Do people actually understand how welfare in America works?

[Marks]

richardhutnik said:

Marks said:
Welfare creates the welfare trap where it's easier to just stay on welfare than get a job that would only pay slightly better. I could get behind the negative income tax, which encourages you to find work, since your income would be boosted.

But of course my top option would be to get rid of welfare all together. I'm a 20 year old with no past work experience, this summer is the first time I've tried to find a job, and I was able to get a job for the summer within a week of sending out my resume. The employer got back to me in I think it was 1 or 2 days after I emailed him my resume, an interview was set up, and he hired me on the spot after the interview. I don't get why the government lets people stay on welfare for so long when it's easy as fuck to get a job. If welfare is to stay around it should be for a maximum period of about a month after getting laid off/fired. If I can find a job within a week with no past work experience, then you can't tell me the people on welfare now can't find jobs.

There is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is almost like the negative income tax, for people who do work.  If someone does work a job, they can get the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Federal Government sends them money during income tax time.  

The thing today is that it isn't as easy as fk to find a job.  It may of been better than before, but it just isn't there as prevalently.  They had a year or two ago, the National Hiring Day where they hired 60000 people out over 1 million that applied.  Around 20% or less of teenagers out there currently have jobs.  The rest of the jobs are filled with college graduates and also seniors who are working.  You happen to be one of the lucky ones.

The EITC sounds pretty good. I'll have to read into that. I would love a program like that to replace the welfare system entirely. 

And I probably did get a bit lucky being hired that quickly, but I really don't know how it can be that hard for people to get jobs. Everywhere I got fast food places and random stores have help wanted signs up. I think the problem really is people just don't want to do shit work like fast food so they'd rather not even apply.