America Needs Welfare Programs In These Tough Times

Mitt Romney’s latest attack on Americans who are “dependent” on the government is far off the mark. Today, despite tremendous need and massive employment, less than 1 percent of the population is getting cash assistance from the government. Still, Romney blames President Obama for making it easier for people to be on welfare. So what’s this all about? It is about trying to drive a wedge between middle-class Americans who are working full time and everyone else. Romney is sowing the seeds of resentment. He wants half of the country to look down upon those who, in his mind, just can’t pull it together to become successful. And he wants us to believe that if we all just worked hard enough, we wouldn’t need a safety net. But that is simply not the case.