Fighting the War on Poverty With Handouts

Meredith Jessup | August 12, 2009 5:05 PM

The New York Daily News reported on a "back-to-school spending spree" today in which billionaire George Soros donated $35 million to be added to $140 million in stimulus money and used to help struggling families equip kids to return to classrooms this fall.

Families already receiving food stamps and other forms of social welfare assistance were eligible for $200/child to spend on clothes, notebooks and other school essentials. Many families were obviously helped by Soros' generous donation, and the stimulus dollars from the taxpayers. But is this handout any way to address poverty?

After waiting in a line of more than 300 people, Alecia Rumph, 26, exclaimed, "It's free money!" Well, not exactly free; I (and my fellow taxpayers) worked for it. But then again, what do people expect when all it takes for people to receive this kind of assistance plan is standing in line?

Rumph and thousands of other New Yorkers lined up at banks today, eager to withdraw the money that "magically" appears on their electronic benefits cards. "Thank God for Obama," Rumph said. "He's looking out for us."

Hardly. It would seem Obama's plan to fight poverty only perpetuates a steady reliance on the government for assistance. And if Obama insists on spending our tax dollars, wouldn't low-income families benefit more from, say, a cut in their property taxes?

I'm just sayin...