Drug test those on welfare and put them to work with government work

I don't know about all states but the Welfare To Work program was initiated years ago in MD, requiring those receiving public assistance to participate in job or educational programs which also include child care and transportation assistance.

Amen!! Now if we could only see more of this happening. A lot of times the people who are continuing to receive SSI and Welfare are capable of holding down decent paying jobs. But most of the time they are either from Welfare homes growing up or just have never been given a chance to prove themselves to others out in the real world. If they could only offer them ways to do this, and show them it is possible to earn more than Welfare, and earn enough to survive doing so the Economy would take a big move towards the Black for sure. A lot of the problems most states and the Government has these days is offering help to others who could really be helping themselves.

I agree that we need to get these welfare recipients to earn their money, or stop paying them. I would love to see these CEO's that are on corporate welfare have to actually work a day in their lives. We should make them EARN their golden parachutes that are partially funded by taxpayer dollars. They should be forced to train, or employ their poor welfare brothers and sisters, or lose the hundreds of billions in welfare they receive. But that will NEVER happen!!!!!

Excellent idea!

In our state our welfare roles are smaller then in the 1960's. Clinton and Gingrich did the welfare to work thing and for most of the states it has worked very well. Our state is strapped for cash right now so some of the re-training has not been funded but the numbers are still not worth the effort of discussion. This really was a Reagan issue discussion...

I agree with Wordjunkie, I too live in Canada and it seems unless your addicted to substances, or cheating the system they will not help you with any other aids then basic and wont help you get off of it. I knew a woman who was a single mom, she couldn't stay where she was because it was unsafe for her child and deemed so by one of their other departments. She wasn't working at the time because her child had abandonment issues and they themselves had told her to wait. She had two weeks to find an apartment, on just $879, most decent apartments here are at least $650. She knew others (that constantly cheat the system by asking them for extras when they don't need it) who had gotten money for a truck to move, had damage deposit paid in full for them, and were given emergency money for food. It took her the who;e 2 weeks to find a place for $650 but they wanted a damage deposit for another $650...she was $421 dollars short she called them explained the situation in detail, and was told nope we can't help you with that. She figured it out on her own, she then needed a truck, she tried again and they told her they can't provide that either(yet they provided own for her cousin 2 weeks before that.) So she sucked it up, paid the $650 for rent, off her current landlord who gave her a another apartment and transfered the damage deposit she had previously paid. but now she was down to $229 dollars, to get a truck, pay movers and buy groceries for the month. A U Haul was double that amount and then some. So she hired someone privately, gave 20 dollars in gas and 20 dollars each to the two who moved her. This left her with $169 dollars for groceries and to get her son ready for school 5 days after she moved. Needless to say she ran out of food early in the month. Not knowing what to do she went to her local food basket who only gave her 2 bags of groceries. She apperciated it very much but still didn't have enough to get by. Your only allowed to go to a food basket once a month except for winter. She once again called the government, who once again refused her saying her situation wasn't an "emergency" she had "plenty of money" to get her through the month. and that she needed "valid" moving "receipts" from U haul in order to get so much as a pea. This same woman has asked for funding for school, was refused. Yet is being pushed to go back to work now. Yet here at Minimum wage, even working full time you can't make enough to live. And for partical assistance, a single mom, is classed as a family of 2 and anthing you make over 200 dollars a MONTH, is deducted from your monthly check. She would be making less then she is now. Here the government complains, yet they are the reason at least 75% of people on welfare still are because they make it impossible to get off it. And help those like addicts who don't actually need it and tell people who do "we can't help you" any time they ask.