From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Tue Jul 24 2001 - 13:50:51 MDT
>From: "Sean Kenny" <seankenny@blueyonder.co.uk>
>I don't think anyone in Europe would recognize US welfare as
>resembling anything that we would consider welfare.
Sean, I'd appreciate a brief description.
Here in the U.S. it became a multi-generational thing, some
families were going on to the great-grandchildren stage and still
"on the dole" as some say. A complete waste of human potential.
We are not completely heartless, it still exists, although most
states have instituted "workfare" programs instead. It now carries
a maximum participation of two years I believe.
Before I took the job here in the data center, I used to work "out
in the field" servicing commercial accounts. I used to get mostly
things like welfare and unemployment offices because they are
usually located in "bad" areas. I used this time productively,
observing the clients as well as talking to the various social
workers, so I come by my knowledge by direct experience as well as
honestly.
As I indicated in another post, Thomas Stanley's research with
millionaires shows the exact same pattern, those who receive
handouts do less well than their peers. This data leads me to
conclude that guaranteed income schemes are doomed to failure.
In trying to do good you can do terrible wrong.
I believe in the old Chinese proverb "Give a man a fish and you
feed him for a day, but teach a man to fish and you feed him for
the rest of his life".
Sound wisdom....
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
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