I recently saw a video in which a young single mother in California was discussing how much assistance she was getting each month from the state. It was astounding.
First, she mentioned a payment of $221 for general relief (GR). To that she added $179 in free food per person She then mentioned that through the WIC (Women, Infants, & Children) program she was getting free housing, free utilities, and free medical and dental care. On top of all that, she said she received money for her children's day care, money that did not go to any day care center but to her friend who watched the kids and split the money with her.
Assessing the value of all this assistance, the woman's final comment was, "Who would want to work in America?"
Today the media floods us with news of the impending disaster in Greece due to unfunded liabilities in overly generous government programs. Can it be any worse there than in California?
The latest statistics have California's overall unemployment rate at 11.4 percent, with the rate in one county at 18.1 percent. Those numbers don't include people who have stopped looking for work, are working part time, or who derive their income from the underground economy. And they don't include that young woman described above who can't imagine ever getting a job, because she couldn't possibly earn the kind of money and benefits she is getting from welfare programs.
California is the worst example of the nanny state. Is it any wonder it is sinking under the weight of financial debt?
Is the rest of the country far behind?
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