WRITTEN BY Christina Ward

EDITED BY Illinois Cares

 

OVERVIEW

I am writing today about the need for drastic reform to our welfare system. There are too many citizens on welfare today who are merely "milking" the system, and many others who truly need welfare assistance cannot obtain it. This is not the fault of the people on welfare but rather the result of irresponsibly bad policies that make it all too easy to get on welfare and stay on it. Our current system rewards people who do not make an effort to better their lives for the benefit of themselves and their children, and encourages laziness and dependence on the system. In an effort to change this, I am writing today with a few ideas that I feel would be a great change to our welfare system.

Idea #1. Drug testing as a prerequisite for acquiring any kind of welfare benefits, including monthly cash allowances, Food Stamps and state-funded medical coverage.

Many companies require that I successfully pass a drug screen before I can be hired. In America, citizens have to show that they are not on drugs in order to have the right to EARN their living. It seems only right that a welfare applicant be subjected to the same type of drug testing should they desire to be granted--in exchange for nothing--our hard-earned tax dollars. Too many welfare recipients are sitting at home doing drugs and collecting money for nothing. Initial drug testing, as well as random drug testing will eliminate a large number of people who intend only to usurp the system. In short, if a person claims to need the hard-earned money of the working class to get by on, that person has no right whatsoever to be doing drugs.

Idea #2. We desperately need to reconsider items a person may purchase with Food Stamps. Currently, a person on Food Stamps may purchase the following: certain "energy" drinks, candy, gum, soda, pre-made bakery cakes (including wedding cakes!), and even non-food gift sets so long as there is at least one food item in the gift set (i.e.: gift set of four ceramic mugs with a single packet of hot cocoa mix = Food Stamp eligible). Certain so-called muscle-building protein shake mixes in large expensive canisters may also be purchased as well as some ready-to-drink meal replacements such as Slim Fast shakes. Our system covers entirely too much junk food and has resulted in myriad health care problems for countless welfare recipients, which in turn results in more spending by state-funded health coverage to combat such problems. Our welfare community has become lazier, sicker and more obese than ever before. It's time for a top-to-bottom overhaul of the Food Stamp program.

Idea #3. Model the new Food Stamp program after the successful and nutrition-based WIC program. Our country's WIC (Women/Infants/Children) program is truly something to be proud of. Eligible recipients are given several "vouchers" per month that they can cash in as needed throughout the first and last day of the month. These vouchers provide specific items in specific amounts in order to provide the family with nutritious foods--not junk food. WIC recipients, dependent upon family needs, may purchase: baby formula, baby cereal, milk, eggs, cheese (no exotic varieties), juice (100% juice only), specific cold cereals, dried beans, raw carrots and peanut butter. Certain other foods may be covered in special circumstances. For example, a person who is lactose intolerant or has allergy problems may be allowed Goat's Milk instead of cow's milk. Babies who have sensitive digestive tracts may be allowed baby formula specifically designed for sensitive tummies. Any changes to what is covered is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Unlike the Food Stamp program, the WIC program must provide proof at the end of each year that it has successfully provided nutritious foods to eligible recipients in order to be granted the next year's worth of funding. In contrast, the Food Stamp program is simply an entitlement program, meaning that they continue to get funding every year whether the program is considered successful or not. Tax money is simply "thrown at" the welfare community with little to no care in the world as to what that money gets spent on. This is a completely irresponsible way of "helping" the poor. I suggest a Food Stamp voucher program similar to WIC. Eligible recipients would receive a set of vouchers each month with specific amounts of items that may be purchased. For example, separate vouchers for:

-Meats (beef, turkey, chicken, fish, cold cuts for sandwiches, etc.)

