There is no way to complete eradicate poverty. The poor are aways with us.
I think they are a test for the rest of us. If we care, if we make a reasonable effort to take care of them and make sure there basic needs are met, then we get blessed as a nation. And if we don’t, God puts someone else in charge.
Doesn’t have to be a handout for everyone. But it does need to take into account whether they can work.
Assuming they want to work.
And we bring in hundreds of thousands of poor people thru our legal immigration system. They use welfare to a greater degree than the native born. Some factoids:
In 2010, 23 percent of immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) lived in poverty, compared to 13.5 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their children accounted for one-fourth of all persons in poverty. The children of immigrants account for one-third of all children in poverty.
In 2010, 36 percent of immigrant-headed households used at least one major welfare program (primarily food assistance and Medicaid) compared to 23 percent of native households.
In 2010, 29 percent of immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) lacked health insurance, compared to 13.8 percent of natives and their children. New immigrants and their U.S.-born children account for two-thirds of the increase in the uninsured since 2000.