I genuinely hope that the moderators let the actual word shine through. This study, and the reaction to it, is a gigantic pile of ********. How many of you have ever, ever, ever, actually been on welfare? Because I have.
My dad had a fantastic drinking problem when I was a kid, and my mother would occasionally have to feed us at the 'welfare store'. It was a store that only accepted vouchers from the welfare office. To be seen shopping there was a bright badge of shame for kids in my neighbourhood. When mom would get those vouchers, she'd make me go with her to help carry stuff. I can remember the horrible dread feeling of shame walking into the store, coupled with the elation of knowing I was going to eat that night. Just writing this down has tears in my eyes, for Christ's sake.
Anyone who talks about minimum wage and welfare should first talk about the horrible choices newborn babies make when they decide to be born into a poor family. I now make a lot more money than the average bear, and you never hear me complain about taxes. Guess why? I know, not think, know, what the other side of broke is. I can remember chewing on a dishcloth just because it had flavour. I can remember stealing food at age 7 because I couldn't stand to hear my little sister crying from hunger anymore. I spent six weeks in a wheelchair from malnutrition while doctors tried to make sure I would walk again. It's almost certainly why I didn't play pro ball. And then I come here, and watch someone who's never had a hungry day talk about the evils of welfare. Shame on you! Welfare recipients aren't 25 year old men in areas with high rates of employment. They're children. They're sick people. They're unlucky people who aren't smart enough to get out from under. They're me.
If you'd like to discuss real problems in the US, ask yourself why the rich get to determine the course of the law. Isn't that why you kicked the British out in the first place?