-Produce (fresh, frozen or canned fruits & vegetables)

-Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt)

-Bakery items (bread, bagels, rolls, buns)

-Baking items (bagged flour, sugar, Bisquick, salt, oil, spices, baking soda, yeast, etc... I would suggest an allowance of two boxed cake mixes per month for this voucher)

-Miscellaneous items such as mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle relish, etc. (one voucher per month in the Misc. category should suffice--two for large families)

Under no circumstances should vouchers cover the cost of "instant" or "convenience" foods such as microwave dinners or pre-made pizzas. Under no circumstances should vouchers cover the cost of candy, gum, cookies, doughnuts, pies, ice cream, soda (of any kind), energy drinks, "health" shakes, or expensive pre-made bakery cakes. By taking the time to restructure our welfare system this way, we would be able to provide poor people with healthier foods instead of cupboards full of unhealthy junk foods. By restricting the types of items that may be purchased we would also be giving welfare recipients a bit of incentive to get off the system.

Idea #3. Raise the income limitations for eligibility for Food Stamp assistance so that more struggling working families can qualify for assistance. Too many working families out there are making just barely enough money each month to cover their bills, and too often come up short when it comes to money for food. No hard-working American should be eating Top Ramen for dinner several nights per week while people on welfare spend between $350 - $1,500 on food alone that is funded by those who work for a living. With the money that could be saved by implementing Ideas #1 & #2, we could easily afford to raise the income limit a few hundred dollars for working families. Those who spend their lives paying into the system should be able to get help when they need it.

Idea #4. The "cash allowance" part of our welfare system also needs to be reformed. Every month, a person who qualifies for cash assistance gets hundreds of dollars per month (depending on how many children they have) placed in their EBT account. This money is accessible through any ATM. The recipient can opt for "cash back" at most stores' debit card terminals. Though cash assistance is offered with the intent of helping the recipient pay monthly utility bills and purchase non-food items such as toilet paper and personal hygiene products, giving the recipient the money and then trusting that they will spend it in the ways it was intended for is irresponsible. With cash assistance so loosely governed, people often use it to purchase alcohol and tobacco products, as well as to get cash to pay for illegal drugs. Instead of handing over a set amount of cash each month to welfare recipients, it would be wise to instead pay cash allowances intended for utilities and rent directly to the companies themselves under the account number of the recipient. Monies intended for purchase of toiletries and personal hygiene products should also be given in the form of monthly vouchers. A typical voucher might include toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, bar soap, mouthwash, deodorant, dental floss, liquid dish detergent and even laundry detergent. Each voucher should have a specified amount of money allowed to be spent on such items to encourage the consumer to make intelligent choices with regard to prices, and to avoid taxpayer purchase of unnecessarily expensive brands. The amount on the voucher would ideally be based on the size of the family.

Idea #5. Strictly limit the number of years a family can stay on taxpayer funded assistance programs. The current limit a person can collect welfare assistance is (on average) a five year period, but there is a loophole that too many people take advantage of: the addition of a family member. Example: A family of three qualifies for Food Stamps, monthly cash assistance and low income housing. They are given a five year time frame in which to stabilize themselves, hold down jobs and get off welfare; but another child is born just a few months or weeks away from that deadline. What happens? The entire family qualifies for another five years of Food Stamps, cash allowance and low income housing. The three-person family's monthly allowances for those programs goes up because they are now a four-person family. For five more years, they receive more Food Stamps and cash than they had before. All they have to do to ensure their livelihood is to have another baby before the end of the newly established five year period. Lather, rinse, repeat. Too many people out there are intentionally getting pregnant in order to continue their welfare benefits. This is perhaps the biggest disgrace of America's current welfare system. Again, this is not solely the fault of the people who take advantage of our all too generous system. The fault lies with those who designed our system in such a way as to encourage this type of lifestyle, those who do not acknowledge the problem, those who acknowledge but choose to ignore the problem, and those who fight to keep the system the way it is today. Our welfare system needs a sturdy cap on it. No one person or family should be dependent on our system for more than five years, PERIOD. Five years is more than enough time in which to get a job, keep it, and learn how to provide for yourself and your family. Under our current welfare system almost no one has the incentive to do better, and probably never will.

This issue should be placed at the highest levels of priorities for Illinois. Illinois is under a severe budget crisis, and there has never been a more important time for Welfare reform.

Please support Welfare Reform in Illinois.