Aadnesen,Ganzert,Gillen,Pagenkopp,Stanfield1

GarhettAadnesen,LindseyGanzert,EmilyGillen,SaraPagenkopp,KaitlinStanfield
Ms.Larson
English3,Period2
19February2015

Welfare:TheTruthBehinditAll
Inthe1930s,Americareachedthepinnacleoffinancialdistress,eventuallyignitingThe
WaronPovertywhenLyndonB.Johnsontookpresidencyinthe1960s.Thecriticsofthe
currentwelfareprogramarguethatpublicwelfareprogramsemployinadequatepolicies,adding
toarecurringcycleofnecessityforrecipients.Supportersofthewelfareprogram,however,see
itasawaytoensurethateveryonesneedsaremet(ProquestStaff).Threeofthesearguments
aredrugtesting,governmentspending,andfoodstampsforwelfareprograms.
First,drugtestingonadultwelfarerecipientshelpsoutwiththeirpersonallivesandmay
beanefforttoprepareindividualsforWisconsin'sworkforce,whichcurrentlyhas67,000jobs
tofill"(Laine).Whiletherearemanyjobsavailable,mostcorporatejobsrequiredrugfree,clear
headedworkersandareprovidingthesedrugteststoensurepovertystrickenindividualshavea
betterchanceatfindingjobs.If"anyillegaldruguseinafamilyisharmfulandevenabusivetoa
child,FrancesRoblesfromthe
NewYorkTimes
states,"weshouldhaveazerotolerancepolicy
forillegaldruguseandfamiliesespeciallythosefamilieswhostruggletomakeendsmeetand
needwelfareassistancetoprovidefortheirchildren".Drugtestingwouldgivechildrenasafer
homeenvironmenttocomehometo.Childrenarevictimsofabuseeverydayandwhilemaking
drugtestingmandatorywillnoteliminatedrugusecompletely,itwillhelp.Drugtestingisa

Aadnesen,Ganzert,Gillen,Pagenkopp,Stanfield2

positivereinforcementforpeoplewhoneedhelpgettingonthecorrectpathinlife,and,despite
itsfaults,shouldbeintegratedintothecurrentwelfaresystem.
Althoughdrugtestingmayhavebenefits,itmayalsohinderpeoplesabilitytogetthe
helptheyneed.Shouldpeoplereallyhavetobetestedinordertogainwelfare?Besides,how
manypeopleareactuallyusingdrugs?Evensomecritics..saythatthepolicyisbasedonthe
falseperceptionthatlargenumbersofwelfarerecipientsareusingillegaldrugs(SerresA.1).In
otherwords,mostrecipientsmightnotevenbeusingdrugs.Infact,anewanalysisbythestate
DepartmentofHumanServices(DHS)foundthatparticipantsinMinnesotaswelfareprogram
forlowincomefamiliesareactuallyfarlesslikelytohavefelonydrugconvictionsthantheadult
populationasawhole(A.1).Alongwiththisistheissueofpaymentforthesedrugtests.The
onespayingforthesetestsaretaxpayers,andastudyinMinnesotashowsthattheirlaw
designedtopreventdrugusersfromreceivingwelfarebenefitscouldendupcostingtaxpayers
farmorethanitsaves(A.1).Whilemanythinkthatthisisasmallpricetopayforabig
advantage,thishypotheticaldrugtestingmoneycouldinsteadgototheconstructionoflocal
parksorrecreationalfacilitiesthatcouldbenefiteverybody,notjustafew.Intheend,thereare
betterwaystospendmoneymeantforthecommunity,andthereisnoreasontospendmoney
thatthegovernmentdoesnothaveonmandatorydrugtestsforpossiblewelfarerecipients.The
majorityshouldnothavetobetestedbecauseoftheminority.
Thebenefitsofwelfareprogramscontributetothehelpofthepoorandneedyin
America.TheAmericanGovernmenthasspent$916billiononwelfareprograms[that]provide
cash,food,housing,[and]medicalcare(Rector).Somemightsaythatthisisalargeamountof
moneytospendonpeoplewhohavenowayofmakinganincome.Consequently,theGreat

