I, and I think most Americans, don't necessarily have a problem helping out those in need who are doing everything they can to help themselves. It is the welfare moms and the lazy who leach the system that I cannot stand and would rather starve to death than give a dollar to. I was a landlord for several years, and believe me, I've had my fare share of deadbeats who made more on welfare than working.
What I said about making your own choices holds true... but I would be much more inclined to help someone who (at the time) made good choices and is now down on his/her luck. I had a renter who had an asshole husband. She was married for years and had two kids by him before she was able to leave. I'm sure when she married him he wasn't an asshole and even though her decision to marry him, in hindsight, was bad, at the time it wasn't.
So she divorces him and moves on with her two kids and he is nowhere around. She lives modestly, drives a very old car, shops bargains, is going to school and has a full-time job. She has no free time and is eeking by, trying to get out of the rut. She neve asks for anything, isn't getting pregnant again, and doesn't buy Doritos and Pepsi. She has one TV, a 19", that looks like she found at the dump in the reuse area.
Contrast this with another renter I had. She worked at a gas station, had 4 kids by 3 different fathers. She spends all of her money on her hair, nails and alcohol. Her house (government assisted) is completely trashed all the time and she doesn't give a fuck. She has random men coming over all hours of the day. She cannot come up with her $100 portion of $1200 rent ($1100 subsidized by taxpayers) though she can get a hair color and celebrate by going to the bars (I ran into her one night at a bar when she owed me money. Uncomfortable.)
I would happily help those who help themselves and just need a hand for a short while. These are people who would otherwise be productive citizens had the factory not closed, or the economy not tanked, or their husband didn't die...people who tried very hard to make good choices that didn't lead them to where they wanted to be.
I think welfare shouldn't be given to the bottom rungs of our society and instead given to those just above them who are trying, who are bettering themselves, who did try to do the right thing. The corollary to this is that those who refuse to work, who pop out kids left and right, who waste money on drugs and alcohol, who won't go to school or work two jobs will get nothing. Nothing at all. They ALL have the ability to do something. I see these "homeless" people with signs, and they stand in front of McDonalds that has a banner saying "Now Hiring."
Help those who deserve it and who can take the help and do something with it.