from realfarmacy.com: A recent study was conducted,
state by state, of the monetary value of welfare benefits for a mother
with two children. They found that in New York benefits would be around
$38,000, the seventh highest in the nation.

The study explains
the comparison of such an amount, “While that might not sound overly
generous, remember that welfare benefits aren’t taxed, while wages are.
So someone in New York would have to earn more than $21 per hour to be
better off than they would be on welfare. That’s more than the average
statewide entry-level salary for a teacher.

Plus, going to work means added costs such as paying for child care,
transportation and clothing. Not to mention that, even if it’s not a
money-loser, a person moving from welfare to work will see some form of
loss — namely, less time for leisure as opposed to work.”

Obviously people apply for welfare benefits because they have come
across hard times. However the incentive created by this particular
program has some daunting implications. It seems that this once generous
program started in the 30’s has turned into an unsustainable model of
redistribution. What is to happen when the state can no longer afford to
pay out these benefits?  The terminal characteristics of the current
system happen to be a mathematical certainty. What will the tens of
millions of welfare recipients do when this unsustainable model reaches
its precipice of total collapse?

It is evident that the current system is broken and rife with
negative incentive. So what is the answer? Should we try to petition the
government for welfare reform? Good luck with that! Taking a proactive
approach in your community is far more effective than petitioning
bureaucrats with the sole intention of re-election. 

This proactive approach is starting to pop-up around the
country. Once we look at what people actually need to survive the choice
on how to help them is quite evident. People need two basic things and
they are food and shelter. Community gardens are a particularly
effective method of providing the former.

Urban gardening is spreading and with good reason. Not only are food
deserts a large problem in urban areas, but there also happens to be
large areas of wasted land with garden potential. A recent article in
the Smithsonian
highlighted the ‘Guerrilla Gardening’ efforts of a man named Ron
Finley. 

About three years ago, South Los Angeles resident Finley got
fed up with having to drive more than half an hour to find a ripe,
pesticide-free tomato. So he decided to plant a vegetable garden in the
space between the sidewalk and street outside of his home, located in
the working-class neighborhood where he grew up, surrounded by fast food
restaurants, liquor stores and other not-so-healthy options. This
tactic is spreading, and fast.

A community effort to produce food is the first major step to
reducing state dependency. A community coming together to grow their own
food generates the opposite incentive that the current welfare system
creates. Instead of stoking dependency, people are empowered. Tending to
a productive garden has been shown to increase the sense of wellbeing,
confidence, and overall health; not to mention that it feeds you too!

So, next time you hear people talking about how the Democrats want
this or the Republicans want this, offer a real solution. Grow your own
sustenance, and truly give the power back to the people!