Not ‘Well,’ Not ‘Fair’

Feds and States Steal $5.2 Billion+ Welfare Funds

Family portrait outside their motel room. Photo Diane Nilan

Vindication does no good for the millions of families screwed by the clueless men sitting in our nation’s capitol. We who predicted the inevitable rise of poverty 25 years ago when welfare was slashed were correct. To no surprise, family homelessness also skyrocketed.

In the 25 years since Bill Clinton’s signature “accomplishment” to “end welfare as we know it,” we have witnessed the inevitable atrocities caused by this paucity of resources. Where did the money, supposedly set aside to help families, go?

To the states.

“Across the nation, more than $5.2 billion in federal funds that are supposed to be going toward fighting poverty are instead sitting unused in state bank accounts.…” ProPublica, The Cruel Failure of Welfare Reform in the Southwest, 12/30/21

As we predicted:

• Clinton & Company’s welfare effort would not benefit struggling families, instead plying cash into states’ and federal coffers. Check.
• A dreadful rise in family homelessness would occur. Check.
• Fewer families get any assistance. Check.
• Child support dollars channeled to federal/state governments instead of kids. Check.

Families Take Multiple Bipartisan Hits

The lives of 4.4 million vulnerable families weren’t all peaches and cream before the 1996 passage of the misnamed TANF, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. But now, a mere 1 million “needy families” get temporary assistance, down from 4.4 million, while the US population increased by 60 million.

To add insult to injury, if possible, the child poverty ending Child Tax Credit (CTC) benevolently bestowed upon millions of families last year to alleviate the pandemic’s economic upheaval, came to a halt in December thanks to Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema and the Republicans.

What difference did the CTC make? For those not familiar with the budget struggles of income-challenged families, or those who’ve bought into the Manchin theory that families would use the government largess for drugs, alcohol and other…