Welfare - in all it's forms, from public housing to free food to healthcare, is in need of an overhaul. Some will say there should not be any welfare, but despite being very strongly pro-capitalism, I still say that this is wrong. Ultimately, it is in a country's best interest to keep these people off of the streets and dying from hunger. So, how would you reform welfare?
Personally, I feel like those on welfare still live too comfortably. Sure, it isn't pleasant, but it isn't bad enough to drive all of them to better themselves either. IMO, the only politician who has come close to getting people out of that situation is Clinton, who stopped generation of generation from living on it. Obama may do something good, but he may make it worse. First, I think we need to go away from food stamps/cards. "Soup kitchens" (not with just soup though, of course) would solve this problem. The government still pays for the food, but stops people from cheating the system. Having more children & being a single parent should not benefit people. I understand that these people need more, but it creates an incentive for behaviors that are bad for society. Public housing doesn't give people pride in ownership and creates very dangerous areas. My solution to this? Shelters, but with metal scanners - no weapons allowed. Healthcare is an absolute mess. If we're going to provide care for everyone (as we already do whether you like it or not), there HAS to be a better system. I like Obama's idea to force preventative care/regular check-ups for his system, but I'd like it to go one step further - if the patients don't follow the Dr's advice, they don't get the option of surgery (or whatever) when it becomes necessary.
How do you privatize welfare? By definition it's a government program. Remove the government and it's a charity. Capitalism is great. It offers opportunity and freedoms that socialism doesn't offer. However, like socialism, people take it to extremes and screw it up for everyone else. As usual, the answer lies somewhere in the middle.
I think the government should fully support private charity (but with much stricter definitions they have now as they are just tax shelters now).
I think it's misguided to give Clinton all the credit for welfare reform. He had vetoed two previous reform bills passed by the Republican controlled Congress. When the House and Senate came back with a third bill Dick Morris warned Clinton that a third veto could cost him the 1996 election, and so, pronouncing it a "historic opportunity to do what is right," he signed the bill. Obama's main tenet is redistribution of wealth. He's not going to take away from welfare recipients. He's going to give more. When Clinton signed the welfare reform bill he had fierce opposition from liberals. Obama is a liberal and I can't imagine him reforming welfare the way you suggest.
Its definitely makes people too comfortable and dependent. Obama I think will reform some of those programs and Clinton did a good job as well. However, the days are over just having a high school diploma and living above the poverty line for most people. Some folks with high school diplomas go on to do great things, starting their own businesses and etc. I think they should get rid of most of the food stamp cards and promote education in a welfare reform. Stipulate that you can be on welfare for 2 years, but within those 2 years you have to complete a training program to receive a certification or a trade.
Just for the record, Clinton signed the welfare reform act and I have always given him credit for doing that. But it was a Republican program; it was part of the Contract With America. Clinton did not like parts of it, but signed it because it was just too popular. But he certainly deserves credit for signing it into law. Should welfare be reformed? Under the reformed system (assuming Congress has not changed it) no one can be on welfare for more than two years. They have to find employment. That's good. Soup kitchens? I don't think so. Setting up the infrastructure would be too expensive and people do not always have transportation or the time to take three daily trips to the kitchen. We need to find creative means to prevent fraud, such as photo cards, but I have never had a problem with food stamps. I do not believe illigal immigrants should be allowed on food stamps. When I worked with the food stamp program, they were not. I am not sure what the law says now but I suspect they are allowed to receive food stamps. Health Care is an important issue, but nationalization of the health care system is not the solution. What makes anybody think that the same government that ran Social Security, Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac into the ground can deal effectively with health care? It will put a debt on our grandchildren and great grandchildren that they will never be able to pay off. Deficit spending would likely become permanent. As I have said before, allow small businesses to purchase health care through associations. This would give them the cost benefits that corporations enjoy.
