Free Republic

Right now American conservatives are arguing over the idea that the US should provide at least a minimum safety net for citizens who fall on economic hard times and need assistance to get back on their feet. One thing conservatives are not arguing about, however, is the idea that too many freeloaders consider such assistance an entitlement and abuse it for as long as they can. The use of food stamps is a case in point. More and more families use food stamps as their primary means of receiving not only groceries but also questionable items for people supposedly living...

Here's one story (true) about entitlements and welfare, of which I am intimately familiar. For the sake of protecting identity, we'll call him Billie. Billie was 19 years old in 1979 when he had formed a teenage history of aberrant behavior, including the use and selling of drugs, skipping school, etc., but no violence toward others. His father took him to a psychiatrist who diagnosed him as a manic-depressive, prescribing more drugs that put Billie into a near stupor. That lasted a few months. Billie spent a few days in jail now and then for stealing, but always had someone...

OUR OPINION: PROTECT FUNDS THAT HELP CITIES, RESIDENTS THRIVE The Bush administration has proposed deep cuts in funding for economic development and anti-poverty programs, perhaps up to 50 percent. Officials say that the move will save money, streamline bureaucracy and avoid duplication. But these good-government principles come at human cost that can exceed money saved. A severe reduction in community-development block grants will hobble successful programs that provide affordable housing to low- and moderate-income families, feed seniors on fixed incomes or boost students' academic achievement in after-school programs. Better neighborhoods South Florida, where block grants have improved neighborhood infrastructure and...