it does not matter that lbj's great society failed
miserably. what matters is how much "we care." the
intension is what matters. only those of us that are
anti human being wants to look at what really works.


--- "Cleveland, Kyle E." <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> I think the political morality play that has become
> center stage for the
> hearts and minds of American voters has its roots in
> "The Great Society".
> LBJ had a vision for raising the bar for the poorest
> of the poor as a sort
> of "leg up", if you will.  He was riding on the
> ideological coat-tails of
> FDR, who's WPA, CCC and dozens of other nationalized
> programs allowed people
> guaranteed subsistence for a modest, but guaranteed
> wage.
>
> My own grandfather built post offices, federal
> buildings and other
> infrastructure throught the Deep South during the
> Great Depression.  Sure,
> he was, at times, away from his family, but bellies
> were full and there were
> warm dry places to sleep for all.  The point is that
> he did SOMETHING to
> earn FDR's wage.
>
> LBJ's plan was, as the British put it, "the Dole".
> The intent was to
> provide support for a limited time in order that the
> have nots could get a
> toe-hold into the market economy--which was doing
> well in the '60s.
>
> The '70s weren't so kind, so the dole programs were
> extended infinitum.
> Instead of bringing people in to work on the
> crumbling 40 year-old
> infrastructure of the depression, people stayed on
> welfare and well paid
> contractors got the tax dollars to do the work (not
> very well, I might add).
>
> In the meantime, Welfare, WIC and many of the other
> social programs became a
> generational birthright to an entire culture.  The
> system was rife with
> corruption on both ends.  The stereotype of the
> Welfare mom buying her
> groceries with foodstamps and then placing them in
> the trunk of a new car
> has roots in truth.  The "dole" became
> institutionalized, both for the
> recipients and for the government--suddenly we had a
> huge level of
> bureacracy on the Federal, State and Local gov't
> payrolls to support the
> system.
>
> I am not regurgitating common knowledge with the
> above paragraph.  I've
> experienced it.  As a young teen, I worked in a
> chemical factory in the
> heart of inner-city and watched the rampant abuse of
> the system as the
> bureaucrats turned a blind eye.  Many of the guys in
> the plant would
> "divorce" their wive's so the family could draw
> money from the government
> coffers, while Dad still went home every night
> (keeping a phony address
> elsewhere).
>
> So, while there is GREAT need for monetary help for
> the disabled and poor,
> the backlash against so many years of rampant abuse
> was inevitable.
>
> My solution would be to return to FDR-like programs.
>  Instead of "welfare to
> work", where the welfare recipient is given a few
> training hours and sent on
> their way, the government would provide the work
> too.
>
> Believe me, as a bureaucrat, there is much work to
> be done by folks of all
> stripes of mental and physical ability.  Meaningful
> work.  Work that would
> instill pride and an ethic of social responsibility.
>
> For those that truly need help and cannot contribute
> in kind, those would be
> special cases that would be taken care of on their
> own merit.
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elizabeth H. Thiers
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2003 8:02 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: WMD'S DOES IT MATTER
>
>
> I think you put the Iraq issue in great perspective
> Kat.
> My politics fall somewhere in the liberal
> Republican/ conservative Democrat
> range.  For anyone who want real faces to go with
> that fiscal
> irresponsibility of the present administration come
> spend a day with me.
> Social Security isn't just for old people. Many of
> my families get some SSI
> benefits (usually less the $100 a month) just so
> that they can qualify for
> other benefits you know those frivolous ones like
> health care for your
> child, respite care for your family and goodness
> forbid behavior therapy for
> your child with difficulties.  I've got working
> families who 's children are
> being kicked off the roles of SSI and Medicaid
> because they make too much.
> Families that are seriously thinking of getting
> divorces and parents who
> never get married so that their children might have
> a chance of recieving
> some type of services.
> I go to bed at night feeling very overwhelmed with
> the need out there.
>
>
> Beth T. the OT


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