Meanwhile, in cash strapped New York, the MTA is looking at those on unemployment to pick up the slack after losing workers to budget cuts.
According to Newsweek based on 2009 figures, over 37 million American’s were, at that time, receiving some form of government assistance, either through welfare, unemployment benefits and or food stamps. When one looks at the workfare program designed by FDR in order to up the unemployment rate, one finds a variety of new releases on the subject, both pro and con.
During the 1930’s when unemployment figures were sky high – FDR instituted the “New Deal”, one part of which was Work Fare – those who were unemployed were put to work by the government, building parks, highways and the like – there is a pro-FDR policy piece here at the Roosevelt Institute that outlines the program and its consequences. The policy is, using a cliché, a catch-22, given the fact that yes, people were put to work, however, the questions of civil liberty arose. Those who entered the program were put into work camps, and were paid for the job done by the Federal Government. The difference in those able bodied Americans on the workfare program as opposed to those receiving checks for Welfare should be obvious; the program gave individuals a sense of purpose and at the least a resume and temporary income until the economy improved with the onset of World War II.
While visiting a local Western Massachusetts Park – Robinson State Park in Agawam Massachusetts to be exact, one hiking the trails will find placards off the beaten track that offer photographs of those who worked on the park, and a description of the work they did. It is a piece of history buried off the beaten path so to speak, but when one looks at those photographs, one finds individuals who appear to have a sense of pride and purpose. Although one might view workfare as welfare, one can also ponder how many of those able bodied individuals on the welfare roles today would be accepting full assistance (assuming one is able bodied), if that assistance meant they would be shipped to various parts of the nation as needed to work for the government. Unfortunately, at that time in our history, there simply were no jobs at all, why today, although limited, jobs are available in some areas of the nation, and an ideal program would be welfare to workfare with a private employer match after a limited period of time, those employers given a tax incentive to hire those on workfare. There must also be safety nets in place, fiscally, so that when one is off the roles, one might be eligible to receive aid, but then one would also be fast tracked right back into the workfare program.
Robinson State Park, taking the Red Trail towards the river, by a small brook, one finds placards dedicated to the Workfare Program - image massinfo.gov
One has to give it to FDR, at least he had a solution, whether one agreed or disagreed, as to the outcome of many of his decision, he gave American’s out of work and living off breadlines, a job, be it government or no, and a sense of pride, which, logic dictates, would propel those on workfare into the private sector.
Therefore, for cities and states to begin to find ways to cover those employment areas, due to budget cuts, that may be lacking an employee or more, why not go back to the workfare system – those on welfare are already receiving tax payers dollars – it appears to be a simple solution. The problem with simple solutions is that politicians and special interest groups find ways to make them extremely complicated
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