Welfare and the Free Market

Libertarians have interesting ideas about how society should run. They blame the government for most everything. And the solution to most everything involves freedom of some sort. They can solve education by privatizing it, getting the government out of it, thus allowing the free market system to take control. It sounds like fun.

But can this work for all governments at all levels and for all problems. There are some problems that require a central controlling body. I've been thinking about the welfare problem. You see or hear about people every day who are on welfare or disability and have no will or intention of getting a job. They rely on the federal government for everything.

Can't you just move welfare down to the lower governments. I'd go down to the city level and let them take care of it. I'd combine this with a free market system.

If you allow companies with deep pockets and a need for low income workers to setup places where people can stay temporarily while they become re-educated or cleaned up, then these companies get first crack at these graduates from the "Re-education Houses". With the spike in gas prices I am hearing reports of certain fast food and retail joints having a hard time keeping their stores staffed.

Cities are better able to manage their homeless or helpless population than the federal government. When someone comes to the city saying that they are disabled, unemployed or whatever and need some kind of handout. The city can say, "Well, we have this Re-Education House supported by a large donation from McDonald's. We'll put you up there and give you 3 meals a day and a place to sleep and shower for the next month. At the end of that month McDonald's gets first chance to hire them, because they were the biggest investors.

Anyway, the details are not that important. The important part is that you get the federal government out of it and let city governments and the free market take care of it.