“Bottom-feeders” is how the GOP generalizes people who need public assistance for wh**ever reason, overlooking most are the elderly, disabled, veterans and children (those rotten little petty scroungers playing age games and faking amputations and such). Reagan framed it perfectly for the party: “Welfare queens” and “big bucks.” I liked him as president but this was detestable, a savage assault on Americans in desperate circumstances. Good if it has not happened to you but it can happen to anyone.
The poor and needy demonized over and over by Republicans. Why? Because Democrats favor social programs. Republicans say it is just a ploy to garner base v**ers. Perhaps and both parties have their base. Is fawning over the elite 1%, doing everything to improve their profits, somehow morally or rightfully better or superior? Somehow not self-serving?
For me, it is just the right thing to do and I am not up for e******n. There are millions like me. You don't abandon any citizen in this country. Leave none behind. How anyone can say it is not the right thing to do is beyond my comprehension. Refine the system to best counter fraud, but ending or cutting these needed programs indiscriminately to make room for useless Corporate Tax Cuts is criminal negligence.
Abuses? Of course. Any system in place for any purpose has its abusers. Human nature. But we don't close banks because some people game the system. Drug testing was a big push by Conservatives, showing Reagan and the party were not r****ts but fiscal pragmatists.
What happened? Out of more than 263,000 applicants, in thirteen states, less than 1 percent were rejected from TANF for drugs. The cost? Over 200,000 useless dollars. (
https://thinkprogress.org/states-cost-drug-screening-testing-tanf-applicants-welfare-2018-results-data-0fe9649fa0f8/Rick Perry, who owned a drug-testing lab and then had a financial interest in it, helped pass a law to drug test Florida's welfare recipients. So very, very Republican.
This is my stand: Any and all governments in the world need to care for the vulnerable and needy. It is their basic rights for the state to help them. It is that nation's primary order of business and primary concern...before military defense.
“Bottom-feeders” is how the GOP generalizes people... (