By Brittany Pounders
Clash Daily Guest Contributor
Texas’ biggest embarrassment, Sheila Jackson Lee, is back and this time taking on an absolutely crucial agenda item. No, it isn’t the budget or the debt that is crushing our nation, it isn’t terrorism, it isn’t education…No, none of that. This crucial line item happens to be a particular wrestling of words designed to remove the stigma of “government gimme.” In her latest speech on the House floor this week, she said:
“Maybe the word ‘welfare’ should be changed to something of, ‘a transitional living fund.’ For that is what it is — for people to be able to live.”
Jackson Lee was referring to all welfare, including food stamps, unemployment, Medicaid, and Medicare.
She continued, “Quite frankly, of all the wealthy nations, we have the lowest safety net and the highest poverty, because we’re not willing to accept the fact that sometimes an American needs help. Even a veteran, even a soldier. So today, I honor the 50th anniversary of the war on poverty, Mr. Speaker, and I ask us not to give up the fight because the American people are looking to us to win the war.”
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is only sitting in that House chair because of the welfare block that continually votes her into office to insure that their government cheese isn’t going anywhere. Let us be clear, actually winning “the war on poverty” would put her out of a job and force her to join the private sector- where she would most likely be very under qualified for most positions. This isn’t about winning the war on poverty- this is about keeping her voting bloc oppressed and “needy” of government assistance. She buys her popularity with handouts, like most good Democrats tend to do. Because once people vote themselves into entitlements, they NEVER vote themselves out of them.
Liberals have always made it a priority to make people comfortable with extremely low standards and mediocrity. It was the progressive party who was responsible for taking away actual food stamps and turning them into neat little credit cards that look just like what you and I use to pay for our food at the grocery store. Nobody ever needs to feel pressure to get off those embarrassing food stamps because now they can swipe and pay with the same ease that I use when using my credit card– with nobody the wiser, unless you happen to get a glance at the “Lonestar” symbol that graces the front of our particular EBT cards here in the state of Texas.
Let’s discuss that “lowest safety net” and those “highest poverty” levels for a moment. According to the Census Bureau in October 2013, “There were 108,592,000 people in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2011 who were recipients of one or more means-tested government benefit programs.” That sure sounds like an awfully huge safety net if you ask most people who understand what a 9-figure statistic of that magnitude means.
We don’t really even understand the definition of poverty in this country. Those who are considered “poor” among our modern day standards live like Kings and Queens compared to those in the world who truly know the definition of the word “poverty.” According to a study by the Census Bureau, those living in “poverty” own 2 TV, a dvd player, an XBOX, Playstation, or other gaming system. They have air conditioning and heating, washer and dryer, cable or satellite, and had enough money last year to adequately pay for food and medical care.
“Welfare spending is now the largest federal expense, costing taxpayers $1.03 trillion in FY 2011. Since Obama became president in 2008, federal welfare spending has increased 41 percent, yet poverty levels remain unchanged.” This goes to prove that bigger government always make for smaller individuals.
Welfare and government assistance shouldn’t ever become a way of life that people feel comfortable with. There should be a stigma attached to it in order to help pull people back to their feet and off of it as soon as possible. Do some people need a temporary hand up? Of course. And, I don’t think anybody begrudges assisting those people for a short amount of time while they get back on their feet and pull themselves back together. It’s the life-long users of the system who go on to breed the next generation of users who do nothing to contribute and everything to suck the life and financial liberty from the Land of the Free.
However, the Party of Parasites could never shut that down or people like Sheila Jackson Lee would be replaced by people who actually have good ideas.
Column originally published here on Liberty Juice.
Brittany Pounders is Co-Founder of www.LibertyJuice.com and has been an active proponent for the conservative movement in Fort Bend County and the State of Texas. She was a delegate to the Texas Republican Convention in 2010 and in 2012. More recently, she attended the GOP National Convention and worked with some of the most talented people involved with the Romney/Ryan campaign.
You can follow Brittany on Twitter at @LibertyBritt.
