to provide what many have grown accustom to receiving. The math no longer works. The day is rapidly approaching were we must face the music.

For far too long we have avoided these burdens to our budget. Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and welfare have been "reformed" several times in the past only to be in crisis years later. That should make us question the viability of these programs going forward. I know the intentions were mostly pure, but we can't afford them. The pathway to hell is paved with good intentions.

Time to Get Tough

Frankly, I am fine with a nation that does not feed people who are not willing to work. I have no problem putting someone out on the street when they believe they are entitled to be taken care of because of where they were born. Not everyone who claims he or she needs help should get it, only those who truly do. How many times have you watched a person on disability busted by a camera crew as they are boarding a ski lift or playing softball when they claim they can't walk? There are many people willing to lie to get a check.

I am fine with people who walk into a ER [Emergency Room] expecting to receive free treatment being told no. Or at least being handed a bill when they leave. They can pay the bill slowly out of their future earnings. Or at least a percentage of the winning lottery ticket they bought with their welfare check.

Maybe sending a bill to the country of origin's government for the illegals who receive care would be appropriate. Why should you and I have to pay? I didn't ask them to break into our country.

With 42 million citizens on food stamps and 50 percent of households requiring some form of government assistance, we have an unsustainable economic model for our country. Unless that country is willing to trade its freedom and liberty for the promise of a hot meal, a roof and medical care.

Soon we will have an additional 77 million baby boomers getting SSI benefits and millions more on unemployment. Add to that the millions on welfare and disability. At what point do we say no mas?!