by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: December 17, 2010

Welfare works when the programs are well designed, well coordinated, well audited and well managed. But when political or social motivations cause programs to become bloated, corrupt or contribute to welfare dependency, then welfare becomes another casualty in the social program wars.

When the types of people who qualify for welfare are examined, it is clear that some cannot work because of illness, youth, old age or disability. There is no excuse for a society to exist when such individuals are not helped with a sustenance income and support. in these cases, the definition of success is on a different level.

There are individuals who, due to addictions and criminal lifestyles, are permanently unable to be reliable and steady income producers. They will either require repeated rounds of rehabilitation, methadone or other addiction maintenance programs or incarceration, which become forms of welfare in themselves. But if some individuals could be reformed or rehabilitated to the point where they can engage in gainful employment and manage their lives in acceptable fashion, then they would not be welfare dependent.

There is generational welfare dependency, when national diaspora, racism, insular societies and other conditions apply, then programs that require going to work after a period of time may help, but not if the participants do not try to participate in the programs.

Immigration is complex, when it comes to welfare. In a perfect immigration situation, the first generation is likely to require services, then the second generation does better and contributes more than the first generation needed. But with overwhelming numbers of illegal immigrants who make less than income than the income tax reporting and paying schedules call for, or who are allowed to get welfare services and funds in generational dependency, then the system cannot hold up.

Welfare fraud, waste and abuse is another reason why welfare does not work. When immigrants come into the country, already armed with business plans, training and funding for stores in poor neighborhoods, then engage in cash-for-stamps schemes, then the auditing, investigating and prosecution programs are not functioning well.

When underground economies, especially in the illegal drug industries, provide more than enough income, that income is invisible to welfare case workers, causing fraud, waste and abuse to become rampant.

When medical doctors, clinics and HMO's engage in fraudulent billing practices, then it

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