On this labor day (and in the midst of this jobless recovery) it's important to remember all the programs that help reduce poverty and support many struggling working families.
The data I found presents a very disturbing pattern that shows the flaws of the 90s Welfare "reform".
Attacking The Working Class
After the 90s fervor over welfare reform and its eventual passing, the effects have been mainly disastrous for working families. Benefits have been cut and getting assistance is harder then ever.
Public opinion of the law has been interesting. In one poll, 73 percent of Americans said those who left welfare are still poor while 61 percent said the law was "working well". The reason is obvious, most Americans understood that the "reforms" weren't designed to get people out of poverty but to cut economic support in a booming economy.
Here is a chart which shows the average monthly welfare benefits per person:
Historical Monthly Welfare Benefits per Person
As we can see we pay people less then when it was even created.
The Rise of Bureaucracy
Despite cutting benefits for the people that need them, the "reform" has increased government inefficiency in delivering welfare. This of course goes against the conservative notions of "small government" and shows that fiscal conservatives are really only interested in disciplining the poor.
According to a report by the Department of Health and Human Services, bureaucracy has been steadily increasing as benefits have been declining.
The results are such:
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If we are to get anywhere in this great recession, we need to fix welfare.