GSU study: Welfare programs discourage work, marriage (Atlanta: income, income tax)

[10 feet tall]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Lol, just remember, the more of those 'lazy welfare recipients' get jobs, the less overall jobs there will be available, thus more complaining about how bad the economy is and how little jobs there are.

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[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by 10 feet tall

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It's pretty simple to understand. When more people are out looking for jobs, the less overall jobs there will be available and the more competition there will be for jobs. If there are that many welfare recipients who currently don't have jobs just all of a sudden started looking for jobs, the supply for labor would increase and the quantity demanded would slowly decrease. It's a basic principle of economics.

Thus, people still wouldn't have jobs regardless and would still have to have a safety net. There will always be people who need welfare or a safety net of some type. Not everyone will or can have a professional job making 50,000+. If everyone was skilled for those types of jobs, wouldn't the quantity demanded for those jobs be nearly 0, thus pay for those jobs decrease because the supply would far exceed the demand, thus a surplus of workers and thus, people not having job?

It's simply impossible for everyone to make a livable wage. Just impossible. There has to be a balance....that's part of what capitalism is about. There has to be a lower, middle, and upper class. Without welfare, I can imagine the U.S. looking more like a third world country with extreme poverty in a sizable portion of the population.

[jeoff]

I think that the question is not wheather or not the US should have a social safety net, most folks agree that it should. The question is there a way to have a social safety net that still allows people to have the hope, skill, and desire to work.

Originally Posted by Ant131531

It's pretty simple to understand. When more people are out looking for jobs, the less overall jobs there will be available and the more competition there will be for jobs. If there are that many welfare recipients who currently don't have jobs just all of a sudden started looking for jobs, the supply for labor would increase and the quantity demanded would slowly decrease. It's a basic principle of economics.

Thus, people still wouldn't have jobs regardless and would still have to have a safety net. There will always be people who need welfare or a safety net of some type. Not everyone will or can have a professional job making 50,000+. If everyone was skilled for those types of jobs, wouldn't the quantity demanded for those jobs be nearly 0, thus pay for those jobs decrease because the supply would far exceed the demand, thus a surplus of workers and thus, people not having job?

It's simply impossible for everyone to make a livable wage. Just impossible. There has to be a balance....that's part of what capitalism is about. There has to be a lower, middle, and upper class. Without welfare, I can imagine the U.S. looking more like a third world country with extreme poverty in a sizable portion of the population.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by 10 feet tall

For welfare recipients, would it be possible to form a sort of government work force that gives welfare recipients a productive job to do? Maybe something similar to the TVA or whatnot? That way people who need assistance are getting it, and they are also doing productive work and a valuable public work is being performed. Like some sort of a compromise system between liberals and conservatives on the issue. If the government is giving the money to the recipient anyway, at least in this scenario a bridge is being repaired at the same time (or whatever else needs being done). That way people don't feel like they have their dignity taken away and they still get help.

I'm up for that discussion. It would indeed address several solutions. And if done right, the money spent on that program would be reinvested in the local economy.

[0nyxStation]

Originally Posted by Poppinfresh

So I don't know why people are even focusing on this.

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Probably because the attitudes and behaviors of the users. The people on these programs most times forget their place in society and lack humility. I think that is the biggest reason many want to see the programs end.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by BlackPeach2

Probably because the attitudes and behaviors of the users. The people on these programs most times forget their place in society and lack humility. I think that is the biggest reason many want to see the programs end.

I think it has more to do with the unfairness of having to get up and work to support yourself and your family while others don't.

I guarantee I can go just about anywhere in this town and find a bunch of able bodied people who won't work. That's just not right. I've seen it in my own family and boy, have I gotten on them about it. How can a grown man or woman justify laying around drawing a check on the taxpayers?

[DONNIEANDDONNA417]

believe or not some people think its owed to them

[jeoff]

Because the perceived difference that working a low paying, low status job will have on their quality of life seems so minimal.

Originally Posted by arjay57

I think it has more to do with the unfairness of having to get up and work to support yourself and your family while others don't.

I guarantee I can go just about anywhere in this town and find a bunch of able bodied people who won't work. That's just not right. I've seen it in my own family and boy, have I gotten on them about it. How can a grown man or woman justify laying around drawing a check on the taxpayers?

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by jeoff

Because the perceived difference that working a low paying, low status job will have on their quality of life seems so minimal.

So you're saying it's easier just not to work and let the taxpayers send you a check?

I know a lot of us spent many years working low paying, low status jobs. It's possible that will not lead to better things, but if you choose to not work at all I can guarantee they will never get better.

[10 feet tall]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

I'm up for that discussion. It would indeed address several solutions. And if done right, the money spent on that program would be reinvested in the local economy.

I agree, it would probably be good for the local economy. Really, even if someone is physically disabled (obviously this has limitations, if you are bed ridden, etc) they can still make some kind of contribution, like admin, filing papers, or whatever. And if someone really does want to work and physically can do so, surely the government can find something that needs being done. That way the conservatives cant claim that people are getting something for nothing, and the people who need help will get it. And something positive gets accompished, job skills are learned, noone has a blank spot on their resume, etc, etc.

I don't know.

It just seems like there could be a meet in the middle solution on this issue.