Study: More Than Half a Trillion Dollars Spent on Welfare But Poverty Levels Unaffect

Everyone, Left, Right, Liberal, Socialist, Conservative, Communist, Libertarian, etc. has an agenda. While welfare programs may reduce the effects of poverty, without the imposition of responsibilities they harm rather than benefit society.

Maybe welfare offices should be turned into workfare offices, requiring able bodied persons put in an 8 hour work day in order to receive a minimum wage, doing public service community work in order to receive a paycheck, with taxes imposed like everyone else, until they can find a job elsewhere. How many would then wish to remain on welfare rather than seek more gainful employment?

 

Many people would be happy with that.

I think it would be somewhat lacking, but would be better than the corrupt welfare situations that exist in many US states and areas.

 

Full employment- excellent idea

However, why do you believe a full employment strategy is decidedly absent from US economic policy?

 

Where do you see it included, and by what means is it being implemented?

 

Please re-read my quote.

 

Then we agree that one is absent, and I presume intentionally so?

 

Yes, we agree.

Current economic policy is always intentional.

Why is a full employment strategy decidedly absent from US economic policy?

 

Because it lowers corporate profits. If you watch the stock market, when unemployment goes down stocks go down, when unemployment goes up stocks go up.

 

I wouldn't put a lot of faith in that as a trading strategy if I were you.

 

S/he's obviously not presenting that as a trading strategy.

S/he replied: full employment strategy is decidedly absent from US economic policy because it lowers corporate profits.

How would you answer the question Individual? Why is a full employment strategy decidedly absent from US economic policy?

 

In my opinion, the unemployed provides politicians a voting block who can more easily be manipulated into supporting government growth in the area of social programs which provides them with taxpayer funded jobs in which to place and repay some of their loyal supporters.

 

Ive always wondered why something like this isn't in place. A lot of good could be done for lower class neighborhoods if everyone on welfare had to help clean up those communities.

 

Would have been nice to have used the bail-out money to do exactly that--just like Roosevelt started the WPA,CCC and other government programs when they were needed in the 30s. He put millions to work on infrastructure. Could have been done again and still could be.

 

That would be great, unfortunately they would more than likely be cutting rich peoples lawns... and they would have to supply their own lawn mower.

 

I did answer with my opinion, however the post did not appear so I sent it again just now. And for the record, what is your opinion (answer)?

As for corporate profits being a reason, not all jobs are provided by corporations, and the question would appear to pertain to government policy not business policy. The primary function of employers, businesses, both large and small, is not to employ people but only to produce a product or service at the lowest cost possible, producing the greatest profit possible. From the point of the employee, the object is to obtain the greatest wage/salary possible, using the least effort possible. And the consumers most often look to obtain all their wants or needs at the lowest price possible. That too is my opinion of course.

 

The GOP says that the unemployed voting block is an insignificant "small amount of people."

Why would a politician spend political capital on a voting block that is insignificant?

 

Me and a friend completely gutted and rebuilt several apartment buildings that had been condemned. It was your classic ghetto down to the details. We spent about 8 months on the property, and seen some crazy shit. But what got to me most was the trash. The land (slum) lord hired us to turn his unrentable properties around before they all fell apart. So the first 3 days we spent picking up trash. We made 6 loads with truck and trailer just hauling off the trash from the yard and parking lot. In less than a week had to make 2 more trips to haul the new trash away. We would literally finish cleaning up and take lunch, only to come back to a half dozen fast food bags spread across the parking lot and yard. I know for a fact the vast majority of people in that neighborhood was receiving government assistance. If just half of those people had to clean up their own filth, the attitude of littering would change drastically.

 

You seem to have missed "public service community work". Cutting rich peoples lawns would require the rich people to pay, not the tax payers, and if they had to provide their own lawn mowers, that could be included in the price they charge to cut the lawn.

 

“There is one rule for the industrialist and that is: Make the best quality of goods possible at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible.”
― Henry Ford

 

Ahem...
great quote for the masses but Ford was a megalomaniacal xenocentric fuckwad.

Known anything about Fordlandia?