With the government shutdown on the 9th day there have been talks about the debt ceiling. Republicans have been talking about reforming entitlement programs in their negotiations. I have been hearing about entitlement programs for a while and I wanted to learn exactly what they are, so I went online (naturally) and found something on the PBS website. For those looking for an answer click the link:
http://www.pbs.org/fmc/book/11government3.htm
I thought entitlement programs were just welfare but I was wrong. Not that I think ending welfare is the right thing to do either, but I realize most social and beneficial programs appear to be entitlement. This scares me as it should you.
For starters I was dead set against welfare reform years ago. I am for Americans working to earn their keep but ending welfare the way it was, wasn't the answer. Similarly, cutting food stamps is the wrong way to go. According to the PBS website, social security, Medicare and Medicaid take up the majority of funding when it comes to entitlement program spending. As they are needed programs I don't see how twerking them will help anyone. In fact I have often wondered what the government does with the money they supposedly save with these cuts. I also wonder if the government's function is to help and to serve, how do they accomplish this function by making these type of cuts.
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