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Hannah Green
Ranea Gibson
English 100
May 24, 2015
Our country is failing: Free handouts handicap the population

Take a look around you. Did you know fourteen point five percent (Census) of Americans
live in poverty and an astounding forty-nine (Forbes) percent receive government handouts and
assistance? This means thirty-three point five percent of Americans live for free, while the
middle and upper class pay the ultimate price of being taxed to a fault. Our government
lawmakers have designed a system in which a low-income life is found suitable and the easy way
out. Why work when you can remain a poverty level citizen? Poverty level citizens receive free
housing, food stamps, health insurance, and college grants, which are loans, not required to be
paid back and cover the majority of college tuition. Why work a minimum wage full-time job
when your earnings leave you with less than enough money to be able to afford the government
benefits you once received for free by not working. With this arrangement our country suffers an
astounding 5.4% national unemployment rate; thus why America is handicapped.
College: A vital key to success in today's world. College graduates on average will make
over 3.3 million dollars (LosAngelesTimes) over their lifetime, than a person not attending postsecondary education. Paying for college is a burden, mainly to those classified as middle
working class. Do you realize if youre poverty or low income by the government, those children
attend college for free? Con artists abuse the system and this wonderful privilege. It is not right
to grant these children free college education, while the child born into a middle class family,

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forced to go into debt, take out a loan, with high-occurring interest in order to pay for higher
education. Wake up America. Low-income students are not only less likely to enroll in college
than economically privileged students (Alon, 2009; Haveman and Wilson, 2007), but they are
also less likely to attain a bachelors degree, even after successfully navigating most of the
postsecondary pipeline (KYVL). Our government is wasting precious tax dollars on students
who don't appreciate grants and feel that they are entitled to them. They aren't paying taxes; they
do not understand or comprehend what paying taxes really means.
On the other hand, there is a solution to this growing and accumulating problem. The
government needs to take a closer look on grades, extracurricular activities, and community
service. Not solely based off numbers. Children's grades in high school, GPA, ACT scores are
good predictors on how well they will do in post-secondary education. The government should
only provide aid, after the student has obtained a degree. But providing aid to one, means
providing for. All; regardless of income level.
Another tax-dollar draining program that our government provides for the vagrant, food
stamps. Food stamps enable the poor to keep the vicious cycle of depending on the government
for help afloat. A shocking 46.2 million (WallStreetJournal) people take advantage of federally
funded food stamps. Although, some actually need the assistance, several abuse food stamps to
pay for their addictions: alcohol (depressant) and cigarettes (nicotine). Honey Boo Boo,
television star, admitted in a recent episode that she receives government benefits (TLC). She is a
prime example on how our tax-dollars enable these manipulators addictions. We are paying them
to smoke and drink, this is absurd. As if this corrupt program could not get any worse, the same
people go to the grocery store, buy Filet Mignon, lobster, and crab leg. The average United States
American cannot afford to buy fine cuts of meat, but yet, the poverty level can. Rep. Louie

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Gohmert (R-Texas) spoke out on the House floor about a hardworking constituent who'd been in
line behind someone using food stamps to buy crab legs. The man was heartbroken to realize "he
is actually helping pay for the king crab legs when he can't pay for them for himself," Gohmert
said (HuffingtonPost). This is a prime example of low-class people taking over and abusing what
we handout out to them. The low-income family of four receives $668 dollars per month
(HuffingtonPost) in food stamps. While the average American family of four can only afford
$146 (USAToday) dollars per week at the grocery, which comes to $584 dollars a month. If food
stamp recipients actually paid taxes, they would feel the same way as the other working
Americans that build society up and instead down. Lazy, manipulative Americans ruin and
deteriorate society. Until they get off the couch and work for a living, they will never truly
appreciate what they are given. Granted.
However, particular measures and laws could be regulated in a format to close the
loopholes America currently has within its system. Make no mistake that all people hit a hard
spot in life from time to time. People may lose their job after thirty years of employment when a
manufacturing company is bought out by a bigger business. Women, with children, are divorced
and their stay at home/housewife role doesnt pay the bills. There are numerous legitimate
situations that may lead one to needing government help. It is the governments responsibility to
design a system that is justified and fair to all. For example, government assistance may be given
to all qualifying Americans if, and only if, they put forth an adequate amount of hours
volunteering, doing environmental cleanups, or any contributory labor duties needed by our
country. That way no one person is getting anything for free. If one is unable to obtain
employment, then they obviously have free time on their hands, and therefore should have no
issue with giving back. If people received the message that no matter what they must work,

