Monday, February 1, 2010

Full-throttle tweeding efforts underway


From City Journal:

Several dependency-promoting bills are gathering steam in Albany. In theory, current state law requires putatively homeless single mothers with an income to contribute a small portion of that income to the costs of their taxpayer-funded apartments. For instance, a single mother with two children and a monthly income of $1,000 could be asked to contribute around $160 a month for her private apartment. But when the city tried to enforce the contribution rule last spring, homeless advocates went ballistic, and the administration backed off. The city wants to start enforcing the rule again, but a bill sponsored by state senator Daniel Squadron of Brooklyn would forbid it.

The requirement is both fair—other low-income New Yorkers put far more of their income toward rent—and good policy. The absence of any rent requirement creates a powerful incentive to enter and stay in the system. It also undermines the reciprocity contract between taxpayers and welfare recipients that lies at the heart of welfare reform. The result: a nearly half-billion-dollar annual bill to house single mothers claiming homelessness.

Other pending legislation would forbid the city from medically evaluating a recipient’s claim that she was incapable of working; it would also allow enrollment in a four-year college to fulfill welfare’s work requirements. The first bill opens up a wide arena for fraud; the second ignores decades of pre- and post-welfare-reform experience showing that the best way for an unskilled worker to enter the workforce is actually to start working, rather than spend years in often fruitless “education and training” programs.

If the Albany dependency brigades weren’t dangerous enough, the Obama administration has been conducting its own campaign for expanded welfare eligibility—not surprisingly, perhaps, given that some of the nation’s most influential welfare advocates now occupy key positions in the federal bureaucracy.

This double-sided attack on New York’s welfare reform lacks all empirical basis. Since 1995, the city’s welfare rolls have dropped nearly 70 percent, from 1.1 million to 350,000. Rather than increasing, as opponents of welfare reform warned, the child poverty rate in New York City dropped 34 percent during the same period, compared with a 5 percent drop nationwide. In 2008, New York City had the lowest child poverty rate—26.5 percent—and the lowest total poverty rate—18.2 percent—of the country’s eight largest cities.

Work, even at minimum wage, remains the best route out of poverty. When tax credits and medical and housing benefits are included, an average single mother of two with an $8.25-an-hour job in New York City receives a $63,000 annual income. On welfare alone, that same mother would pull in $43,000 a year—a whopping amount for non-work, to be sure, but still less than work provides.

34 comments:

LibertyBoyNYC said...

$63,000/yr? I'm in the wrong racket.

Anonymous said...

Yes that is true but they have so many programs to get you a Truck diving license to work for Fresh Direct, home health aides, Security guards, ramp agents...low skilled work..

But what is lacking is getting educated white people the recent skills they need to get back in the workforce.

They wont pay for advanced Photoshop,auto cad or even a paralegal certificate.

And heaven forbid you actually get a work assignment that is in your filed. So you can use it on your resume to apply for REAL jobs and get off welfare.

PS obamahz gave NYC 2500 more subsidized work grants and all are for the Parks dept .....you know planting trees pickup garbage....
--------------------------
the best way for an unskilled worker to enter the workforce is actually to start working, rather than spend years in often fruitless “education and training” programs.

Anonymous said...

the best way for an unskilled worker to enter the workforce is actually to start working, rather than spend years in often fruitless “education and training” programs.
--

Well, yes, but the tweeded make a fine back drop for Honest Joe Crowley or Mystery Man Mike Gianaris (not Callous Carolyn Maloney who only shows up for big construction projects)as the media tells you yet again how our nation cares for the disadvantaged -

The hacks can run programs (perhaps employing unqualified relatives of party apparatchiks and not fearing an audit if they do so) and enjoy generous dollops of money (never fearing media examination cause the media gets generous dollops of the politicians money directly in ads, or indirectly through real estate ads from an overheated industry -

And of course, the tweeded will remember the concern of the machine, and reinforced by their preachers at the pulpit (or have their own pipelines to the sewage plant) will vote again and again and again for great massa who takes care of them.

So much for liberation from their slave quarters.

And most importantly, the polite middle class will say nothing cause they are in the pocket and like gentle cows, exist to be milked.

Anonymous said...

best way for an unskilled worker to enter the workforce is actually to start working, rather than spend years in often fruitless “education and training” programs.

---------------------------

Agreed.

The people who end up on long-term benefits aren't going to be the type that have a mental capacity for learning ANYTHING. Sub-humans who, if you are lucky, can perhaps be trained to push a broom or drop a basket of fries into hot oil.

Auntie Invasion said...

Has the person writing this article ever needed welfare benefits, food stamps or medicaid?

Have they ever gone to a food pantry because they had no money for food? Do they know what it's like to be out of work?

