The system is broken

Welfare, Food stamps, Cash Assistance, Medicaid, SSI....these public assistance programs are broken.

Why does this system seem to penalize the people that work to get off the system? Why does the system reward failure.

I knew a lady that was the primary care giver for her grandchildren and recieved money and assistance from the state for it. Her grandson had a medical condition that required sleep with a feeding tube, he was also prone to having seizures. The grandmother actually had to turn down hours at work to maintain a certain level of income or lose the Medicaid benefits that paid for her grandsons medical costs. The system actually required her to remain amongst the working poor because any increased income would not be able to make up for the new expenses caused by losing her Medicaid coverage.

Food stamp determination only consider your gross income. How many people out there actually see that money, and why don't food stamp determinations go by actual take home pay. Take home pay is after all what you have left for rent, food, phone, ect. How many people out there have pay check garnishments that take out large sums of money that seriously impact a persons ability to survive. How many people have serious work related expenses that are not factored into your pay rate? Why does a ten cent an hour raise have to cost you your food stamp benefits?

The saying used to go....Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.

Now that saying goes. Give a man a fish and he is a lazy bum on welfare that needs to be kicked off. Teach a man to fish and you can charge him for a rod, reel, line, hook, those little weights, that float-y thing, and bait for the rest of his life.

Isn't there a better way that rewards achievement and encourages people to better them selves?

Here is a suggested equation for food stamp benefits.

1/3 of monthly living wage = 1/3 of average monthly wages + (ax^2+bx+c)
where ax^2+bx+c = 0 when 1/3 of average monthly wages = 1/3 of monthly living wage
and where x=.1n
n=10(living wage-actual wage)