Major Public Policy Issues In The United States

Perhaps another roadblock put in front of us, as explained in 7 Lies About Welfare by Danica Johnson, is the stigma people give to those of us who are less fortunate. When someone thinks of a person in poverty they think of homelessness at worst, living in subsidized housing at best. They don’t consider that it is not always like that. Some live in their own places and out of all the help provided, maybe they only need to use food stamps. Danica tells how most people do not even know what “welfare” even is, they just think of lazy individuals trying to cash in taxpayer money for luxury items and drugs. They don’t know what their tax dollars go toward, how much of it, and what the programs even do. In fact, most government assisted programs seek to provide only the bare minimum amount of help that an individual or a family need to survive. Also to be noted, most benefit programs require recipients to work at least 30 hours a week in order to be eligible. Sometimes even between 35-50 hours a week for two parent households. In addition, July 2014 Texas began drug testing their welfare applicants

Seven of the welfare programs makes the top 13 of federal programs that are considered high in error. It doesn't help that each program has a different subdivision, and each division has has a different standard for who is eligible for benefits. Several of the programs have different ideas about where the poverty threshold is where others are raised almost two times above the national standard threshold or greater. The welfare program does not only give improper welfare payments but welfare eligibility is also extremely corrupt and

     The second problem that drowns out the welfare reformers’ chorus is the fact that the government does not know what happens to people after their assistance is cut off. Some people get “penalized” if they can’t find a job, and their benefits get cut back because they are not working or enrolled in the work program that the state offers. This sometimes hurts people when they are expecting X amount of money to feed their family for the month and receive significantly less than what they normally would. It’s very hard to make your food stamps last for the whole month or until you find a job, enroll into school, or some kind of training program. For example, the government uses a line item veto, which eliminates any method for tracking people after they

Some people think that drug testings those on welfare is unfair to the kids, because if the parents are positive on a drug screening, they think the kids take the punishment because they wont recieve benefits, and food. I would feel as if the parents would stop using drugs, if that were the case to keep their kids from not having any food, or medical help. In the long run it could be helping

There are many issues facing America today, that simultaneously affect those around the globe. When trying to decide what is worse for the United States of America; being too involved in the affairs of other nations troubles or allowing evil to run free, we have to carefully look at both sides. I believe that evil can be contained, but we cannot be the babysitter of other nations.

The process to receive government help is already hard as is. Why make it harder for the families who are struggling enough already? There are many strict steps these families must meet in order to qualify for the program as is. There are a total of nine steps states according to “How to Apply for Food Stamps in the US.” First of all, not just anyone can apply and receive benefits; they must be a U.S citizen or legal residents. They will also ask for detailed information on all of the applicant’s resources, and the assets need to be less than Two-Thousand dollars. The income of all the household members together will also be evaluated and there is also an amount that must be met. A free screening tool is also a requirement that is mandatory, and it must be completed online which means the applicant will need to have access to a computer with internet. Next, the applicant will have to locate a local SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) office and begin the application process. In the application process, they will have to fill out a very detailed application and then submit it. Afterwards, an interview will be scheduled where the applicant will have to take in documentations to verify their previous information. Finally, if accepted they will receive their letter and an EBT (electronic benefit transfer) card. This final step takes up to thirty days. It is definitely a long process and drug testing will only make the wait longer. Not only will it extend their waiting period but many won’t apply anymore because they will need to pay for their own drug test. How will they pay for such an expensive test, when they don’t even have enough money to provide for themselves? Only those who test positive will get reimbursed, but there is no way it can be afforded by welfare recipients without a huge

One of the biggest ways to prevent this fraud is by informing people when they apply for assistance of all of their options. For example, when a single mother is looking for help to provide for her children and finish college, the welfare agency should provide her with the information on how to apply for a pel grant, and ways to contact government-funded child care programs. The solution to welfare fraud seems simple. The public assistance agencies need to work together. This will help to eliminate the need for welfare fraud, and help the mother get to a position where assistance is no longer needed.