While it makes interesting points, it's an attack on poor people.

What the heck is wrong with getting an education?

What is so great about workfare/WEP, you are taking away a paid position from someone when you work for free for NYC. Workfare is slavery.

to those who yell, get a job, how about yours? can I have your job since the illegal aliens and special interest groups are making sure I don't have one.

The problem is the illegal immigrants and their endless children who are bleeding our social services system and hospitals.

Stop feeding them and they will go away, stop giving them welfare for the children they birth in the USA.

Queens Crapper said...

"you are taking away a paid position from someone when you work for free for NYC. Workfare is slavery."

They get PAID the welfare money for the work. The city isn't hiring anyone for these positions otherwise. They would rather the parks go dirty than actually pay someone to clean them. You'd rather have them sit at home and collect money while watching Jerry Springer?

Anonymous said...

now I'm pissed off- from the article:
"The first bill opens up a wide arena for fraud; the second ignores decades of pre- and post-welfare-reform experience"

the only fraud I can see is the article itself. fraud is glossed over, a buzz word at best.
what pre and post welfare reform experience? Whose experience are they blabbing about? Their's?

What the writer is twisting around here is the section of the Clinton signed Personal Financial Responsibility Act of 1996 regarding welfare benefits. It also included making those individuals who file for bankruptcy jump through more hoops and making it easier for major corporations to go bankrupt on our tax dollar.
This act was a direct hit on working people.

what they are trying to refer to, I think, is the argument from the late 1800's, early 1900's called inside and outside relief. The captains of industry did not want inside relief, rent money, coal or groceries, given to the poor because then they would have no reason to work in the mills and factories . Outside relief, blankets and soup,was okay the since it would drive the rabble indoors to make the factories owners rich.

Know anything about that?

there were fierce arguments regarding inside and outside relief. The Roosevelt Administration laid those arguments for the most part to rest.
Newt Gingrich reopened those same arguments, securing himself a good seat in hell. By the way, has anybody here seen Newt lately?

go to a welfare office, try to apply for the very small crumbs, then you can write about it.

Tell me about the workhouses and poor houses in this country.

The Bloombergs of this world are doing their best to bring them back.

Anonymous said...

Oh, booo hooo. A good portion of the welfare benefits out there are used to buy bling and drugs. I know because I work with people who do just that and walk around telling sob stories about how bad they have it.

georgetheatheist said...

"Poverty is not a mortgage on the labor of others-misfortune is not a mortgage on achievement-failure is not a mortgage on success-suffering is not a claim check, and its relief is not the goal of existence-man is not a sacrificial animal on anyone's altar nor for anyone's cause-life is not one huge hospital."
- Ayn Rand, "Apollo 11", The Objectivist, Sept. 1969, 13.

Babs said...

Ayn Rand was an industialist groupie.

- Babs, "Queens Crap", Feb. 2, 2010.

Anonymous said...

hilarious! she would "make" more than the average person does! cant wait for all the states to go belly up- not enough tax rev, no more welfare state!

Babs said...

I'm sorry - maybe I'm missing something - but, what is $63,000 per year representative of?

georgetheatheist said...

Babs = Non Compos Mentis

1. "industialist"
2. "Feb. 2, 2010"

Anonymous said...

Only a fool can not get a job. If a person who can't speak a lick of english can arrive from mexico with no papers

Let's be real. There's work, but you think that it is beneath you. Knowing you have a saftey net (i.e. hardwarding taxpayers) you would rather go the easy route. If there were no net you would find work - or starve. One of the two. Close your legs. Stop having kids of of wedlock. Be responsible. Grow up.

Babs said...

you quote Rand VERY often I notice which is typical of a Libertarian - which is also ONE of the reasons WHY the Libertarian Party is viewed as more of a political CULT than an organization.

BUT according to you I'M - Non Compos Mentis . . . . . . HAH!

georgetheatheist said...

"...viewed as...a political CULT.." By whom? I quote Rand because her philosophy, in these darkened times, is the beacon of intelligence, the validation of existence. Life indeed is not one huge "hospital", or say you otherwise?

[I don't know why I even bother dealing with this agnostic. I know, maybe if I keep trying, it'll sink in. Repetition is the branding iron of knowledge.]

Queens Crapper said...

When did George say he was a member of the Libertarian Party?

georgetheatheist said...

And, Non Compos Mentis, there is a difference between Libertarianism and Objectivism.

Anonymous said...

I'll support Squadron's bill if it includes single moms getting full welfare having their tubes tied so they won't get pregnant again!

Babs said...

"...viewed as...a political CULT.." By whom? I quote Rand because her philosophy, in these darkened times, is the beacon of intelligence, the validation of existence"

I'm going to puke . . . .

