[stevepaa]

Rick, I do not know what is already being done. Do we do random drug screening? Do we do psych tests for learning deficiencies, Asperger syndrome, dyslexia, etc. Do we test for chemical imbalances, bi-polar disorder? Do we test for physical issues, poor hearing, eyesight, lack of oxygen to the brain because of lung or heart issues? I would just try to look for root cause for why a person can't sustain a job. Maybe he is just lazy. But it strikes me that the number who are just lazy would be small. The current system rewards bad behaviour, and reinfores behavior that will keep them in the system. The effect of this is to reward them for not making a step forward. We need to change the system to enable them to move up and be self sufficient. The time needed for assistance should be no more than a year. The system we have perpetuates their condition. The effect should be to reduce the number of people getting assistance. We will always have poor people but they should not have the same names year after year.

We need to recognize that money is not the answer to everything.
We should ask what brought them to this condition.
We should enable them to move up.