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An epic tale of trying to use the Illinois welfare system. It begs the question: What do we believe about poverty? And are we just throwing away millions of tax dollars to enslave the poor?
The trouble with TANF: why welfare just doesn't work
chicagonow.com - 13 weeks ago - 273 views
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i love that megan presents an argument critical of the welfare system that isn't reducible to 'welfare is bad, poor people are lazy'. she's got a nuanced argument about how a system that barely keeps people afloat and has onerous bureaucratic demands and inane work requirements accomplishes nothing toward reducing poverty, in fact only fostering a cycle of soul-crushing inescapable dependency.
she's always good about sidestepping the talking points and elevating the discussion.
When Obama was elected and people were hailing him as the new FDR, a lot of people hoped he would institute Depression-era solutions like the WPA, a government work program that really helped a lot of people get out of poverty and put them to doing useful and often elevating jobs.
But Obama turns out to be no Roosevelt, and the only people noticeably helped so far have been the fat cats running banks and insurance companies. Meanwhile, unemployment continues to rise, foreclosures are mounting, people are dying due to lack of health care and Congress is on vacation.
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