Welfare

The Republicans always accuse the Democrats of creating an irresponsible welfare system that benefits those who do not deserve it, and they advocate destroying welfare. It may be true that there are many people who abuse the system. However, it is too radical to abolish such a system. All the system needs is a certain degree of regulation, since many people do benefit from welfare, and they are not abusing the system.

To abuse it, the system has to present the beneficiaries loopholes. The main argument that conservatives have is that many people keep getting benefit, and what they get through welfare is higher than what they would have made if they had a job. Therefore, they give up upgrading themselves and seeking jobs, and they become a drag for the country.

To solve this problem, we have to know the goal of welfare. For many, the goal is to assist people who are presently disadvantaged and to hope that, with welfare, they eventually can live on their own again. If that's the goal of welfare, then I can honestly say that the system fails. Every government system or sub-system should be checked, to guarrantee that it is meeting the goal. Welfare system does not have checks currently. Why don't we install one? We need an agency to check on the progress of every welfare recipient, ideally. We have to make sure that everyone of them is making progress toward upgrading himself/herself or getting a job. If a person has been getting welfare for a long time and he is not working toward improving his marketability, he should be punished through reduction of benefit. If he has actually acquired a job, we can also reduce benefit so that he will not grow dependent on welfare.

Of course, when evaluating their progress, the officials have to take their personal hardship into account. Some, especially single mothers, have kids to take care. Some, such as elderly, are less marketable. If the officials encounter such people, they have to be more relaxed. Again, we want to make welfare helpful and accessible to those who need it.

There are also a kind of people who give all of what they have to their sons and daughters then apply for welfare afterward. To prevent this from happening, when evaluating the applicants' need, the officials have to take what their sons' and daughters' assets. Ethically, a son or a daughter is responsible for his/her parents. Therefore, we can't let them "off the hook."

Welfare is not something that is harmful to the society, at least it is not what its creators hoped for. If a system is not broke, don't replace or abolish it. Fix it.