A Modern WPA: A Proposal to Empower Our People and Rebuild Our Country

Abstract

The current welfare system defies common sense and good judgment. It manages to cheat both the taxpayers and those it is supposed to help. Taxpayers resent supporting an overly expensive, inefficient system with very few tangible benefits in return for what they pay. At the same time, poor Americans, who rely on the welfare system for support and hope, are becoming increasingly alienated from mainstream American society. Denied the self-esteem that comes from performing useful work, welfare beneficiaries are left with no hope and little motivation to achieve. Many commentators believe that idleness encouraged by the current welfare system contributes to increased crime rates, family disintegration, higher school dropout rates, and many other serious social problems.