What would you do in their shoes? (Column, May 9)
After reading Andrew Dreschel’s column about giving food vouchers to single people collecting welfare, I have a suggestion.
Why not have a program like meals on wheels, where fresh fruit and vegetables could be distributed to those who need them, without exposing them to ridicule and scorn by labelling them as poor and destitute.
Better yet, why not have people on welfare do a little work, like graffiti removal, in order to get something in return, like free fruits and vegetables, donated by local farmers’ markets. This will get people moving and used to doing something constructive, while collecting social assistance cheques.
Hamilton spends about $2 million a year having municipal staff and community volunteers clean up graffiti; why not use some of that budget to get able-bodied social service recipients back on their feet by doing a little work to pay back society for giving them a hand up.
Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton
3 comments:
Like communism these work-for-welfare types of programs sound good in theory, but won't work in practice. When all the graffiti is cleaned up what do you think will happen? The graffiti cleaners by day will become the graffiti writers by night to ensure continued benefits.
You really want to help people get off welfare and become self sufficient? Abolish minimum wage laws. That will allow business to hire more people who will then learn those job skills necessary to move up the income ladder, just like we all did.
We don't need more laws or government programs with high paid bureaucrats to administer them.
Or, the recipients could volunteer for Meals on Wheels, the local food bank, or other charities. I'm thinking the food bank could use some sorters, etc.
Excellent idea! I see no reason why lazy unemployment people who are collecting welfare and EI should not be made to go out and actually do some work for a change especially in eastern Canada!
You know a good idea would be to put convicted prisoners to work instead of letting them sit in the prisons living the “high” life.
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