How does $67,200 a year sound?

That’s how much we are spending on welfare programs, based on a family of four–$16,800 per person. That was in 2008, according to the Heritage Institute, as reported in the Forbes Magazine[*1] . We’re spending more now.

What’s that you say? Poor people aren’t anywhere near that much money? Well, no, I guess they’re not. Where’s all that money going then, if it’s not getting to the people we’re supposed to be helping?

Is there maybe a reason why Washington, DC is the richest metropolitan area in the country[*2] ?

Maybe it would make more sense to eliminate all of the dizzying number of government giveaway programs, and just institute a Department Of Cutting Checks To Poor People, and be done with it. It would be cheaper for the productive people, the poor would wind up getting more money. The only people such a move would hurt would be the government bureaucrats–and the politicians who live by taking money from people then turning around and buying their votes with it.

Re-focus society on using religious and charitable organizations to assist people–this strengthens those organizations, this strengthens the people they help, this strengthens all of society by binding us together in a way government can never, ever do.

The old, “progressive” ways do not work. That is obvious now to anyone with eyes to see. We need to start finding a new way.