Would a Capital Gains Tax Cut Stimulate The Economy?

[sixdogsmom]

Sorry, David, this is a continuation of the welfare thing. From The Americam Phyclology Association

Making 'Welfare to Work' Really Work 

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Myths and Facts About Welfare

The general public views poverty as the result of personal failures and deficiencies. This perception rests on several myths. The most prevalent are that poverty results from a lack of responsibility; welfare leads to chronic dependency; African American women make up the largest group of welfare recipients; welfare promotes single parenthood and out-of-wedlock births; welfare provides a disincentive to work; welfare creates a "culture of poverty" because recipients share and hand down to their children a set of defective behaviors, values, and personality traits; and welfare funds extravagant spending by welfare recipients (Ehrenreich, 1987; Katz, 1989). These myths of pathology translate directly to the debate of who deserves help. They also fuel powerful stereotypical racial and gender messages. It is mothers, especially African American and single mothers, who are viewed as undeserving. Unwed mothers are thought to have the choice of marriage and do not obtain the sympathy that widows have. Other groups that are perceived as undeserving are immigrants, especially if they are not fluent in English.

Even the term "welfare" has been pejorative, and distortions of facts about welfare perpetuate myths about public assistance and those who receive it. These negative myths and stereotypes reinforced the government's agenda in cutting welfare spending to those recipients viewed as undeserving. Reform will continue to be ineffective if those implementing it do not separate myth from fact.

Strategies for alleviating poverty and decisions about government spending continue to be closely linked to the perceived causes of poverty, as well as the extent to which these causes are perceived to be modifiable (Furnham, 1982). Poverty is seen as an individual problem or a social issue (such as education or crime) rather than an economic issue (such as unemployment and the economy)(Gallup, 1992). Consequently, solutions are geared toward fixing or punishing those individuals with the "problem." Little attention is focused on societal factors that may perpetuate under- and unemployment, such as inadequate education, transportation, child care, and mental health problems.

Myth: Poverty Results From a Lack of Responsibility

Fact: Poverty Results From Low Wages

Welfare programs have been our country's response to poverty, and everyone agrees that those programs have not solved the problem. Jared Bernstein (1996) of the Economic Policy Institute identifies wage decline as the crucial economic factor that has had the largest impact on poverty rates in the 1980s and 1990s. While hourly rates of pay have fallen for the majority of the workforce since the late 1970s, by far the largest losses have been for the lowest paid workers. According to Bernstein (1996), between 1979 and 1989, the male worker, for example, at the 10th percentile (meaning 90 percent of the male workforce earns more) saw his hourly wage decline 13 percent, and since 1989 he lost another 6 percent. For women workers at the 10th percentile, the decline over the 1980s was 18 percent. The low-wage female worker gained slightly since 1989, but by 1995, her hourly wage rate was $4.84, down from $5.82 in 1979 (all dollars are in 1995 inflation-adjusted terms).

Myth: A Huge Chunk of My Tax Dollars Supports Welfare Recipients

Fact: Welfare Costs 1 Percent of the Federal Budget

Widespread misperception about the extent of welfare exacerbate the problems of poverty. The actual cost of welfare programs-about 1 percent of the federal budget and 2 percent of state budgets (McLaughlin, 1997)-is proportionally less than generally believed. During the 104th Congress, more than 93 percent of the budget reductions in welfare entitlements came from programs for low-income people (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 1996). Ironically, middle-class and wealthy Americans also receive "welfare" in the form of tax deductions for home mortgages, corporate and farm subsidies, capital gains tax limits, Social Security, Medicare, and a multitude of other tax benefits. Yet these types of assistance carry no stigma and are rarely considered "welfare" (Goodgame, 1993). Anti-welfare sentiment appears to be related to attitudes about class and widely shared and socially sanctioned stereotypes about the poor. Racism also fuels negative attitudes toward welfare programs (Quadagno, 1994).

Myth: People on Welfare Become Permanently Dependent on the Support

Fact: Movement off Welfare Rolls Is Frequent

A prevalent welfare myth is that women who received AFDC became permanently dependent on public assistance. Analyses indicate that 56 percent of AFDC support ended within 12 months, 70 percent within 24 months, and almost 85 percent within 4 years (Staff of House Committee on Ways and Means, 1996). These exit rates clearly contradict the widespread myth that AFDC recipients wanted to remain on public assistance or that welfare dependency was permanent. Unfortunately, return rates were also high, with 45 percent of ex-recipients returning to AFDC within 1 year. Persons who were likely to use AFDC longer than the average time had less than 12 years of education, no recent work experience, were never married, had a child below age 3 or had three or more children, were Latina or African American, and were under age 24 (Staff of House Committee on Ways and Means, 1996). These risk factors illustrate the importance of structural barriers, such as inadequate child care, racism, and lack of education.

Myth: Most Welfare Recipients Are African American Women

Fact: Most Welfare Recipients Are Children-Most Women on Welfare Are White

Children, not women, are the largest group of people receiving public assistance. Less than 5 million of the 14 million public assistance recipients are adults, and 90 percent of those adults are women (U.S. Bureau of Census, 1995). The majority of the recipients are White (38 percent), followed by 37 percent African Americans, and 25 percent other minority groups (Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans) (McLaughlin, 1997). However, African Americans are disproportionately represented on public assistance because they are only 12 percent of the population (O'Hare, Pollard, Mann, & Kent, 1991).

