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Don't punish those who try to better themselves
Jul 16, 2012
3:14
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Now one of the few times that government has actually work was during the welfare reform efforts of the mid 1990s.
It engineered originally by Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson Michigan governor John Engler and you talk governor Michael Leavitt.
The Republican congress elected in 1994.
And led by speaker Newt Gingrich worked with democratic President Bill Clinton to pass the landmark legislation.
Which was crafted to take people from welfare rolls to payrolls.
In my first full legislative session is -- governor.
We developed a plan and our state that would give people who are stuck in the welfare hole -- latter -- independence and self reliance.
In my state with 90% of the legislature being Democrats and we tell -- it was no easy sell.
And those on the far left were convinced that if if we remove government life support.
And insisted.
On able bodied people having to work or get education or job training in order to receive benefits.
We're gonna have massive dying in the streets sleeping in the park.
And starving.
Well that's when I realize just how disconnected from reality the far left really is.
Thanks to some responsible Democrats in our state legislature.
Willing to work with me in the tiny group of Republicans.
We passed a very strong welfare reform bill that resulted in reducing the welfare rolls by half.
But -- -- the people starving her dying.
The unemployment numbers went down.
And the poverty rates actually declined.
We learned a lot.
Mostly that if you create a system that punishes people for trying to better themselves but rewards them for dependency.
Guess what.
You get more dependency.
We learned that many people coming off welfare weren't lacking in ambition or a desire for dignity.
But many actually -- -- as simple household device that they had never needed before.
An alarm clock.
No kidding I mean people who didn't have to worry about being a good job on time didn't have an alarm clock.
It became sort of the inside an untold story in our administration.
Of the essential tool of moving people from welfare to work.
The insistence of having to work to continue to collect benefits wasn't cruel.
Now what was cruel was to -- people permanently.
In the pit of -- system.
That cause people to depend on politicians for their necessities.
Which made them beholden to the politicians.
Who seemingly provided that.
The one good for the people on welfare so you know what it was good for the politicians who created a dependent class who were dependent.
On their being reelected.
Now the Obama administration wants to go back to the days when welfare checks can be given.
Without the stringent work requirements that have proven to be successful in helping people stand their own two feet.
-- -- -- being carried along by the government.
Now why would anyone propose such a stupid reversal.
Just remember.
It's not about the people.
It's about the power that politicians want to have over the people.
The real strength of a government program is not how many people are on it but how many people are independent enough.
To not have to -- it.
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