‘Real News From The Blaze’: Need for Government Benefits on the Rise, What Can Be Done?
- Posted on May 31, 2012 at 8:40pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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The Wall Street Journal released a troubling report this week finding that 49.1 percent of Americans live in a household where at least one member received some type of government benefit in the first quater of 2011. That’s up nearly 5 precent from 2008 and nearly 20 percent from the early 1980s.
With the rise of government benefits comes the need to pay for that dependency– a problem that does not point to very many easy solutions. Voters don’t like the idea of government spending but according to WSJ, when asked what programs they would cut, there was little consensus among Americans for what they would be willing axe. WSJ notes that some argue for a steady combination of tax increases and spending that is set to automatically take effect in 2013, but the CBO has already predicted that this will lead to sinking the economy into recession.
Peter Schweizer of the Government Accountability Institute joined “Real News” Thursday to discuss possible solutions for weaning the capable off government dependency in due time, without spiraling the nation off a fiscal cliff.
“The problem is not so much in Washington,” Schweizer commented Thursday, pushing the blame to those out across this country who no longer approach government benefits as the programs were originally intended. “I‘m not saying that there aren’t people who have legitimate needs, and should have those needs met. But that embarrassment factor is gone, and that’s a cultural shift.”
Schweizer explained this expression in that, when these programs were designed, they were meant to be used by those who had hit rock bottom and had no other means to lift themselves back up. Once on their own two feet, beneficiaries would walk away from these benefits for being dependent on the government was something to be ashamed of. That attitude has since changed. Watch a clip from Schweizer’s appearance on “Real News” Thursday:
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dinamohum
Posted on June 3, 2012 at 12:24pmwe have become consumers ,and when the producers say dance you have to dance,the third world countries have brought the second world countries and put a firm down payment on the first world countries wake up america
Report Post »J2390
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:47pmTell Taylor‘s story to everyone you know he’s a true hero
Report Post »http://thechive.com/2012/05/31/chivers-this-is-the-story-of-taylor-morris-22-photos/
Southerner01
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:27pmThe answers are simple. First, cut food stamps by 50% or more. People on food stamps should be eating peanut butter, beans and rice, not lobster, steak and crab legs (all things I have seen people buy with EBT cards).
Second, admit that Social Security is just another form of welfare and means test it.Only those truly poor at retirement get it. Yes, it is unfair that many of us paid in and will get nothing, but if the system is not made sustainable, we’ll all get nothing and people will starve. The same applies to medicaid.
Third, when people apply for WIC and welfare/food stamps and other government aid for their children, they should be required to sign something saying they will have no more children. If they do after signing, they should have to get some form of long term birth control like an IUD, subdermal implant, or tubal ligation in order to get an increase in aid for the additional child. Fathers of these children should be required to provide support or have a vasectomy.The children shouldn’t have to suffer for the mistakes of their parents, but the parents should be held accountable.
Report Post »moussiagilda
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:27pmScrew government benefits. I’m a minarchist. Compared to me, Goldwater was a communist.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:44pmI could buy into that… if the surfs could hunt & kill the King’s Deer!
Report Post »mr.goodvibe
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 11:20pmYou deered to kill a kings dare?
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:09pmI‘m afraid we’ll just have to collapse completely before people get the message. Ain’t gonna be pretty!
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:17pmEvery freeby program causes a feeding frenzy until there is nothing left. And that’s where this is all headed, to the land of “nothing left!”
Report Post »TRUTHSENSE
Posted on June 2, 2012 at 1:37pmI’m afraid you are right, RIGHTPOLITCALLY. We now have a government that runs adds to get more people on government assistance. There is a fellow who attends my church occasionally who was bragging to me recently that he would soon get his “Obama phone”. He also told me that before long he would have enough food from government assistance to last him a year. It’s ridiculous.
Report Post »rickc34
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:02pmI thought the founding fathers worked for free or very little as time went on. The will not even be sharing in Obamas healthcare ? Why. Because it is going to triple the wait time to see an MD and then what quality of care will we the people receive? Your dog will get better care. No more goverment waste take 75% of all congress pay away.
Report Post »drenfroe
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 9:54pmSince we.re talking something for nothing let’s talk about getting government cut down to size it was before WWII and not giving government something for nothing like income taxe and taxes from our pay checks. As far as that goes let‘s talk about the tax payers not funding anymore foriegn affairs or any other project we shouldn’t be paying for in the first place and any other group in America just because they complain.
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 9:58pmThe defense budget alone is bigger (%GDP) than the entire federal budget in 1920s
Report Post »Individualism
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 9:28pmgive them what they want and collapse the system and than have a currency that goverment can’t overgrow with.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 9:23pm.
Report Post »We should just Spay & Nutter the Govt. dependent and their children…..
AUsername
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 9:23pmI know what can be done to destroy the system and make a new one, REVOLUTION! 1776 is coming back.
Report Post »CulperGang
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 9:29pmYES IT IS…right now in Chantilly, VA foreign powers meeting(bilderbergers) the place is guarded with MACHINE GUN wielding “personel” (traitors)………shooing journalist away with a machine gun??? what are they going to shoot a journalist for getting pushy????? FOREIGNERS WITH MACHINE GUNS ON US SOIL INTIMIDATING US CITIZENS………………yup 1776 is coming and I was one for NO, NO don’t tear the infrastructure down……but now. These bastards can have machine guns and the average citizen can’t……who the F do these people think they are????? NOBODY… human garbage with money..that is it. Time to bring out that guillotine.
Report Post »AUsername
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 9:21pmcut military spending and give the money to the people instead. stop sending troops overseas to do pointless stuff.
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 8:58pm“Real News From The Blaze’: Need for Government Benefits on the Rise, What Can Be Done?”
Ron Paul anyone?
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 8:56pmI think sooner than later !!!!. The people are going to have to grow a spine and start fending for them self instead of waiting for a hand out [Remember the Government is not your Mama]
Report Post »TeaPartyForRomney
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 8:51pmINCASE YOU MISSED IT, WISCONSIN’S 2ND AND LAST GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE IS HAPPENING IN 11 MINUTES…
Scott Walker took Barrett to task last week and today he has data backing up his unemployment numbers, backed up by the federal govt. BARRETT IS GOING DOWN.
HERE IT IS LIVE: http://www.thedailycandidate.com/video/2012/may/wisconsin_debate2.html
Report Post »BlackCrow
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 8:46pmFind all the government regulations that are strangling business in this country, put them in a pile and burn them. Fire all the bureaucrats who enforce those regulations and some progress might be seen in a few years.
Report Post »taxpro4u03
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:15pmWonder if Romney will simply ‘Executive Order’ us BACK to April 24, 1863 and RESCIND General Orders 100 – RESTORING the republic’s constitution to its rightful place? — Nah — too easy….. ;-)
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 8:45pmLock the doors. Seal the windows. Cut the power.
Simple, quick…. easy? Not so much, but it can be done. The sooner the better.
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