The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for October 5th, 2011 10:16 AM
| toldailytopic: What is the appropriate way to help the poor? |
First of all, ignore dinosaurs.
Second of all, let's all do what we can to contribute to local charities.
Third of all, charities cannot do the job by themselves. People used to starve before there was government help. We need social security, medicare, medicaid, food stamps, disaster relief, welfare, unemployment benefits.
Welfare programs that ask recipients to find work or get training are good. Time limits on welfare are not, because recession can happen anytime, and people lose income through no fault of their own. Republicans who blame welfare recipients for not being able to find a job deserve to lose their jobs and see what it's like.
Social Security may need some adjusting, like raising the cap on how much income is taxed, raising the retirement age, etc. Other kinds of income besides payroll should be taxed. But cuts to social security to ease the deficit is robbing people who pay into the program. Social Security has received more than it pays. It should not be thought of as a resource so that the rich don't have to pay more taxes.
If the cap on how much income is taxed for SS is raised, then the rate can perhaps even be lowered. That would allow medicare taxes to be raised. They are low now, and the program is losing money; but it still covers the least healthy group of people. Raising the medicare tax to cover everyone seems like the best deal to both save the program and eliminate the cost of private health insurance on people and businesses. More cost controls need to happen on unnecessary treatments. Drugs prices should be open to competition from companies in other countries, and drugs should be purchased in bulk by pharmacies. And alternative holistic medicine should be fully covered, and people should be required to get health and lifestyle education.