Aadnesen,Ganzert,Gillen,Pagenkopp,Stanfield3

Recessionhastakenagravetollacrossthelowerandthemiddleclasses.Withhigh
unemploymentandjobscarcity,allkindsoffamilieshavehadtotapintogovernmentsponsored
programstomakeendsmeet(Mason).Manyfamiliesdependonthesewelfareprogramswhen
theycannotmakeenoughmoneytosupportthemselves.Thegovernmentistryingtohelpactual
livingconditionsandhelpsustainasteadyincomeforthepoor.Anestimateofroughly100
millionAmericansreceivedaidfromatleastoneofthem,atanaveragecostof$9,000per
recipient(Rector).Thismaysoundlikealotalready,butitdoesnotamounttowhatthe
governmentneedstospenditsmoneyon.Asselfsufficiencydeclines,povertyisgrowingatan
unpredictablerate.Americansneedtostoplyingtothemselvesandbehonestaboutour
economicreality.Nowisnotthetimetodoawaywithprogramsthatarekeepingmillionsof
familiesafloat(Mason).
MichaelTannerfrom
USAToday
states,Newsthatthepovertyratehasrisento15.1%
ofAmericans,thebiggestlevelinnearlyadecade,hassetoffapredictableroundofcallsfor
increasedgovernmentspendingonsocialwelfareprograms(Tanner10).In2012alone,the
Federalgovernment[spent]morethan$668,000,000,000onatleast126programstofight
poverty..intotal,theU.S.spendsnearlyonetrilliondollarseachyeartofightpoverty(10).
Thisisalotofmoneytospendonwelfarealone.Consideringthatthecountryisalreadyindebt,
itdoesnotmakesensethatgovernmentwouldspendtrillionsofdollarsonjustoneprogram.
Althoughmanymayneedit,therearemoreconcerningthingsthegovernmentshouldspendits
fundson.AsEdFeulnerfromthe
HeritageFoundation
says,unstabledebtisbadnews,butwe
havetorememberthatitisntsimplyaboutdollarsandcents.Itisaboutpeople.Thatincludes
taxpayersaswell.Somemaynotknowthatthecurrenttaxcodetaxestoomuch,taxesunfairly,

Aadnesen,Ganzert,Gillen,Pagenkopp,Stanfield4

andconspireswithouroutmodedwelfaresystemtotrappoorfamiliesinpoverty(Leeand
RubioA.17).Whatisthepointofthegovernmentspendingallofthismoneyifthepoorarejust
goingtostaypoor?Thegovernmentshouldfocusspendingtaxpayersmoneyonaprogramthat
willhelpgetthelowerclassoutofpoverty.Peopleonwelfarearetoodependentontheprogram,
makinggovernmentcutbacksanecessity.Thesepeoplemayneedhelptogetbackontheirfeet,
andthatiswhattheyshouldget,butthefactthatthegovernmentisputtingoutatrilliondollars
annuallytohelppeoplebecomelazyisnothelpingthemitisonlykeepingtheminpoverty.
ConsideringthatAmericaisinanerawhenthefederalgovernmentcontinuestospendasifthe
partywillneverend(Feulner),shouldsomethingnotbedoneaboutallthisgovernment
spending?
PublicWelfareisnotonlysupportingadultsinneed,butthechildrenaswell.Amajor
partofthewelfareprogram,foodstamps,haveaffectedchildren'slives.Thefirstgroupofkids
eligibleforfoodstampswerelesslikely,asadults,tosufferfromatroublingcombinationof
diabetes,obesity,andhighbloodpressure(LosAngelesTimes).Americaneedshealthier
childrenfoodstampsaregivingAmericajustthat.Itisnotjustthat,though.Ontopof
everythingelse,welfareprogramsimprovelivingconditionsforchildren.Theseimproved
conditionshelpchildrendevelopbetter,thusincreasingincomeandwellbeinginthenext
generation(LosAngelesTimes).Theimprovementsthatwelfarecreatesinachild'slifeare
immense.Whentheygrowupwatchingtheirguardianlearningtobeselfsufficient,theyare
goingtogrowuptobeaselfsufficientadult.Childrenwhoareraisedbypeopleusingwelfare
programsaremorelikelytobehealthierandaremorelikelytobecomeeconomically
selfsufficient(LosAngelesTimes).

