The following article crafted in 1994 foretold of a bleak future for those poor souls who would be thrown to the wolves if then President Clinton and Congress were to have changed "Welfare as we have known it".
NY Times 2004: Clinton Planners Facing A Quiet Fight on Welfare
I cannot help but to make note of the "assumed inferiority" placed upon the people on the government dole by those who claim to be their biggest advocates.
First is the quiet campaign to persuade President Clinton to alter this bill. Compare this to how "No Child Left Behind" was torpedoed and pilloried the day it was first mentioned by a "opposition president". The most dramatic line of the story is:
"If Ronald Reagan was doing this, they'd be dragging poor kids up to the White House in wheelchairs to oppose this," the official said.
This person indeed knows how the game is played.
I use the benefit of 20/20 to cross reference the following points:
The lobbying in recent weeks has primarily focused on two issues. One is the question of what happens to a welfare recipient who joins a yearlong work program but is still unable to find private employment. Should that person be allowed to return to the welfare rolls, or should the family's benefits be reduced or even eliminated?
And this point from the recent overnight visit to Bowen Homes in Atlanta to save these projects from being turned into Mixed Income communities. These represent the people who WENT THROUGH 2 years of job training. Even with the extra year - they STILL say they are not ready.
Welfare and Public Housing Reform (Please Listen to the Audio links)
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