Many Conservatives and Liberals agree that welfare and social programs are necessary not only for moral reasons, but for practical ones.

Many Conservatives and Liberals agree that welfare and social programs are necessary not only for moral reasons, but for practical ones.  The challenge is finding meaningful, effective ways to help people (where possible), develop the ability to be productive and self-sufficient contributors to the economy and to society as a whole.

So what kind of welfare/social programs, if any, do you think should be made available to people in any of the following scenarios?

A. Unemployed, unskilled 22-year old single mother, high-school grad (barely) with three school-age kids

B. 47-year old high-school grad laid off from restaurant supply factory job.

C. 72 year-old retiree, renter, $1,500 in savings (his burial fund)

D. Unemployed 35 year-old single male with 1 year of community college; recent graduate of a court-ordered substance abuse program


A. Food stamps, day care, health care, job training, housing(if needed), employment

B. Food Stamps, health care, job training, housing(if needed)employment

C. Whatever he needs.

D.  Food Stamps, health care, continued monitoring for abuse issue, housing(if needed) job training, employment.

Hopefully once employed at a living wage the necessity for some of the programs would phase out.  The older man, well I just think the elderly should be taken care of.

I think our welfare state should more closely resemble the Scandinavian model. It should encompass all citizens from the cradle to the grave. My suggestions in these cases are as follows...

A. Skill training, child care, food stamps, income stipend until employment found, job-placement, counseling.

B. Temporary unemployment stipend, job-placement, counseling, further training (either vocationally or academically, if necessary).

C. Same as Danoota, whatever he needs.

D. Continued substance counseling, rematriculation into tuition-free college/university or vocational training, student living stipend.

All citizens should be covered under a socialised health-care programme.

A. Food stamps, day care, health care, job training, housing(if needed), employment

B. Food Stamps, health care, job training, housing(if needed)employment

C. Whatever he needs.

D.  Food Stamps, health care, continued monitoring for abuse issue, housing(if needed) job training, employment.

Hopefully once employed at a living wage the necessity for some of the programs would phase out.  The older man, well I just think the elderly should be taken care of.



Bravo, Dan... that's the ticket.  I would add "whatever councelling they needed".  But the issues are much broader than what to do for individuals.  If there ain't no jobs, all the job training in the world ain't gonna do squat.  If the health care system for those with insurance is dysfunctional... If landlords regulary get screwed by tenants, and have no recourse, their ain't going to be affordable housing (This one is personal - Cat and I live in what was a 2 family house with a 5 room apt that we rented.  Our last tenent left owing us $2000+ back rent and lots of garbage that we paid to dispose of.  Before that, we had to spend over $2000 to evict another tenant, who also left lots of crap, and before that, the tenant's kids destroyed lighting fixtures, and did other damage... In shrort, we got tired of TENANTS FROM HELL and converted the place to our own use.  By the way, we paid for heat and water as part of the rent, which we tried to keep reasonable, in fact we lowered the rent for our last tenants).  Now if there had been some gov't garantee for payment, Cat and I might still be living in a 2 family house. 

Don't get me wrong.  I am all in favor of tenant's rights, and always gave our tenants a copy of the Vermont tenants' Association booklet.  I also know that some (many?) landlords are scum bags.  But there needs to be a balance.