Opinion: Murphy Raises Welfare Payments for 2nd Year in a Row

The Murphy Administration just boosted welfare payments by 20 percent, following last years raise of 10 percent. They say it is "creates a pathway to self-sufficiency." In many cases it creates a culture of dependency and entitlement that not only robs from working people but also robs from the soul of the recipient.

The government is not helping anyone in the long run but themselves. They're helping themselves to a broader power base and a longer term voter base. There is so much fraud and waste in these programs but no one cares to do anything about it because it would diminish their ability to sustain and create more "need."

They've successfully disintegrated the family unit by handing out bennies, thus eliminating the need to depend on a network of family, close relationships and good faith. It's insidious and corrosive to the core of society and does nothing but bolster the power of the people in charge. The old adage of "give a man a fish..." is a time tested value that works, unlike most government programs. The more we look to the state to solve our personal problems, the more entitlement and dependency we create.

​I lost my job when I had three children under the age of 10 and had to support a household on my own. I didn't take unemployment but worked odd jobs, getting checks under a 1099. At the end of the year, I had depleted my savings and earned enough to keep the house and the kids fed. For my efforts the feds and the state demanded $12,000 in income tax.

If I had applied for all the benefits and taken money, would I have been better off? Maybe financially but not in my heart and soul. It was a rough couple of years before I could say I got back on my feet, but it was worth the effort and then some. Some people may look at these increases as compassionate or helpful. They're not a "pathway to self-sufficiency'. They're a disincentivizing, shallow, transparent power grab. Thanks again 'Givenor' Murphy!