I believe that the government handing out checks to those who meet the requirements for welfare is a good thing, but only to a certain extent. Today, many families across the nation are being fully supported by the government. I believe that the government should only provide families with money if they commit to finding a way to

The misuse of welfare is slowly increasing and it’s very harmful to our economy and society. It effects not only the working people who fund government assistance, but the user (or mis-user) as well. There is a general feeling that welfare misuse has skyrocketing rates, but according to advocates for welfare programs, the fraud rate is only about 2-3%. According to the 2010 US Census Bureau findings, there are 114.8 Million families in the US. With just over 34% of those US families “on welfare”, this means that approximately 39 Million homes receive monthly welfare benefits. 39 Million. Wow. The Federal government expects to spend about $430 Billion in 2013 on welfare expenditures. This averages out to roughly $11,025 annually per family or $945 per family per month. So if the fraud rate is only a tiny 2-3%, how much money could it really be costing us? Well…these seemingly low rates would mean that roughly 785,000 to 1.2 Million families are illegally receiving welfare benefits. At the average rate of $11,025 per year, this is costing the tax payers between $9.0 - $13.5 Billion dollars every year. Yikes. Welfare fraudulence can have a very negative effect on its recipients as well. Although the assistance may be very much needed and may help a lot, many people on welfare are beginning to see welfare as its own social class, a lifestyle. It can potentially eliminate work ethic and motivation. Fraudulent

The last major public assistance program is General Assistance which is a program that provides help for people who do not qualify for other areas of federal assistance. Each state has their own requirements for eligibility for general assistance services. This program

Controversial issues across the United States don’t stop at civil rights and liberties, instead they work their way up to the white house step by step. While the rest of the nation is watching Congress stress over the issues of same sex marriage and abortion laws, a smaller population of the country is simply fighting for the truth behind their nutrition. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) have been a topic of controversy since before the 1980 court case between genetic engineers and the U.S. Patent Office in which the court ruled in favor of the genetic engineers claiming "Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine,

Nigeria would be of a seed if there was any Nigeria before 1914. Britain was so ambitious to change our way of life; hence Biafra problem started. Maybe Biafra would be beautiful and civilized if there was no Fredrick Lugard in 1914. Lugard tampered with what was organic that has led to early graves over 5 million Biafrans, that was when Biafrans rejected fact of being unjust. The death of the over five million Biafrans cannot be in vain. Then read the New York Times report of 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1970 about the persecution of the Biafran people. We must agree that Nigeria was created as a trap to destroy Biafran people and to serves the interest of Britain. Radio Biafra (Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB) has made it clear that Biafrans do not understand what Nigeria

Today in America there are many huge controversial issues such as gun control, legalization of marijuana, pro life or pro choice and so much more. These arguments are well known and a lot of people make a stance in what they think on the situation. The article in the New York Times, Abortion and Punishment by Katha Pollitt speaks about a comment Donald Trump has made and gives her opinion on the role abortion has in America in the past and present time. Therefore, women do not have many rights when it comes to abortion even though it is legalized but some states may try to shut down clinics. Also, it has always been a risky topic in the United States including many other countries. All in all, Pollitt speaks about views of abortion and

Have you ever been so depressed and upset that you feel like you can not live anymore? Like everything is just a waste of time? Everything anyone does wrong just pushes you over the edge. That is exactly what happened to Hannah Baker in 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Hannah is about 16 or 17.

We need to change the criteria of how you receive the help, while also looking into the lives of people receiving help from the system. This will ensure that they are using the systems benefits the right way and will not become dependent on the system. The system was created to give temporary help not lifetime help! Americans have become lazy and have started to depend on the monthly check they receive from the system. Paul Christopher pointed out that “their problems with welfare seem to be that in their own opinion welfare is far too easy to get, has way too many benefits and pays much too much in actual cash. And of course, I’d be remiss in not mentioning that everyone on welfare is milking the system and lazy.” Everybody sees that the system is being used by people that don’t really need it but just want it because they can. We have people that actually need the system and get denied for the system and that is sad. The ones that really need the help cannot get help from the system and are left struggling, watching other milky up the system. The same people that do not need welfare but takes advantage of it, are the same people that start the generational curse on the welfare system.