I am with you 100% on this.

I have always felt that working (if able) for government assistance should be tied to all forms of welfare.

Where I have changed my thoughts is that at one time I thought that the work should not displace any kind of government workers but with how large the government has become I am all for starting with the unskilled jobs and working our way up the ladder.

One idea why buy a $50,000 mower to mow the grass on the highway when you can have 1000 food stamps people mow the same grass with 100 or so low cost mowers. So it takes 100 times as much time, the people can be doing work. Then train some others to fix the mowers, others to drive the workers out to the site, others to supervise.....

In my mind there is a big difference between people that can work and people that truly need help. I will help anyone that I can but only if they are willing to also help themselves as much as they are able. Once it turns into a 'you just do this for me because I deserve it' then I am done.

Final point really is what lesson does the person learn at the end of the day. Satisfaction of having accomplished something or just looking at all the suckers that get food, housing, clothing, transportation the hard way (working).

I like the work requirements, but I think the food stamps should phase out slowly as income goes up. I do not care about the cost of the program. I would pay double or more for the program if it would make the world a better place, but I don't think it would. What will make the world better is if someone who has been filling out gov't forms for years finds an honest way to earn money. It's not about the cost to gov't but about the *feeling* that person gets from finding someone with a problem, helping her solve it, and walking away with money and a satisfied employer/customer. That's such a great feeling, and it leads to momentum of finding more problems and solving them. That cycle is worth way more than the cost of the program. The price of someone being sucked into dependency is way more than the cost of the program.

I generally avoid making decisions based on *feelings*, but the feeling of having a happy customer/employer and a large paycheck is powerful.

It'll be interesting to see if the Looters that run this state let Gov. Martinez get away with making people provide for themselves. The purpose of welfare isn't to give someone a hand up or help someone through a rough patch, it's to make people dependent and forget how to take care of themselves.

Also, regardless of age. So if you have a 16 year old kid you are exempt, even though the 16 year old could go out and get a job.

Exactly.

Flaw #1 - "Food stamp-eligible parents or other household members caring for a child — regardless of the child's age — have been exempt from job search requirements. Pregnant women and some others, will continue to be exempt."
People will purposefully be getting pregnant in order to become exempt. Which of course will only increase the burden on taxpayers.

I see some flaws, but it's a good start.