$3.7 Trillion On Welfare Since 2009 Is A Culture Problem

This lagging analysis of welfare spending by the Senate Budget Committee is a leading indicator of a fundamental shift in American economics and culture. Both of these factors put us on the path of dependency on government which then becomes a generational acceptance of any way of life.

It’s also reflective of the failed economic policies of the Obama administration and the desire by the administration to make government an even more central participant in our daily lives. A very effective tool for the left is to lower the bar for means testing or participation in any or a multiple of programs such as removing the work requirement for welfare. This makes it easier for more people to get on the system and for many to game the system at taxpayer expense. Welfare then becomes a way of life rather than a bridge to help those in need.

To be fair there have been failures on the right side of the aisle in reforming the systems and in removing duplicate programs which allow many to gain more than a living wage at taxpayer expense. Oversight at the federal and state level for any cooperation for programs becomes an almost impossible task.

The CBO estimates well over $400 billion of duplicate of programs at the federal level.

In the case of the SNAP program when responsible states have attempted to account as required under law for the products that are being purchased with those benefits the USDA has struck down those attempts.

Corporatism plays into this and there are many who benefit at the bottom line whether it’s EBT transaction fees and products suppliers within the welfare system.

We should consider a version of the UK system of consolidation into single credit and get a hold of total benefit outlay. They did it after their system failed and we don’t want to go that far.

Federal welfare spending is expected to skyrocket some 80% in the next decade. This is unsustainable within our economy.

Democrats are hinting at almost $1 trillion in new taxes in the next decade. With over 90 million adults out of the workforce who will pay for all of this when there aren’t enough earnings as middle-class incomes drop and taxing every rich person 100% could not pay for this. We can’t tax our way to prosperity.

Solutions: Clean up waste and fraud, duplicative programs, raise the bar to participate, means test and allow the states to clean up individually and prosecute fraud expeditiously. This will make the programs more sustainable for those who truly need it.