Babs said...

Objectivism is a libertarian philosophy.

"laissez-faire capitalism" is the philosophy of idealistic fools / nutjobs.

Babs said...

Anonymous: "I'll support Squadron's bill if it includes single moms getting full welfare having their tubes tied so they won't get pregnant again!"

I'll support the bill if it includes mandatory vasectomies for men. . . . .

Anonymous said...

How much does an abortion cost these days? $500? Instead of paying welfare the government should foot the bill for an abortion for anyone that wants it. It's cheaper than paying $40K a year in welfare benefits. By then again all the religious types would get up in arms about that.

ew-3 said...

"I'll support the bill if it includes mandatory vasectomies for men. . . . ."

Babs - for men on welfare, I'm with you.

Klink Cannoli said...

Babs said...
Objectivism is a libertarian philosophy.

"laissez-faire capitalism" is the philosophy of idealistic fools / nutjobs.
==============================

I've always enjoyed your vigorous posts, Babs. We may even see eye to eye on a few compassionate issues.

Out of curiosity, and no judgements being past, what are your philosophical, or economic paradeigma views? Pardon my Greek-i-ness.

I should warn you, I may follow up with a question or two. If you're willing.

Anonymous said...

when things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
when the funds are low and the debts are high,
and you want to smile,but you have to sigh,
when care is pressing you down a bit...
rest if you must, but don't you quit.

life is queer with its twists and turns,
as every one of us sometimes learns,
and many a fellow turns about,
when he might have won had he stuck it out.
don't give up though the pace seems slow...
you may succeed with another blow.

often the goal is nearer than
it seems to a faint and faltering man;
often the struggler has given up
when he might have captured the victor's cup
and he learned too late when the night came
how close he was to the golden crown.

success is failure turned inside out...
the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
and you never can tell how close you are,
it may be near when it seems afar;
so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
it's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

by anon.....note....reading this poem,kept my sales
increasing,and my bank account in the black consistently.

georgetheatheist said...

And don't forget to pray that your rich Uncle Charlie has you in his will when he kicks the bucket.

Anonymous said...

one does not need an "Uncle Charlie " , if one makes the proper financial deals, moderate risk, and spends frugally .

Babs said...

Huh? Me too stoopit too unnerstand yer kwestchun.

Anonymous said...

Crapper you are dead wrong on this one.

find out how much people get on Welfare before you start shouting your mouth off. How much is that in real dollars and cents? for a single adult it's for rent $215 only for a month. and $137 in cash benefits, that's for gas, electric, telephone, food, transportation, laundry, toilet paper, toiletries and household cleaning products.

I challenge you to live on that before you judge others.

there is something called minimum wage.

what is your job, pray tell?
Let's get a workfare person to do it for free and see how much you are loving workfare then.

when WEP/workfare began 2/3 of the Parks Dept for NYC were laid off. That was job with good benefits, paid vacation, sick days, paid holidays, health insurance.
That translates to drop in tax revenue.

wake up Crapper.

Queens Crapper said...

Welfare is supposed to supplement income. Not be the income. Those not working at all must do workfare. Don't like it? Don't apply for the benefits. Better yet - get a minimum wage job. There is no reason why an able-bodied single adult has to stay home and watch the boob tube all day. And Parks' budget was cut when workfare started which is why the jobs at the bottom were lost. Just as it has been cut every year since.

Babs #2 said...

That too "Babs"!

I'm curious though...are you a drag queen or a trans?

I mean..."Gypsy", "Peaches" or "Babs"...names sound like a stripper.

Anonymous said...

Crapper you are wrong. If you have any income you are not eligible for welfare cash benefits.

It is not supplemental to anything. That's it, $215 for an entire months rent that goes either directly to the landlord or in a 3 party check and $137 for anything else, in addition, a single adult will get $200 worth of food stamps. This is not enough money to live on.

what happens if people get sick or become disabled? They can't do anything.

What is your source of information with regard to welfare? Please go back to where ever you got it and tell them they are dead wrong.


The Parks Department lost 2/3 of it's paid staff due to Workfare.

Workfare is slavery.

wait until you need help then you will be in for shock.

Queens Crapper said...

Please knock it off. In NYS, TANF services are available to those individuals with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Check the website yourself.

$200/mo for a single adult for food? I survived for longer spending much less than that.

If you are able-bodied and don't do any work, you shouldn't get any benefits. PERIOD. We shouldn't give money away in return for nothing. I have seen many a welfare recipient work off the books, steal and sell drugs. If they are cleaning up the parks, they won't be busy doing these things.

Those who have been on public assistance from cradle to the grave should have stayed in school and been motivated in life. Just because they blew it doesn't mean the rest of us should pay for it.