Myth: Welfare Encourages Out-of- Wedlock Births and Large Families

Fact: The Average Welfare Family Is No Bigger Than the Average Nonwelfare Family

The belief that single women are promiscuous and have large families to receive increased benefits has no basis in extant research, and single-parent families are not only a phenomenon of the poor (McFate, 1995). In fact, the average family size of welfare recipients has decreased from four in 1969 to 2.8 in 1994 (Staff of House Committee on Ways and Means, 1996). In 1994, 43 percent of welfare families consisted of one child, and 30 percent consisted of two children. Thus, the average welfare family is no larger than the average nonrecipient's family, and despite considerable public concern that welfare encourages out-of-wedlock births, a growing body of empirical evidence indicates that welfare benefits are not a significant incentive for childbearing (Wilcox, Robbennolt, O'Keeffe, & Pynchon, 1997).

Myth: Welfare Families Use Their Benefits to Fund Extravagance

Fact: Welfare Families Live Far Below the Poverty Line

The belief that welfare provides a disincentive to work by providing a well-paying "free ride" that enables recipients, stereotyped as "Cadillac queens," to purchase extravagant items with their benefits is another myth. In reality, recipients live considerably below the poverty threshold. Despite increased program spending, the average monthly family benefit, measured in 1995 dollars, fell from $713 in 1970 to $377 in 1995, a 47 percent drop. In 26 states, AFDC benefits alone fell 64 percent short of the 1996 poverty guidelines, and the addition of food stamps only reduced this gap to 35 percent (Staff of House Committee on Ways and Means, 1996).

Despite the ready availability of facts, myths about welfare continue to be widespread. The media contributes to this lack of information. The media helps shape public perceptions about welfare recipients. The way in which a topic is reported can turn a neutral reader into an opinionated reader and can greatly influence public opinion. Although in an analysis of articles published in 10 major newspapers from January 1997 to April 1997, the tone was generally sympathetic to the poor, actual research and facts to counter myths were generally lacking (Wyche & Mattern, 1997).

[dnalexander]

No apology needed. Often the side tracks are just as fun\entertaining\educational\or of interest. I realize that we don't all have the same questions or interest. Post away.

David

[dnalexander]

Ang the topics Frank mentioned are all covered in the book "The Wealthy Barber". I saw on Amazon that it is on it's 3rd updated printing. The information it gives you will reassure what you are all ready doing is right. It also will help you be more comfortable when the market takes a big downturn like it always does. Keep doing what you are doing. You don't have to be a stock market guru to accomplish your retirement goals and providing a nest egg for your girls.

David

[Catwoman]

Frank...I received an email in the past couple of weeks that listed the billions of dollars that are spent on taking good care of our illegals with our generous welfare plan.  I was sickened by it...do you realize how many LEGAL children, in our school systems, that could take free ride...COMPLETELY free ride...all the way through their MASTER'S degree...if we weren't paying for all of these freeloading parasites. And don't go bleeding heart liberal on me and start talking about how they do the jobs that we as Americans won't touch. Get rid of them...and you'll find out that there will be people who will step in to take their place...legal residents.  

[sixdogsmom]

Wow! This thread has it all!! 

[sixdogsmom]

Angie, I would like to add this bit of advice to Franks'. I once had a boss whom I admired greatly; he always said, " Pay yourself first". He meant that you should budget for the future before you budget for the present, and he was right. Always pay yourself first, and I must agree with Frank; along with a great family and community network, you have a great plan for success!

[dnalexander]

Wow! This thread has it all!! 

It sure does. It could be retitled the Bridge to Somewhere. Because these are the topics in my opinion that are among the most important we have to solve. If we don't we may soon find ourselves nowhere. Thanks to all that are taking the time to post.

David

[dnalexander]

SDM that is the first rule of advice in the book.

[greatguns]

My 401K is doing really well.  Can't wait til I'm 59 and a half so I can start enjoying the easy life as I start drawing it out.  And I would love to see the Congressmen and women make minimum wage that is good enough for us that need to fill all those jobs that people are wanting to hire us for.  I'm not in the 40 percent either.  I don't care what they do with Capital Gains.  Welfare compares to farm subsidies for the lawyers and every other wealthy  person that hates the government in our business.  And no, I am not talking about farmers.

[frawin]

Frank...I received an email in the past couple of weeks that listed the billions of dollars that are spent on taking good care of our illegals with our generous welfare plan.  I was sickened by it...do you realize how many LEGAL children, in our school systems, that could take free ride...COMPLETELY free ride...all the way through their MASTER'S degree...if we weren't paying for all of these freeloading parasites. And don't go bleeding heart liberal on me and start talking about how they do the jobs that we as Americans won't touch. Get rid of them...and you'll find out that there will be people who will step in to take their place...legal residents.  

Cat, the cost to US Taxpayers for welfare provided to illegals is massive. We lived in West Texas for 27 years and every year the Hospital districts  in West Texas give fee medical in the Millions to illegals. They come across the border go to emergency rooms ready to have a baby, or sick, or need some medical care and the Hospitals can't turn them away. They get what they need and leave without paying a dime. The schools are overcrowded with children of illegals who pay no property tax whatsoever. The Illegals have accidents, they have no insurance, they go back across the Border they pay for nothing.  It is a growing problem that will only get worse.