Everyone hates taxes. I hate taxes. I’m always highly annoyed when I get my paycheck and see that a good chunk of my money (around 20%) was taken. I realize that part of my money goes to programs I have no issues with, like repairing the roads that I actually drive on, or paying the fire department or ambulance service. (Note that the police department isn’t listed there — Trust me, if you ever want to kill anyone, do it in Clay County, WV on a weekend. IF you can find a police officer (state or county), they’ll simply say “I’ll be out there shortly” and never show up.)

Welfare programs, as a whole, disgust me. I go to work, I do what was agreed upon between my employer and myself, and they give me the money that they agreed to give me for my work. It’s a pretty simple system, and I hate the fact that so much money is spent allowing other people who don’t work to have a lot of things that I can’t afford.

Personally, if we must have welfare programs, I’d run them a lot like jails, except people would be allowed to leave the building. I wouldn’t give people money. Not for rent, not for food, and especially not to fund a nice kegger every couple of weeks. They get a room to sleep in (possibly with a bunk mate), they get fed very basic meals, and I’d provide some basic training to help them get an entry level job. More advanced schooling would be provided only by giving student loans. For entertainment, they can have a library card, with candles to read by at night… and MAYBE a community television in a large lounge area.

On the other hand, while I don’t much care for programs that give people enough money to have all the little luxuries (see: Satellite television and high-speed internet), I don’t have a big problem with allowing some assistance for the “working poor.” Those who work, but have problems making ends meet with utility bills and daycare and whatnot, I want to help. I’m not completely sure that it’s the government’s place to force charity on those who’re less kind-hearted, but I’ve been in the situation where I wasn’t earning enough to get by (because college was limiting my work hours), and while it was my parents, not the government, that helped me out, I like the idea of helping those who’re trying to help themselves.

Like I said, there are completely legitimate uses for our taxes (maintaining infrastructure and protecting the peace, whether from internal threats or external), but we use a lot of tax money to help people who only want a handout, and many of them are perfectly capable of working. For a good number, I realize that they’d like to have a job, but they can’t find one, or aren’t able to work. Others, though, simply don’t work because there’s no reason for them to do so. I realize that the saying is usually used for something else entirely, but why should they buy the cow, if they get their milk for free?
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