Food Stamps and the entitlement ‘Bitter Pill’ (Video)

Lowering the bar to participate in these programs is a big part of the problem. Obama did this reversing course on Clinton’s welfare reforms. Many states including Republican-controlled states went along with this.

Italicized paragraphs as reported in the Wall Street Journal.

But there is another driver, which began in 1996, overhaul welfare of President Bill Clinton. In recent years, the law allowed the state to facilitate the asset and income tests for potential participants, with the support of the Obama administration, the program allows people with relatively high incomes and savings.

Look deeper: The Democrat / Progressive business model that believe that government should control and deliver an individual’s needs.

“Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as the modern-day food-stamp benefit is known, has soared 70% since 2008 to a record 47.8 million as of December 2012. Congressional budget analysts think participation will rise again this year and dip only slightly in coming years.”

The left creates programs that seem to benefit and for a short time they might in some way but foster the culture of dependence. They are cowards who will not tell the American people that some will not do as well, selling equal outcome, which does not exist. Republicans at times are also guilty because they will not speak the truth and tell people there is no guarantee, but there always should be opportunity.

The government spent a record $ 74.6 billion for the SNAP benefits in the past year, roughly equal to the combined budget of the Department of Homeland Security, the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Interior. About 45% of the recipients of children. In 2007, the government spent $ 30.4 billion on the program.

Growing the economy, which the Obama administration has failed to do, and in many ways hindered deliberately, is one of the primary steps to reverse course. When Americans have a job and they buy in into our opportunity based system, more will work their way out of poverty. Bending this cost curve requires that we increase employment and earnings which reduces poverty and reduces enrollment in programs. These two factors combined will help us on the path to fiscal stability.

Examine two important facets of failure with the growth of entitlement programs.

• Sustained use: Longer time on programs, multiple programs
• Generational use: Acceptance that this is a way of life passes on to next generation and this is a cultural disaster and a danger to growth in America.

There is a reality that many refuse to face. It is irresponsible to become a single parent or to start a family when you can’t afford it. Stop this hamster wheel of cultural stupidity and you reduce the need for entitlement programs.

A major part of fixing our economy requires a concerted effort to immediately cut entitlements and over time reduce entitlement dependence. We all must take this bitter pill.