Aadnesen,Ganzert,Gillen,Pagenkopp,Stanfield5

Foodstampsareawellknown,availablewelfarebenefit.Theyareconsideredasolution
tosomeofthehungerproblemsinAmerica.Whathappenswhenthesolutionbecomes
bothersome?Foodstampsmayhavebecomeanissuesinceofficialsaretryinganewapproach
towhattheycallaparticularlyinsidiousproblem:foodstamptrafficking(Grovum).Recipients
havebeenmakingads,advertisingthattheirfoodstampsareforsale.Itisnotrightthatpeople
aretakingadvantageofthisbenefit,consideringthatothersareoutthere,starving,hopingthat
theywillsoonreceivefoodstampshowever,theremaybeawaytofixthis.Accordingto
CharlesLanefromthe
WashingtonPost
,thereisanothersolution.Abolishfoodstamps,onone
condition:CongresswouldhavetodistributetheSNAPbudgetamongotherprogramsforthe
poor,forwhichmanySNAPrecipientsalsoqualify(LaneA.15).Thatsoundslikeapretty
goodidea.Ifpeopleusingfoodstampswanttoselltheirbenefitsformoneyanyways,thisisthe
perfectsolution.Givingthisoptioninlieuoffoodsstampsisgreat,inlightofthefactthatthe
onlythingpeoplewantiscash.Allthingsconsidered,maybefoodsstampsarenotthebestoption
asawelfarebenefit.
Rightorwrong,welfareiswelfare.Itdoesnotmatterwhatadvantagesanddisadvantages
therearewelfarehasbeenamajorpartoftheAmericaneconomysincethe1960sandwillmost
likelyimpactfamiliesinthefutureaswell.Thisdoesnotstopopposingsidesfromvoicingtheir
opinions,though.Somemayarguethatwelfareprovidesastableincomeforpoorfamilies,while
othersmightsaythatittakesawayfromtheworkingclass.Drugtesting,governmentspending,
andfoodstampsmaycontinuetobeahottopicforyearstocome,buthopefullyasolutionmay
comearoundandallowbothsidestobecontentwiththewelfareprograminthefuture.

Aadnesen,Ganzert,Gillen,Pagenkopp,Stanfield6

WorksCited
Feulner,Ed."TheSpiralingStateofWelfareSpending."
HeritageFoundation
.N.p.:n.p.,2012.
N.pag.
SIRSIssuesResearcher
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Grovum,Jake."ANewPushtoHaltFoodStampTrafficking."
stateline.org
.N.p.:n.p.,2014.N.
pag.
SIRSIssuesResearcher
.Web.12Feb.2015.
Laine,Samantha.DrugTestingforWelfareRecipients:WisconsinPoisedtoJoinOtherStates.

SIRSIssuesResearcher
.N.p.,n.d.Web.17Feb.2015.
Feb.2015.
Lane,Charles."AbolishFoodStamps.There'saBetterWay."
WashingtonPost
.N.p.:n.p.,2013.
A.15.
SIRSIssuesResearcher
.Web.12Feb.2015.
Lee,Mike,andMarcoRubio."AProFamily,ProGrowthTaxReform."
WallStreet

Journal
.

N.p.:n.p.,2014.A.17.
SIRSIssuesResearcher
.Web.12Feb.2015.
Mason,C.Nicole.AmericaNeedsWelfareProgramsinTheseToughTimes.
SIRSIssues
Researcher
.N.p.,n.d.Web.17Feb.2015.

Robles,Frances.FloridaLawonDrugTestsforWelfareisStruckDown.
SIRSIssues
Researcher
.N.p.,n.d.Web.12Feb.2015.
Serres,Chris."HighCostGaininWelfareDrugTests."
StarTribune
.N.p.:n.p.,2013.A.1.
SIRS
IssuesResearcher
.Web.12Feb.2015.
Tanner,Michael."The15TrillionDollarWaronPovertyIsaFailure."
USAToday
(Farmingdale)
.N.p.:n.p.,2012.10.
SIRSIssuesResearcher
.Web.12