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Should the government put a limit on lottery winnings to welfare recipients?
Results so far:
| Yes | 24% | 58 votes | Total: 245 votes | |
| No | 76% | 187 votes |
Yes
by Matthew J. Geiger
Created on: October 08, 2009 Last Updated: October 09, 2009
Public assistance programs exist to provide an added layer of social safety nets for Americans facing financial hardship. Truthfully, the amount of financial support given to Welfare recipients barely covers the expenses of the modern world, thus these programs can be quite detrimental to the future wellbeing of the individuals receiving benefits, especial their children, as these programs afford little to no room for socioeconomic advancement.
Although these programs should do a better job of encouraging financial growth, especially for the children of those on Welfare, resource caps exist to ensure only the truly needy receive benefits.
The lottery is a game often unwisely relied upon by the desperate and hopeful. For those receiving public assistance, the lottery is probably a luxury that should not be indulged; however, public money is given to individuals to fulfill their needs and some desires while other behaviors like smoking and excess drinking are far more detrimental.
If a Welfare recipient is so lucky to win a substantial amount of money from the lottery, then he or she will be less dependent upon the Welfare system, thus supplements to their income should be decreased or eliminated.
On the other hand, public assistance programs are fundamentally flawed as they encourage dependence on taxpayer subsidies. Public assistance programs, since reforms in the 1990's, place stronger limits on benefits; however, doing so did not address the underlying issues behind the need for public assistance.
Recipients who find low paying work receive a reduction in benefits, thus they remain one step away from public assistance. Unfortunately, unless a lottery winner or newly employed individual receives a significant amount of income, they may well end up back on Welfare or remain on other subsidies like Food Stamps and Medicaid.
Safety nets need to exist in order to create economic stability and break the cycle of poverty, yet the only way to end poverty is to steer our capitalist system to address the needs of the poor. Limiting benefits does little good to end dependency on government support in economically depressed areas as the system fails to put people in the position of financial independence by simply subsidizing them when they are poorest.
This means creating well paying, sustainable jobs for Americans in areas where poverty exists and uplifting people well above the level of poverty needs to be the goal of all public assistance programs.
Public assistance programs need to be more proactive in creating opportunities, helping recipients take advantage of new opportunities, and teaching financial responsibility. A far more proactive Welfare system needs to be part of an overall economic development program, and so, resource caps need to be more dynamic, especially when it comes to promoting education.
In all reality, lottery winnings should be counted as resources against Welfare; however, overall resource caps for those receiving benefit, specifically when considering resources of their aging children, need to encourage financial growth and independence for those trying to change their financial situation.
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No
by Jennifer Hill
Created on: April 17, 2009
As a former welfare recipient, the thought that someone out there wants to reduce the less fortunate in this country to nothing more than rats in a cage scares me to death. Why would someone think they have the right to say that welfare recipients cannot win the lottery? America is a free country, and was founded on freedom! What right does our government have to place restrictions on anything our citizens choose to do?
The welfare system includes many different programs to help the less fortunate in our nation: Medicaid, Food Stamps, WIC and AFDC (or TANF in some states) to name a few. These programs are in place, not to enable these families to be controlled, but to help these families live.
Let me underscore that: LIVE. To live, in America, means ALL citizens have the right to live; the freedom to make their own choices. This includes where they want to live, what stores they want to shop at, and the right to dream.
Nobody dreams of living on welfare. Nobody dreams of being poor (or if they do, it's most likely a nightmare). Sadly, it is the reality of too many of us!
If any of us lower-income individuals can honestly say "I have never dreamed of winning the lottery", I'll eat my husband's dirty socks. All of us dream of that. Especially those of us who can barely afford to support our children. It's the American Dream that someday we can all make a good living!
How would you feel if you were told that you won a million dollars? I'd be jumping through the roof! Then to be told, "oh, sorryyou are a welfare recipient, so you don't get all that money; we'll give you $600 instead". Isn't that almost like saying "We only give money to those who don't need it?"
To tell welfare recipients that they can only receive a government controlled amount for winning the lottery is telling them that their family doesn't deserve a chance at a successful life. It's telling them that they aren't worth giving the rights that all other citizens have.
Let's look at the positive aspects of what can happen if a person receiving welfare benefits wins the lottery. First of all, that person will no longer need welfare benefits, which saves the taxpayers money. Then, the money will be put into the economy because the family will be buying things for their children. Perhaps the family will purchase (or start) a business, which will create jobs. Maybe they will just purchase a home, or a car. However they spend the winnings, my point is that the money stimulates the economy.
Our American government does not have the right to tell any citizen that they can't win the lottery. That is unfair, judgmental, prejudiced and unconstitutional. We need to make sure America stays free; free for all citizens, rich or poor.
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