You clearly have not spent time in a city dominated by a welfare mindset. When taking the time out to register for welfare benefits is considered "too much work", you could put as many hammers as you want into the hands of people ruined with that mindset, and the most active response you will incite is complaining that the hammers are too heavy, not new enough, and not provided with some sort of paid training program. If you think that is just too cynical, I invite you to take a trip to downtown Memphis. FedEx will hire just about anyone, provide great benefits and the opportunity for a lifetime of employment and promotion without even a high school diploma (which it will also help you get). The result of that great deal... a turnover of new employees the reaches almost 100% a year. Once folks realize they are actually expected to accomplish something while they're getting paid, they take their free FedEx workgear and quit without so much as a courtesy wave.
"While I, too, feel sorry for them the bottom line is that they're not our fault and not our actual problem."
You've missed the point completely. The last breakfast I ordered in Memphis was delivered to me cold and without a smile by a lady who said nothing more than "What do you want" the entire time I was in the restaurant. Contrast that with this morning. Great food delivered as ordered by a waiter who not only smiled but acted like I was the most important diner in a fine French restaurant rather than some poor schmuck in a diner. I tipped him 30% out of gratitude. I don't care where the guy came from, or where he's going. If I owned a restaurant I would chose to hire him in a heartbeat over the bums (albeit born and raised in this nation of opportunity) in Memphis.
I hear you and I'm not insulated from the wefare mindset. Hell, I've been living a few skips over from you in Nashville in Reconquista Central Nolensvile Road. I've faced down seven or eight partys, demanding they turn the crap down while the homies looked discombobulated that a lone gringo dared to tell them to shut down their noise. Just marching right out to the discerned leader's face worked until the gangs moved in. That's when a head-to-toe tattooed guy laughed at me and made a throat-cutting gesture. I walked right up to him just to find everyone running away (not good). Long story short, I abided punctured tires until moving out 5 months later.
They decided to hate me, despitite my history of being a good neighbor, on the grounds that I was a "gringo". Racism/eclusivity defined on their part. They especially resent my understanding Spanish but refusing to converse in it. Tough! Leave!
Now I still refuse to induilge in racism. I don't care what they are. I do support every efort to deport illegal aliens. In truth they were trying to intimidate me and make me cower to their lawless values. Not happening. Unfortunately the government shipping their butts out also isn't happening.