Require Community Service For Government Handouts?

[boochi]

Should we require that a person on unemployment be required to perform some sort of community service to keep those benefits? Should we require the able body Americans that receive food stamps, government housing and medicaid perform community service for those benefits if they do not already work a 40 hour week? I propose a system that requires that the longer you receive these benefits the more time you be required to serve your community up to 20 hours a week. Is this too much to ask?

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Yes, we should absolutely require some kind of service for handouts. Handouts are ultimately coming from the community anyway, so able-bodied people receiving them should be giving back to the community. Why we don't do this as standard practice is beyond me.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Well, it would put people out of their jobs and receiving handouts in ever increasing numbers.

 

[Zebo]

Yes lots of reasons. Fraud is rampant with people who work in black market or on a cash basis. If they had to show 40 hrs they'd be unable to do both receive govt bennies and sell drugs. They'd choose one or the other, most likly falling off the rolls for more lucrative ventures with their time. Second job skills deteriorate when sitting at home, the goal of such programs should be to increase the marketability of participants rather than decrease them and performing work would do that. Third, people would feel a lot better eventually as work is food for soul. Fourth, communities would look better with all the work that needs doing.

 

[ProfJohn]

I agree completely.

The problem is that such programs would cost money to run. Unless you have your unemployed picking up trash in parks every day.

I think I'd apply it more to welfare types than people getting temporary help such as unemployment.

 

[Anarchist420]

We should just abolish welfare instead.

 

[umbrella39]

Why not just abolish taxes while you are at it.

 

[Schadenfroh]

We cannot have them directly competing with the regular workforce for jobs, it will create a problem akin to what slave labor created.

Unless you have your unemployed picking up trash in parks every day.

I was thinking of ways to help tackle this and help the environment. Maybe have them do jobs that others are not willing to do, thus little to no private labor competition?

Perhaps the government can have them sort garbage at collection sites into the proper recycling bins and give them a bonus (of some sort) to reward the amount of recycled materials they recover? Surely every city has a need for such a labor intensive service.