Common Sense Capitalism: Free To Choose (1979) 'Milton Friedman & Thomas Sowell vs. A Welfare Administrator'

Source:Common Sense Capitalism- Helen Bohen O'Bannon: Secretary of Welfare for the State of Pennsylvania..

"Milton Friedman & Thomas Sowell vs. A Welfare Administrator" 

From Common Sense Capitalism

Does government have a role in Welfare Insurance at all, whether it's at the Federal, state or local levels: Libertarians other then Gary Johnson (more like Liberal-Libertarian Gary Johnson) who's a presidential candidate in the Republican Party and former Governor of New Mexico (1995-2003) is the only Libertarian that I know of who believes government has a role in Welfare Insurance. But also has a different approach in how we would administer it, by taking all of the Federal Welfare Insurance programs and block granting them to state and local government's to run with the resources to run them. 

Liberals, Conservatives, Socialists (of course) believe that government does have a role in Welfare Insurance. But differ on how they believe it should governed and by who. 

Liberals such as myself as well as Conservatives to a certain extent, believe that government should use Welfare Insurance to empower the less-fortunate to become self-sufficient so they can take care of themselves and this gets to education, job training, job placement, and short-term financial assistance to tie these people over. While they are getting the skills that they need in order to take care of themselves. 

Socialists of course believe that government especially the Federal Government, should take care of the less-fortunate indefinitely. With not much if anything in return from them that they should be able to live off of tax payers indefinitely. 

If you believe that the job of government is to look after not to take care but to see that their people are doing okay whether that gets to national security, law enforcement, disaster relief (to use as examples) then you probably believe that government has a role in Welfare Insurance as well, at least to the extent to tie people over while they get themselves on their feet. 

Socialists also believe that government should tax the people who are self-sufficient and can take care of themselves. At a reasonable rate so they don't get hit by over taxation, to help the less-fortunate get on their feet. Because thats where government gets the money to run its operations through taxation. 

Again, I support the idea of Welfare Insurance, but again I'm a Liberal and I believe this assistance should yes be used to help tie these people over while they are getting themselves on their feet. But to also help get themselves on their feet and also be temporary. I don't believe people who are both physically and ,mentally healthy, should be able to live off of people who take care of themselves. Just because they haven't gotten themselves the skills that they need in order to support themselves. 

People once they have the life skills to be able to take care of themselves and their families, they should be expected to do just that. Instead should be empowered to get the skills that they need in order to take care of themselves and become self-sufficient. And paying into public assistance, instead of collecting it. 

Welfare Insurance should be temporary, targeted, and designed to help people get on their feet who don't have the skills to take care of themselves. It shouldn't subsidized bad behavior. If people want to do dangerous things, then they should do it at their own expense. Not at tax payers expense.