Here's one
Article: Food stamp fraud, waste estimated to cost $1 billion
Here's another
If you really were concerned you'd do your own google and see just how wide spread waste and fraud is.
I did not "just call it "lame and stupid" I said "Food stamps don't stimulate anything when balaced against the cost for the program". I called your logic lame and stupid.
Hi Ice.
Let's look at the first sentence in the second article you posted. It reads, "The federal government is a vast money transfer machine."
Now, as during other times when a recession or slowdown occurs, people tend to be frugal. While there may be a 10% unemployment rate the 90% who are still working are not spending money as they normally would probably due to worrying about being laid off. So, the economic slowdown is not strictly due to people being unemployed. There are people still making money, drawing a paycheck, just like they did last year and the year before and so on but they've slowed their spending. So, the question is, "How do we get them to spend?"
There is a similar problem with the banks loaning money. The government helped them hoping the banks would free up some of the money through lending.
Furthermore, big businesses have money as witnessed by their declared profits but are not expanding. They're sitting on it because of the stagnant economy which further contributes to a stagnant economy.
So, how do we get the economy moving, the money flowing? If big businesses, those who have money, are not expanding are we to expect a small business to expand if given a conservative tax break? It's logical to conclude a small business will do the same thing as big businesses and private individuals are doing, sit on their cash.
The government has tried different approaches and they haven't worked. People and businesses are not going to spend money if they don't have to. It's a wait and see game so the only alternative is to give money to the people who we know will spend it, the people who need it to eat!
Now, as for the government being a money transfer machine we're all responsible for paying taxes. Giving people money, a tax break for small businesses, is the same thing as the government giving small businesses money. If three people are each expected to put $10.00 in a pot and one person is allowed to put in only $5.00 then it's the same result as giving that person $5.00. That's why people have said Bush took money from the average person and gave it to big business. The average person paid taxes and big businesses received tax breaks.
Finally, as for fraud, I agree there are far too many government programs but we have to consider the cause of that. Rather than just ensure each person has a guaranteed minimum income politicians who feel people do not deserve to be helped demand each program be narrowly tailored resulting in a multitude of programs.
Look at food stamps. If a person decides to stretch their food budget (although I can't see how a welfare recipient can possibly stretch a package of noodles) so they can buy a pair of shoes because the soles are worn out it shouldn't be the government's business. In other words if a person is entitled to food stamps it means they do not have enough money. Instead of the government drawing up budgets for people just give them the money. It would cost less as there wouldn't be all those programs to supervise.
Child care, needy families and all the other programs mentioned in the article you posted should be abolished and a guaranteed minimum income established and let the people budget for themselves.
One family may need to pay for child care while another family pays higher rent. Get the government out of micromanaging people's lives and it will give them incentive to budget and possibly save a few pennies. That, in turn, will motivate them to do better. They'll want to get ahead but if every decision is made by the government people become lethargic.
The strange thing is we all know that as our children grow and we stop buying everything and give them an allowance we see them become more motivated to get a part time job and earn money. The current government approach to programs undoes what people have been taught.
