It's worth it to reform welfare
A RECORD 15 million people are on welfare and more than 30 states have asked the federal government for permission to run experiments to help improve the programs. Revamping the welfare system will not be cheap....
Still, a public suspicious of welfare has been clamoring for changes. There is a perception among some Americans that their hard-earned dollars are being given by government to people who prefer handouts to a hard day's work. The reality is that there are people on welfare through no fault of their own. Corporate layoffs have idled hundreds of thousands of workers....
Experts in the field of human services have said for years that the welfare system breeds a culture of entitlement.... Any effort that can possibly snap that cycle of dependence ... is worth pursuing.
