In discussions with people about the pros and cons of welfare and other social programs, my biggest argument against such programs is the rampant fraud. Today, U.S. News reports that the IRS uncovered $27 million in fraudulent claims from the federal “home buyer tax credit,” including a four year old child, 34 IRS employees and $9 million collected by prisoners, most with life sentences. Over 14,000 individuals (that we know of) received this money fraudulently.

Also today, the L.A. Times reports that $1.8 billion of your hard-earned tax dollars were gambled in casinos throughout California by individuals and families on welfare.

A billion here, a billion there and suddenly you’re talking about some real money, right? These fraud discoveries are only a fraction of the fraud that goes on everyday with every social welfare program that every federal, state and local government has come up with.

There is no end to the number of people willing to stand up and take something for free and the government is not sophisticated enough, nor care enough, to monitor any of their social welfare programs. Why? Because at the end of the day, it’s not their money, it’s your money, and providing billions in free services, received both fraudulently and legitimately buys votes. It’s that simple.

What recipient of “free” would ever vote for the guy who was going to take it away?

And as long as people argue with me that there are needy and starving people I will argue that for every one of them that truly deserves it, there are ten that don’t, but take it anyway.

This country survived for almost 200 years without any social programs whatsoever. Local communities took care of their own, and with less taxes, there was more money for people to support the local charities that took care of the needy. Now, for every $1 the government takes from us in taxes, only $$0.25 makes it to the family in need, as most is burned up in the salaries, healthcare benefits and the pension plans of the government employees administering the programs.

We need to return to the time when neighbors took care of neighbors. We need to have less of our money confiscated from us in taxes so we can donate to the charities we see fit and monitor how our donations are spent.

Imagine if all of our money wasted in fraud and government bureaucracy were suddenly returned to us…billions and billions of dollars would be available from us for those truly in need; everyone else would have to go get a job, and politicians would have to work for a living instead of buying votes with our money.

To learn some disturbing facts about the poor in America, read my other post here.

Categories: Government Failures, National Debt

Tags: billion spent at casinos, fraud, homebuyer tax credit, IRS, prisoners, welfare recipients spent welfare, welfare spent at casinos