How a Democrat Killed Welfare

[TBF]

TBF note: When we talk about "third way" and the "new democrats" that make the party nearly indistinguishable from the republicans, this is specifically what we are talking about and what we seek to change --

The starkest example of the many racist and anti-poor measures directed at African Americans and passed during his administration was the 1996 welfare reform bill, which transformed welfare from an exclusive and unequal cash assistance system that stigmatized its recipients into one that actually criminalized them.

Bill Clinton gutted welfare and criminalized the poor, all while funneling more money into the carceral state.
by Premilla Nadasen ~ 2/9/16

Bill Clinton’s 1992 election was meant to be a turning point in American politics. Liberals breathed a sigh of relief, believing him to be a much-needed break from the Reagan-Bush era of “small government” and social welfare cuts.

But the optimism surrounding Clinton’s election — and favorable assessments of his time in office since — ignore the destruction his administration brought to poor and working people, especially African Americans, and mask not only the continuation but intensification of anti-poor policies. Rather than offering a reprieve from punitive austerity, Clinton took the Reagan-Bush agenda a step further. If his administration was a turning point, it turned us in the wrong direction.

In 1994, Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, the largest crime bill in history, which allocated $10 billion for prison construction, expanded the death penalty, and eliminated federal funding for inmate education. The act intensified police surveillance and racial profiling, and locked up millions for nonviolent offenses such as drug possession. It helped usher in the era of mass incarceration that devastated communities of color (for which Clinton himself has recently apologized) ...

Much more here: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/02/welfare-reform-bill-hillary-clinton-tanf-poverty-dlc/

[Peregrine Took]

1. But I thought we "loved" him sooooo much? You know, the "big dawg" ...

who was going to rescue us all from the evil rethugs?

[Xipe Totec]

2. big dawg is getting old. It's time for that inevitable visit to the vet. nt

[Dragonfli]

4. I always wondered why he liked to be called the first black president while stabbing PoCi n the back

Maybe it is some sort of sick inside joke between him and"bring those black superpedator kids to heel" Hilary, who cased in big time from the for profit prison's via cold hard campaign cash the legislation they passed assured such prisons would be filled to capacity.

[guillaumeb]

3. William Clinton

reformed welfare for the bottom 90% to ensure his own post-Presidential welfare. On so may issues, the billionaires asked and Clinton delivered.

[AzDar]

5. Please Go Away, Clintons...

[RoccoR5955]

6. Clinton was, is a DINO

He gave away so much from the middle class to the 1%, I call him the best RepubliCON president in a long time.

[TBF]

7. Con is about right -

and he has some nerve lecturing anyone on sexism.

[mhatrw]

8. And replaced it with welfare for corporations who do not pay a living wage to US citizens. nt

[TBF]

9. Well guess who was on the board at Walmart?

Smh.