Welfare Reform Reform

One of Bill Clinton's signature achievments was Welfare Reform, signed into law in 1996. Its success in getting people off welfare was so apparent that Clinton himself has crowed over the years about what a great thing it was. He neglects to mention that Republicans essentially dragged him into signing the Act, but why quibble.

One of the key provisions of the Act involved requirements that welfare recipients either be working, looking for work, or preparing for work. No longer. Obama has issued an edict that allows states to waive work requirements, basically taking the guts out of the Act. 

 

This is disturbing on two levels.  First, it would seem that Obama is actively trying to put more and more people on welfare. This apparent desire to create more dependence on government can also be seen in the administration's push to have more people sign up for food stamps, going so far as to recommend "food stamp parties," where people play games while being recruited to join the program. 

 

The second disturbing element is that the edict flagrantly ignores the language in the Act. Congress passed a law, Obama takes issue with some part of it, so he simply changes it.

 

I'm starting to wonder if the Cloward Piven strategy is alive and well at the White House.

 

For more on this...

 

Obama turns back the clock on welfare reform.