The situation the article addresses is not all that unusual in the inner city areas of America. There is little incentive for any of these people to work because they make a lot more not working than most third world people make working. The rest of the people of America pay high taxes so those who choose not to work can live a leisurely life. An unwed mother with several children {sometimes ten or more} often makes a lot more than people working a minimum wage job. This is our liberal socialist system. Those working very hard trying to raise a family and doing the right thing can expect nothing from their government but more and more taxes to support more and more unwed mothers and their huge families. It is the CANCER that is still being promoted and enhanced by American Democrats everywhere.

Wow, I usually enjoy RT News Coverage, but I'm appalled. I have family on Public Assistance TANF (Welfare was changed to TANF from AFDC). I also have family that worked for the state to issue benefits before and after Welfare Reform. President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). Since it took effect in 1997, you MUST work in order to receive Welfare benefits in all 50 states. You are assigned a job (picking up trash, cleaning subways, parks, office jobs should you have the education, or have a disability preventing hard labor) Your hours are counted, and if you don't do as told, you are cited for "non-compliance" and benefits are terminated) There are mandatory "meetings" and "check-ups", all sorts of bizarre required appointments. You do not benefit in any way from having more kids, because the money given is done proportionally, so there is no bonus, in fact, some states have made the financial incentive to have less kids (ex. Connecticut) where the more kids you have the less each member gets in benefits. Even if you are a single mom, the state mandates that you place your kids in an approved daycare facility to take care of them so that you can WORK.. The ONLY people that do not work are those who are disabled to the point where government approved/contracted doctors certify that you are unable to work. They asses how many months this condition will last, and if they are unsure, they keep checking up on you. Once you are considered disabled (A process so difficult, that most people must hire a lawyer to APPLY) Only then, you are shifted from Welfare to one of two types of Social Security (SSI if you are poor, or didn't work enough hours in your lifetime, or early SSDI benefits, if you did earn enough lifetime work credits)

Part 2 * I am sorry but there hasn't been a free ride in a decade.The PRWORA Act made it so that you could not receive any more than 2 consecutive years on Welfare, and NO more than 5 total years period for your entire life (counted by total months) Some states have made the time even less (ex. Texas) ONLY two states have extended the deadline permanently with state funds and eliminated time limits (New York, and Vermont) BUT in each state you MUST work unless you are disabled as declared by the state government until your case is processed and approved at the federal level, If you don't pass those levels , you must work. * Oh, and count on doing 20 hours a week of paperwork and phone calls and updates and appointments while your at it just to remain in Welfare "compliance" That is the Real story of welfare, I wish someone would report on it, instead of acting like President Clinton didn't completely change the whole program.

Dear Social type living:. What you should be complaining about is "Corporate WELFARE" that taxpayers are paying probably in the billions of dollars for - that go to more than six digits salaries plus millions in bonuses. Obliviously this was an OLD clip (prior to welfare reform where people work for their "Public WELFARE" check ,unless the state finds them disabled and makes them apply for SSI or SSA) or paid actors with the agenda to get people's attention off the CORPORATIONS that tax payers support rather than the truth of the matter that the poor now work for their check. Nothing is free since Bill Clinton's bill went into effect. I was disappointed with the propaganda in here, that I generally don't see in this forum. It is pathetic that so many people "react" to propaganda.

They try to kill me in my sleep.  They sent gangs after me.  I want to go to a labor camp.  Not really, but I want these other people to go so that they understand that there's a process to rising.  I got dragged down by the people that just took the benefits and were able to study and such.

labor camps, labor camps, labor camps.

You know, I'm out of work for 2 weeks and they come after me. 

I want to spread my misery.

I like being productive.  They've just screwed me over socially.  Can anyone not see how I wasn't productive?    And thank you, Vladi, for making me a spectacle.  These people think they've been discriminated against.  Pah!  I'll go in the labor camp so long as they go into the labor camp.  Open them, Obama! NOW!