The nature of government programs precludes them from being effective. There is no incentive to do the right thing. Every government program is rife with corruption and fraud and always will be.
Government owes veterans, although I think they, too, would fare better with private charity. As for everyone else, there is no right to some other person’s money. In the past, people helped each other voluntarily. It’s too bad that so many people trust government now more than they do their families, friends, neighbors, churches, and private philanthropy.
It really is possible to switch incentives. It can be done.