Why Drug Testing Welfare Recipients is a Waste of Taxpayer Money
Some people in the United States have been accused of taking advantage of this nation's welfare system. Some authorities believe that the government's welfare money have been used for things inappropriate such as drugs and alcohol. As a resolution for this issue, experts have concocted the idea to drug test all welfare recipients to be sure the welfare money will be used for the right reasons.
Recently, Darlena Cunha has stated that this resolution is simply a waste if taxpayer dollars. In Tennessee, where a law was enacted requiring welfare recipients to take a drug test, out of the first 800 tests, only one came back positive. The other 799 people tested negative and, in essence, wasted the money that went into the the testing.
It's been determined that only 8% of welfare recipients actually use any part of the money for drugs. This percentage is far too small to spend the colossal amount of money on trying to prevent it. The only benefit that would result from the testing would be satisfaction from taxpayers who are ignorantly assuming that their money is going to the right cause.
Friday, October 31, 2014
America's Misguided Approach to Welfare- Foreign Affairs
America's Misguided Approach to Welfare
Economic welfare is defined as the statutory procedure to promote financial gain to people in need. Kimberly Morgan believes that the United States has a very distinct and misguided approach to the welfare system when compared with other world democracies with which the US is usually compared to. The US government does indeed tax less as well as spend less on social programs. In the end, the US spends more than any other country on the health and welfare of its citizens.
Morgan states that the US's system of welfare is "lopsided and incomplete." With people of better paying jobs getting the most benefits and people with lesser paying jobs getting fewer benefits, the government seems to have a unbalance in which some people receive high coverage while others receive hardly any at all.
Even though Morgan believes that a balance is "misguided," I believe that a slight bit of inequality is needed. The US government should be granting more money to the poor and less to the wealthy. With a better financial situation, wealthier households can afford the small amounts of help, but poorer people need the money and, ideally, without abusing the welfare, will live a life that each and every person deserves to live.
Economic welfare is defined as the statutory procedure to promote financial gain to people in need. Kimberly Morgan believes that the United States has a very distinct and misguided approach to the welfare system when compared with other world democracies with which the US is usually compared to. The US government does indeed tax less as well as spend less on social programs. In the end, the US spends more than any other country on the health and welfare of its citizens.
Morgan states that the US's system of welfare is "lopsided and incomplete." With people of better paying jobs getting the most benefits and people with lesser paying jobs getting fewer benefits, the government seems to have a unbalance in which some people receive high coverage while others receive hardly any at all.
Even though Morgan believes that a balance is "misguided," I believe that a slight bit of inequality is needed. The US government should be granting more money to the poor and less to the wealthy. With a better financial situation, wealthier households can afford the small amounts of help, but poorer people need the money and, ideally, without abusing the welfare, will live a life that each and every person deserves to live.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Income Inequality Growing Faster in the UK Than Any Other Rich Country- The Guardian
Income Inequality Growing Faster in the UK Than Any Other Rich Country
Since the mid-1970's, the United Kingdom's income inequality has been growing more than any other developed, first country. British experts say that the gap is increasing due to the working elite who isolate themselves through marriage and education. The isolation these elites put themselves in causes most of the country's wealth to go to a small upper class minority.
We have to remember that the UK is more unequal than any other developed country. This does not include nations such as India, Brazil, and South Africa. Of course, the income inequality is much higher in these developing countries. When it comes to first world, developed countries, the UK is currently at the back of the pack.
Personally, I believe that the UK should attempt to raise the nation's minimum wage so the lower class can make some ground on the upper class who holds so much of the wealth. The upper class should be taxed higher as well. They have the money so they should be paying based off of their earnings. This, in the end, will hopefully lessen the upper class' overwhelming ownership of the wealth and hand some of it off to the lower class by raising minimum wage.
Since the mid-1970's, the United Kingdom's income inequality has been growing more than any other developed, first country. British experts say that the gap is increasing due to the working elite who isolate themselves through marriage and education. The isolation these elites put themselves in causes most of the country's wealth to go to a small upper class minority.
We have to remember that the UK is more unequal than any other developed country. This does not include nations such as India, Brazil, and South Africa. Of course, the income inequality is much higher in these developing countries. When it comes to first world, developed countries, the UK is currently at the back of the pack.
Personally, I believe that the UK should attempt to raise the nation's minimum wage so the lower class can make some ground on the upper class who holds so much of the wealth. The upper class should be taxed higher as well. They have the money so they should be paying based off of their earnings. This, in the end, will hopefully lessen the upper class' overwhelming ownership of the wealth and hand some of it off to the lower class by raising minimum wage.
Economic Inequality Is a Major Obstacle to Growth in South Africa- New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/07/28/the-future-of-south-africa/economic-inequality-is-a-major-obstacle-to-growth-in-south-africa
It has been roughly 20 years since South Africa declared themselves a democratic nation. The process to becoming a self sustaining democracy and the all-around growing process of the country itself is posing to be a bigger task than South Africa predicted. With the Gini Coefficient measuring 0.69, the country's income inequality is actually one of the worst in the world.
South Africa's poverty line is currently at $43 per month. About 47% of South Africans are considered poor. That's an overwhelming percentage. Another shocking statistic hindering South Africa is that their unemployment rate is a whopping 25.4%. Because of these statistics, the country is forced to give out a colossal amount of welfare checks. The amount of welfare given out is so high, in fact, that it makes up for 3% of South Africa's Gross Domestic Product.
From an economic standpoint, it seems that South Africa has a bit to work on. The fact that 3% of their GDP is solely welfare checks is very concerning. When you look at the opportunity costs of these welfare checks, we see that the 3% of GDP taken up could be used for many other things. With the unemployment rate so high and the country battling mass poverty, we have a perfect example of how inequality is worse in other countries than it is here in the United States.
It has been roughly 20 years since South Africa declared themselves a democratic nation. The process to becoming a self sustaining democracy and the all-around growing process of the country itself is posing to be a bigger task than South Africa predicted. With the Gini Coefficient measuring 0.69, the country's income inequality is actually one of the worst in the world.
South Africa's poverty line is currently at $43 per month. About 47% of South Africans are considered poor. That's an overwhelming percentage. Another shocking statistic hindering South Africa is that their unemployment rate is a whopping 25.4%. Because of these statistics, the country is forced to give out a colossal amount of welfare checks. The amount of welfare given out is so high, in fact, that it makes up for 3% of South Africa's Gross Domestic Product.
From an economic standpoint, it seems that South Africa has a bit to work on. The fact that 3% of their GDP is solely welfare checks is very concerning. When you look at the opportunity costs of these welfare checks, we see that the 3% of GDP taken up could be used for many other things. With the unemployment rate so high and the country battling mass poverty, we have a perfect example of how inequality is worse in other countries than it is here in the United States.
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