Firstly in response to the title: 1. there is no guarantee that someone on welfare will be able to get themselves off of it and support themselves, so setting an arbitrary time limit is both pointless at best and life threatening at worst 2. there isn't always an incentive to leave welfare thanks in part to point 1 - why try and support yourself if there is nothing you can do to accomplish that AND the government will support you anyway? [quote]Why don't we just cut the money flow off after 5 years and let them fend for themselves after that point.[/quote]That's barbaric AND defeats the entire point of welfare [quote] If you're SO USELESS that you can't get a job anywhere, then live in a homeless shelter and beg on the side of the road! [/quote]So basically, put them on privatized welfare instead of government welfare? either way it's being paid for by citizens so that's just cruel and redundant. [quote]And if you're worried about the kids these poor families tend to have, send the kids off to foster care, they'll survive just fine.[/quote]Because being forcefully separated from your family has never had any psychological effects on any kid ever, right? [quote]And you can get your kid back once you have a sustainable lifestyle through legal means. [/quote]Go back to the first paragraph and read the first two points, I even numbered them for easy reading! [quote]These guys get food, shelter, and spending money from the government at the cost of the middle class. [/quote]Yes, that's what welfare is - I agree that richer citizens should pay more, if that's what you're implying with the last few words. [quote]I work as a cash register paying for my tuition, and I see people with boats hitched to their car using food stamps! [/quote]Speaking of cars, when you get a flat tire, do you fix it? or do you throw the whole car away?; Just because a system has problems doesn't mean that we should scrap it entirely, don't be absurd. [quote]I've seen people buy a shit ton of food with food stamps, then buy a whole carton of cigarettes and alcohol and I wonder why the poor REMAIN POOR [/quote]Poor people who can't afford education and haven't been taught valuable life skills do stupid things? CALL THE -blam!-ING PRESSES!...also refer to the flat tire analogy above, and my first paragraph. [quote]cause life isn't that bad for them! [/quote]I dunno, being addicted to tobbacco AND alcohol ON TOP OF being poor and unemployed, doesn't sound that great. [quote]I propose that we should really cut down on all the aid we give the poor, because if we make being poor sustainable to live and raise a family [/quote]That's not the purpose of welfare, that's a side effect of having a half arsed welfare system. [quote] then what's the point of WORKING HARD! [/quote]A lot of things, but you do know that there are some things that can't be achieved with hard work, somethings that you just can't control, somethings that you just need some help with, you know? [quote] I want to hear what you guys think of this. [/quote]There you go, now I want to hear what you think of what I think.