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The other Welfare - A legacy of unintended side effects
Boston.com ^ | December 12, 2010 | Patricia Wen

Posted on 01/02/2011 7:35:51 PM PST by Angelus

Geneva Fielding, a single mother since age 16, has struggled to raise her three energetic boys in the housing projects of Roxbury. Nothing has come easily, least of all money.

Even so, she resisted some years back when neighbors told her about a federal program called SSI that could pay her thousands of dollars a year. The benefit was a lot like welfare, better in many ways, but it came with a catch: To qualify, a child had to be disabled. And if the disability was mental or behavioral — something like ADHD — the child pretty much had to be taking psychotropic drugs.

Fielding never liked the sound of that. She had long believed too many children take such medications, and she avoided them, even as clinicians were putting names to her boys’ troubles: oppositional defiant disorder, depression, ADHD. But then, as bills mounted, friends nudged her about SSI: “Go try.’’

Eventually she did, putting in applications for her two older sons. Neither was on medications; both were rejected. Then last year, school officials persuaded her to let her 10-year-old try a drug for his impulsiveness. Within weeks, his SSI application was approved.

“To get the check,’’ Fielding, 34, has concluded with regret, “you’ve got to medicate the child.’’

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government
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I recently found this article that is very informative and goes into great depth about Our Nation’s largest welfare program (the SSI Program) and the damage it is doing to families. The program now provides checks to 7.9 Million Americans and our politicians refuse to reform/amend/tweak the program in anyway and have chosen to let it spiral out of control. The article by Mrs. Wen points out the harm that can be done to children by their parents who seek to obtain benefit checks.
1 posted on 01/02/2011 7:35:57 PM PST by Angelus
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To: Angelus

As I said the crazy kid check is a booming business.


2 posted on 01/02/2011 7:41:10 PM PST by org.whodat
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To: Angelus

Three?


3 posted on 01/02/2011 7:42:37 PM PST by 4buttons
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To: Angelus

ADD ADHD IMO is another scam invented by liberals to aid in wealth distribution. Sister Mary Margeret and her ruler smacking a kids hands a few times would end their attention deficit instead of medication addicting them and mom and having parents avoid their responsibilities of discipline..flame suit on......


4 posted on 01/02/2011 7:43:16 PM PST by rolling_stone ( *this makes Watergate look like a kiddie pool*)
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To: Angelus

yup...all the people thrown off welfare when it was reformed now fake injuries or create injuries so they can get onto SSI...welfare for life...


5 posted on 01/02/2011 7:44:36 PM PST by stefanbatory (Insert witty tagline here)
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To: Angelus

Spaying and neutering all welfare recipients would be a far more effective way to stop the problem of illegitimacy and the problems that follow it.


6 posted on 01/02/2011 7:44:40 PM PST by pnh102 (Regarding liberalism, always attribute to malice what you think can be explained by stupidity. - Me)
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To: Angelus

It truly IS going to come down to a choice between the Red Pill or the Blue Pill for all of us in the end...

God Save Us!

(I’m stockpiling my own pills, gold, silver, coffee, chocolate and bullets!)


7 posted on 01/02/2011 7:45:17 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Angelus

Startling that it’s bigger than UI or other welfare programs, but the bogus pill pushing aspect of it must be really wicked, and boys are the main target of this kind of medical abuse. Libbies don’t want boys to be boys, but want to stuff them with tranquilizers and such till they act like girls.


8 posted on 01/02/2011 7:47:08 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (I am in America but not of America (per bible: am in the world but not of it))
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To: Angelus

The 900 pound gorilla in the room is the fedgov. They manipulate and destroy using our money under the color of law.

It’s got to stop. We need to re-declare liberty and tame the beast.


9 posted on 01/02/2011 7:48:08 PM PST by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: rolling_stone

I don’t know which anti-scientific dogmatists are worse, mean nuns with their religious works salvation or pill pushers with their chemical salvation.


10 posted on 01/02/2011 7:49:38 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (I am in America but not of America (per bible: am in the world but not of it))
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To: pnh102

you think that’s funny. it is ironic though. liberals, NOT conservatives, have always been the biggies behind eugenics.


11 posted on 01/02/2011 7:51:28 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (I am in America but not of America (per bible: am in the world but not of it))
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To: Angelus

Wow. I had NO IDEA this was going on. I consider myself pretty informed....I would bet most people are also unaware of this!

So the parents not only get welfare, they get SSI if their kids are on these drugs? Or do they just get whatever pays the most?


12 posted on 01/02/2011 8:00:32 PM PST by Reddy (B.O. stinks)
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To: Angelus

Very good article about this travesty - and from the Globe even! wow.


13 posted on 01/02/2011 8:04:33 PM PST by libertarian27 (Ingsoc: Department of Life, Department of Liberty, Department of Happiness)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
"(I’m stockpiling my own pills, gold, silver, coffee, chocolate and bullets!)"

Did you ask Alice?

14 posted on 01/02/2011 8:20:18 PM PST by blam
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To: Angelus

Good article.

This is a perfect example of something known as “Moral Hazard”: undue risk-taking by those who normally would not take such risks, but do so because incentives and economic rewards are offered.


15 posted on 01/02/2011 8:20:48 PM PST by GoodDay (Palin for POTUS 2012)
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To: org.whodat

sfl


16 posted on 01/02/2011 8:23:47 PM PST by phockthis
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To: Reddy

Very true friend! The Majority have no idea about what is going on with the SSI program and the politicians refuse to even speak out about it. This year the number of Beneficiaries will increase to over 8 Million people possibly even 9 Million.

In 1996 during the so called welfare reform legislation SSI was left virtually untouched. All Clinton and Gingrich did was abolish Aid to Families with Dependant Children (AFDC) and created Temporary Assistance to needy Families (TANF) which was made to be temporary and reduced in benefits to what AFDC was. They mainly forgot about SSI.

Supplemental Security Income has grown unabated. Just about anyone who is poor can get on the program if they persist hard enough. Even Convicted Felons receive benefits and can not lose their benefits despite how many convictions are on their record.

I encourage everyone to learn more about this program and to demand reforms be made to it from the new Republican Congress.


17 posted on 01/02/2011 8:27:00 PM PST by Angelus
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To: Angelus

Also, if a mother qualifies, a monthly check is given to each of her children as well.


18 posted on 01/02/2011 8:33:52 PM PST by HollyB
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To: Angelus

Four years ago I moved to a small southern town. It’s not just kids who get SSI; I’ve met dozens of perfectly healthy adults who get it. They pay special lawyers to get them approved. Some of them sit around getting fat and watching the tube, but others make a nice living under the table. There is no attempt whatsoever to police the rolls; once you’re on, you’re on for life.


19 posted on 01/02/2011 8:36:51 PM PST by Fantasywriter
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To: libertarian27

This goes back a ways..so called “crazy” money.


20 posted on 01/02/2011 8:39:56 PM PST by Oldexpat
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