Quote Originally Posted by Alan View Post
Yes, nothing is fool-proof, but we can improve the odds of success if we try. Or to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, if we stop making people so comfortable in their poverty (economic or moral) they gain incentive to improve themselves.
Personally I don't think the problem is that people are so comfortable in their poverty that they chose to stay dependant on gov't programs. They stay on those programs because the programs incentivize dependence on them. Do any work and you lose your benefits dollar for dollar, or even worse, lose everything from the program. And if you would need to pay for childcare if you have a job, but lack the skills to get a job that pays better than minimum wage you'll spend your whole income on childcare. We could design better programs that enabled people to get to work that don't jeopardize the minimal amount of economic security that they already have and we would probably see more poor people willing to get out there and become productive.