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whether getting government funded food stamps or working to pay for their food from their own
wallet, not as many individuals would rely on food stamps or other government assistant
programs. There also needs to be a time limit of how long a person or family can stay on food
stamps. By putting a time limit on food stamps, gives people the message that they will have to
work or they will starve. It is not our place to handicap them, but to provide a crutch long enough
only until they can sustain life on their own.
Another benefit the low-income receive from our government is free healthcare, also
known as Medicaid. Medicaid provides free or low-cost care for some low-income people,
families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities (HealthCare).
Approximately 82 million (CNSnews) households are on Medicaid. If you have Medicaid or
CHIP coverage, youre considered covered under the health care law. You dont have to buy a
Marketplace insurance plan. You also dont have to pay the fee that people without health
coverage must pay (HealthCare). Research predicts that Medicaid will cost the government 100
billion dollars year by 2020. This is absurd. Since Obama care, our (middle and high class)
premiums have gone up, barely affordable. But the low income continues to get handout. Its
simple logic to the ignorant citizens of this corrupt country, not working equals free money. They
feel entitled to Medicaid. While we bring society up, they bring society down.
However, there is a simple solution to this growing problem. Our government should
raise the dollar amount to make fewer participants are eligible for Medicaid. Now if you make
below $25,975(CenterOnBudgetAndPolices) for a family of three, youre eligible for Medicaid.
Let's raise that number to $35,000. This will cut number amounts of people from the program.
Less money spent in Medicaid means more money to go toward bringing our national debt down.
The lower our county's debt, the lower taxes we pay.

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In conclusion, numbers dont lie. Thirty-three point five percent of Americans take
advantage of government assistance. It is our country's duty to implement a new regulated
arrangement of laws that will change the current concept of, Why work when you can get it for
free. Americans need to learn to appreciate the value of a dollar & endure the relationship
between hard work and pay. Providing free college, food stamps, and health insurance to only
low income, non-working citizens, is enabling the issue at hand to only snowball. If the
requirements are not altered than the lack of change in our country is inevitable.

Works Cited

Alon, Sigal. "Who Benefits Most from Financial Aid? The Heterogeneous Effect of Need-Based
Grants on Students College Persistence." KYVL. N.p., 1 Sept. 2011. Web. 5 May 2015. The
article explains about financial aid and how low income students don't obtain degrees.

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"Census: 49% of Americans Get Gov't Benefits; 82M in Households on Medicaid." CNS News.
N.p., 23 Oct. 2013. Web. 07 May 2015. This article gave numerical information on the benefits
our government hands out.

"College Graduates Earn 84% More than High School Grads, Study Says." Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times, n.d. Web. 05 May 2015. The article gave percentages and numbers the
difference of income college graduates made over a lifetime, compared to those that didn't attend
post secondary information.

"College Graduates Earn 84% More than High School Grads, Study Says." Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times, n.d. Web. 05 May 2015. The article gave percentages and numbers the
difference of income college graduates made over a lifetime, compared to those that didn't attend
post secondary information.

Delaney, Arthur. "Americans Feel Strongly About How Poor People Should Spend Their Food
Stamps." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 07 May 2015. The article
explained how poverty receives foods stamps and if they should continue to receive those
benefits. A guy on food stamps bought crab while the middle class guy couldn't afford it.

Honey Boo Boo. TLC. N.d. Television. The TV show stated that she received governmental
handout. I used this information in my paper referring to food stamps.

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"How to Qualify For Medicaid and CHIP Health Care Coverage." HealthCare.gov. N.p., n.d.
Web. 07 May 2015. I found my information from a government funded site. The information
gives a basic definition of Medicaid and CHIP.
"Policy Basics: Introduction to Medicaid." Policy Basics: Introduction to Medicaid. N.p., n.d.
Web. 12 May 2015. This article explains what medicaid is, who is eligible and how it is funded.

"United States Census Bureau." About Poverty. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2015. This article gave
the percent of Americans living in poverty. This is a credible website and source of information,
since the information is provided from a government funded website.

"We've Crossed The Tipping Point; Most Americans Now Receive Government Benefits."
Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 04 May 2015. The article explained the number of
Americans on Obamacare, the percentage receiving government assistance.