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Welfarism - could it be a cause of poverty, rather than the cure?



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Published Date: 14 March 2008
By BILL JAMIESON
The tax and benefits system is not working. Cultural change is needed, not just more spending
I'M UP for moral missions. And surely there can be no higher moral mission than the elimination of child poverty. That, at any rate, was the "moral imperative" behind this week's Budget from Alistair Darling.

But there is another moral mission,...



The full article contains 957 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

 
1

Allan(handofgod137),

14/03/2008 02:31:55
Does a bear sh*t in the woods, of course it does, too many people would rather sit on their ar*es and take charity than do an honest days work. Want a bigger house, then have another kid you can't feed.
2

MacAlba: The Coming Independence (c2007).,

14/03/2008 03:49:25
#1,
Very insightful! That sort of simplicity was what preceded the welfare policies of the Third reich! The alternative to a welfare system is an epidemic of burglaries, drug abuse, alcoholism, thefts, domestic violence, overcrowded gaols, burnt-out stolen car wrecks and a black emporium, (a black market in all manners of stolen, ill-acquired and illicit goods), that Al Capone and John Dillinger could only have dreamed of!

That is why you are not the Minister for Social and Human Services - or a policy planner!
3

donald,

glasgow 14/03/2008 08:26:24
More carrot opportunities with meaningful employment can be the only answer.
4

mr angry,

ayrshire 14/03/2008 09:37:46
#2 so the answer is to keep giving these wasters more and more money, even though we see it is not working. If these people were forced to do something useful in return for th epots of money they get maybe it would focus their minds. Why should people have to work hard so that these wasters can lie in their beds and spend all day drinking, smoking and drugging themselves up. Also what you describe is already there despite the £146 billion we waste on lazy gits. If foreigners can come in in their hundreds of thousands and get jobs what are our wasters doing unemployed.
5

Mr H 2u,

Embra 14/03/2008 09:37:50
#1 spot on
#2 that's the kind of arrant nonsense that has taken this country down the toilet over the last thirty years.

You say;
"The alternative to a welfare system is an epidemic of burglaries, drug abuse, alcoholism, thefts, domestic violence, overcrowded gaols, burnt-out stolen car wrecks and a black emporium"

But we have that as well, so cracking down on free handouts won't make much of a difference.

I cannot understand why the fit and able who are out of work aren't compelled to do community service as a requirement for benefits. That way they get taught valuable job and life skills which will hopefully act as an employment enabler, as well as contributing something back to the society that is supporting them.

And hopefully they'll be too tired at the end of the day for any nonsense.
6

clarry,

14/03/2008 21:04:29


80% in prisons have difficulties with reading and writing

90% of prisoners are on drugs.

The majority of the homeless are ex-servicemen traumatised by war, who do not get help, Have family problems, and end up on the streets adicted to drink and drugs.

Waiting time in Aberdeenshire for expensive Rehab is three months.
7

KampungHighlander,

Jakarta 15/03/2008 10:38:13
Here is an interesting idea

Social Program Built Around Guaranteed Income
The idea of the program is to provide a simplified Guaranteed Minimum Income that could be used as a cornerstone for all other social programs. Whether the person was out of the workforce to, Care for a Child or Elderly Parent or was unemployed or over the age at which employment was an option. The Level would be set at the poverty line and would be geared to inflation.

Example: Say the Minimum Level was 5,000 and the tax rate was set at 20%
An Unemployed Person Would receive 5,000 - 20% in Tax for an income of 4,000
Someone in an apprenticeship would receive 5,000 + Employment income of 5,000 for a total of 10,000 - 20% in Tax for an after tax income of 8,000
A person in full time employment would receive 5,000 + Employment Income of 20,000 for a total of 25,000 - 20% for after tax income of 20,000 making them Tax Neutral.
People earning more than 20,000 in employment income would be net tax payers.
To be eligible for the supplement you would have to be:
• In Full Time Employment.
• Staying home to Care for a child under two
• Looking for Full Time Work in an active program.
• In a Training Program
• Disabled
• Retired (over 65)
• In part time employment of twenty hours per week. (if over 50)
• Attending College or University Full Time
• In an apprenticeship program
• Caring for a family member who is ill or infirm.
• Working as an unpaid volunteer a minimum of 20 hours a week.

This would provide a social safety net that is simple in it's administration and no disincentive to seek paid employment.

 

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