Americans blame 'government welfare' for persistent poverty, poll finds

[a kennedy]

Well this just stinks......



Two decades after President Bill Clinton promised to "end welfare as we know it," Americans blame government handouts for persistent poverty in the United States more than any other single factor, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Thursday.

Given a list of eight factors and asked to choose the one most responsible for the continuing problem of poverty, 24 percent of respondents in the poll chose "too much government welfare that prevents initiative."

Whether Americans are too dependent on government was a flashpoint of the presidential campaign last year, and shrinking government has been a focus of the Tea Party movement, which has risen since the election of President Barack Obama.

"Lack of job opportunities" was the second most popular answer, at 18 percent, followed by "lack of good educational opportunities" and "breakdown of families," with 13 percent apiece.

The other four options in the poll, in descending order, were "lack of work ethic," "lack of government funding," "drugs" and "racial discrimination." Eight percent of respondents said that all eight factors were equally responsible.


http://inplainsight.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/06/18802216-americans-blame-government-welfare-for-persistent-poverty-poll-finds?lite

[onehandle]

1. So do I. I blame government welfare handed out to corporations.

Tax them, fully.

[LeftofObama]

3. ^^This!^^

[Laelth]

15. +1 n/t

-Laelth

[alp227]

2. Do people even know what it's like living on benefits?

So damn miserable and restricted. Why would anyone want to live off it? In fact because of the '96 reforms it's impossible to "LIVE OFF" welfare without committing fraud. And then "what about disability?" I've heard that NPR "Unfit for Work" story. But do they understand the long and winding process in APPLYING for disability checks?

And what would those 24% "too much welfare" respondents rather have for those poor people? Make them be beggars? Workhouses? (A certain British literary legend comes to mind.)

[Arkansas Granny]

9. It's pretty obvious that those who think being on welfare equals living on easy street

have never had to apply for benefits. There is a common misconception that all you have to do is walk into the office and tell them you need assistance and *presto* they hand you a sack full of money and food stamps. Easy peasy! They have no idea of the hoops you have to jump through, the personal information you have to provide and how little help you actually receive when those benefits are assigned.

[HughBeaumont]

4. SIGH. Their channels are working well on the people, I see.

That's also their idiot "Reagan Democrat" parents at work, passing down the poison.

Amazing that conservative Uhmerica is all so wont to punish these supposed "system gamers" among the poor, but completely excuse (and sometimes even laud and love) the far more damaging system gamers among the wealthy.

[Bigmack]

5. I have a question...

related to this poll.

What would happen if there were no "welfare"... no SNAP, no TANF, no aid of any kind?

Do you think the poor would just starve quietly, or would they start violently taking shit?

[HughBeaumont]

8. People don't seem to get . . . .

. . . that our (albeit miniscule) safety net is the only thing coming between the wealthy and their well-deserved gibbetts.

[justice1]

10. That's why the Republicans want desperate people to have guns.

They need to fill their for profit prisons.

[Egalitarian Thug]

11. I'm not sure the rich think about anything beyond mindless acquisition.

Is there anything that you can buy with the 2nd hundred million that the 1st hundred million couldn't?

[SunSeeker]

6. Only 24% do. That means 76% blame it on other factors.

Which is about right considering about 24% support the tea party.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. That doesn't make sense

If I ONLY had one choice - as the questions exist in that graph. . . I would have a hard time. My true answer doesn't exist:

Not enough job opportunities combined with too much of the WRONG kind of 'welfare'. I.E. We kick people off of SNAP and TANF at income levels that are still FAR too low.

I think by State for example - in NJ it should be aok for a family of 4 to stay on SNAP and TANF up to $30K a year. But that's just me.

[librechik]

12. just letting them starve to death would solve the problem. That's right, GOP

Their point that mere existence of the safety net increases poverty is wrong, craven and un-Christian.

[LeftInTX]

13. What the heck?

Not due to outsourcing?
Not due to corporate greed?
Not due to Poor wages?
Underpaid employees?
Lack of health care?
A Republican congress that voted against the jobs bill?
Decaying infrastructure that needs fixing?

The list goes on and on.

I agree this just stinks!!!!!!!!!

Fox News will be all over this one!!

[arely staircase]

14. 24 percent of americans

lack of jobs, education and too little government spending together are higher. classic example of how to lie with statistics. they split the "liberal' answers into so many categories that they were bound to get a "conservative" answer.

[Dawson Leery]

16. 1 out of 4 blame welfare.

The same 1 out of 4 that support the teaklan.