by Tina Grazier
I watched “The Blind Side” again last night and was reminded of the incredible power of personal involvement in charitable efforts. The success that Michael Oher achieved would likely not have been possible except for the personal involvement of Leigh Anne Tuohy and her generous family. This story puts the notion of making a difference in perspective; generous personal acts can completely transform lives.
As a nation we have followed that model fairly well. Americans give generously of their time and money to many private charitable causes. But we have also followed another model that wastes valuable resources and fails to inspire transformation. In doing so trillions of dollars in tax monies serve only to keep individuals and families stuck in dependency. Add failing public schools into the mix and the revolving door dependency problem is made even worse.
It seems we have settled in and become content to leave this responsibility to our government and it’s a disgrace. A recent story in the L.A. Times highlights not only the financial waste for taxpayers but also the lack of appreciation and failure to use tax dollars as a means to a better life on the part of recipients:
“California welfare money drawn out of state,” by Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times
Las Vegas tops the list with $11.8 million spent at casinos or taken from ATMs, but transactions in Hawaii, Miami, Guam and elsewhere also raise questions. Officials say budget cuts hinder investigations. ** Reporting from Sacramento — More than $69 million in California welfare money, meant to help the needy pay their rent and clothe their children, has been spent or withdrawn outside the state in recent years, including millions in Las Vegas, hundreds of thousands in Hawaii and thousands on cruise ships sailing from Miami. ** State-issued aid cards have been used at hotels, shops, restaurants, ATMs and other places in 49 other states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam, according to data obtained by The Times from the California Department of Social Services. Las Vegas drew $11.8 million of the cash benefits, far more than any other destination. The money was accessed from January 2007 through May 2010. (emphasis mine)
Not everyone has the time or the resources to get personally involved in another’s life to the extent that Leigh Anne Tuohy and her family did. Not every person who is needy would be willing to take hold of such an opportunity to better his life. But the example serves as a reminder that there are better ways to help the needy. It’s time to seriously rethink our welfare and aid systems; tax dollar charity may assuage guilt but it just does not work.
I was in a debate with some people who advocate welfare spending not too long ago and I brought up the case of welfare ATM cards being used in casinos and strip clubs. They said this was a minor occurence and not worth discrediting a whole group of poor and underprivileged people over. Now we find out that California welfare dollars are being spent in Las Vegas, Hawaii, and even on cruises from Miami. CLEARLY there is some FRAUD AND ABUSE still to be rooted out of our lucrative welfare system!!!
It’s been said so many times that I can’t understand why liberals don’t get it. California has 12% of the nation’s population but we serve over 30% of the nation’s welfare burden. That means other states are getting away with not paying their fair share while we (California) pick up the tab for the all the freeloaders. Because our benefits are better than other states, people who live off welfare move here from those states, meaning that we pay more while those states pay less.
All that would be needed to reverse this would be to limit welfare recipients to receive only the same amount that they would receive from their home states! Or better yet, limit our welfare benefits to no more than the national average. I guarantee that a large number of them would leave and more would quit moving here. Of course, with the environmentalists killing our state economy, pretty soon there won’t be any tax dollars to support the freeloaders and all welfare will be cancelled anyway!
Fair is fair. California shouldn’t have to pick up the tab for other states. We need serious welfare reform in this state and we need it ASAP!
Steve: “It’s been said so many times that I can’t understand why liberals don’t get it.”
I think they get it. I don’t think they care that it doesn’t work; that it fails to uplift people or that it is rife with wastre, fraud and abuse.
Welfare fits in the liberal/progressive mindset. If you follow their thinking to its logical conclusion you find the Marxist/fascist state with all citizens under government control. Price and wage fixing, universal healthcare, redistribution of wealth, etc all fit the plan. They keep trying to make it appear to be something else. In China and South America we see old Marxistr “embracing” capitalism, but they are bound and determined to do it their way. Hugo Chavez in Venezuela is a perfect example.
This is why we can’t have a conversation with them about reform…they don’t want it! Since they don’t want it the conversation quicly devolves into labeling the messenger…heartless, greedy, racist.
Are California’s hard working or out of work/home citizens OK with “$11.8 million” of their dollars being spent by welfare recipients on vacations and partying instead of food, clothing and rent? I doubt it. Will they vote to do something about it? We’ll see.