TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON WELFARE–SOME THOUGHTS

Trump’s executive order on welfare is worse than giving away snow in the wintertime in Alaska. It shows his total incompetence, racism and lack of knowledge about the welfare system. It feeds on prejudice and bias.

There are many myths about the welfare system. One of the myths is that recipients are lazy and do not want to work. The majority of welfare recipients in America are white. This is a historical fact. Because of this fact, many states did not participate in foodstamps and other welfare programs. States such as Texas who did not participate in the welfare program until the mid seventies. Then there were lots of jobs and cost of living  was low. This caused massive migration to Texas and other southern states. This migration and greed raised the cost of living, housing and reduced jobs for its residents. In the early days, there were educational programs and the cost of education was low. Things have changed. The cost of education and training programs now exceeds the fees that most can afford. Crime has increased because of drugs, poor education and training, criminal records or backgrounds which prevent employment and reduce safe housing or living situations. For example, I moved out of a predominately Black area to a predominately white area where rent was more than twice the cost only to meet more crime. Crime by whites or in this area was different. They were stealing food, dishes, toilet tissue, paper towels, clothes, shoes, money. In both areas you feel like you are under seize. Now Trump is going to cut out the safety net. He is going to unleash crime on the average neighborhood like never seen before. People steal because they are criminals. They also steal to provide for their families. People are living on the edge. There are no jobs, training or money for training. All of the rehabilitation funds have dried up. Trump’s plan will increase the demand for churches and communities to feed the poor. His plan will increase hunger in America and crime. Without gun control, murder and crime will escalate.

President Trump is biased against the poor, women, transgender, immigrants, minorities. He is uninformed and allows his personal biases to affect government policy. He does not understand that he is the President of the United States of America. He is resposible for all the people–rich and poor. His only concern is how he can get more money for the rich at the expense of the poor, sick and disabled. He spouts the most racist stereotypes and feeds on prejudices and fears. He lacks compassion and vision.

Here is why his executive order is so cruel. He is asking people now to make a sandwich without meat and bread. He would rather pay for prisons than invest the resources for people to be able to care for themselves and avoid crime. Where are these resources and jobs that people are going to be given for their benefits? The criminal justice system is totally corrupt. He is making it more corrupt with his selection of judges. People are not given fair trial and appeals in America. Equality for all has not been achieved. He is trying to reverse all previous gains in this area.

He lacks any knowledge about welfare in America. In many states, mothers are unable to obtain welfare if their child is over four years of age unless they work or receive training. There are limited housing subsidies. Funding is reduced yearly and has been drastically cut over time. The demand and need is greater than the available housing. Wages have not increased but the cost of living and housing has increased and doubled. The cost of education is almost prohibitive today. When I attended school, the cost of tuition was fifty dollas a semester. The cost of law school in Texas when I attended was $216.00 a semester including fees. Graduate school cost $125.00 per semester including fees. Today, it is fifteen or twenty thousand a year or higher. This cost is prohibitive for many students and for families. Moreover, many companies or fast food places no longer hire persons for a forty hour weeks. To avoid paying benefits employees are given less than fulltime hours. Factory work has been reduced because the jobs have gone out of the country to save cost for corporations. Funds for mental health have been reduced. The safety net for Americans has continued to be reduced. Trump did not understand why Americans did not want to appeal Obamacare. He still does not get it. He is too rich. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and cannot feel the pain of others who are less privileged. His only concern is for the privileged. Now he plans to heap more pain on the poor while bragging about his tax cuts for the rich. Food stamps and housing subsidies are all that is keeping families together these days with low wages. With high costs of living, many families need the safety net of the food stamp program to survive. The cost of child care is prohibitive if you have more than one child. Who will pay for child care for the mothers of small children to work. Trump and the Republicans are not coming up with any programs to increase resources or reduce income equality for communities or groups. It is easy to be punitive. It is more difficult to be compassionate and loving to the less fortunate. Welfare programs are so restrictive, people sometimes have to cheat and this causes conflicts with the law. When my son was sick, I was not able to utilize the welfare program because it was too restrictive. I would still have had to work for medicine and rent. Unlike the myth, people are not driving cadillacs on welfare.

Trump’s policy on welfare by executive order is impulsive, halfbaked, punitive, heartless, and totally without any thought or plans about how it will be implemented. There are no jobs, educational programs, subsidized housing and adequate funds to implement this plan. This Executive Order brings pain on the poor and immigrants.