Azem.Ocram
King
Parts of the US welfare system is a mess which might actually be a net negative vs doing nothing. I suggest a radical difference which is economically feasible but politically infeasible because of lobbying.
1. Everyone with a social security number should qualify for something similar to WIC, which gives needy families specific, nutritionally-appropriate foods. WIC doesn't include junk "food" but EBT/SNAP/Food Stamps allows the purchase of junk "food." Everyone on the program should have an option to either have a card to pay for nutritious food at local grocers/markets or have a box delivered to their address once a week.
2. Every public school should provide breakfast and lunch to every student which respects nutritional needs and dietary restrictions (or at least medical and religious dietary restrictions). Currently, lactose-intolerant students are still given milk, and usually have to pay for it. Public school openings should have the 2 meals deduct from #1, which punishes truancy and removes part of the incentive of private schools.
3. Everyone with a social security number should receive emergency and preventative medicine free of charge.
4. For-profit health insurance should be banned.
5. Subsidized mortgages should be replaced with subsidized rent.
6. Every adult with a social security number should receive an amount of money each month equal to 1/12 the federal poverty line (which is likely a year out of date), minus rent assistance, minimum $0.
7. To pay for this, there should be a tax levied on every pollutant emitted, besides CO2 from human breath. Capital gains tax should increase. A wealth tax should be levied on household wealth over 500 million dollars, with the wealth tax increasing for every $500m (so $2b+$1 has 4x the marginal wealth tax of $500m+$1). Also, property taxes should be charged based on market value of the property, with the rate lowered for occupied property, and lowest for purpose built rentals. Finally, the government should stop paying for-profit prisons.
1. Everyone with a social security number should qualify for something similar to WIC, which gives needy families specific, nutritionally-appropriate foods. WIC doesn't include junk "food" but EBT/SNAP/Food Stamps allows the purchase of junk "food." Everyone on the program should have an option to either have a card to pay for nutritious food at local grocers/markets or have a box delivered to their address once a week.
2. Every public school should provide breakfast and lunch to every student which respects nutritional needs and dietary restrictions (or at least medical and religious dietary restrictions). Currently, lactose-intolerant students are still given milk, and usually have to pay for it. Public school openings should have the 2 meals deduct from #1, which punishes truancy and removes part of the incentive of private schools.
3. Everyone with a social security number should receive emergency and preventative medicine free of charge.
4. For-profit health insurance should be banned.
5. Subsidized mortgages should be replaced with subsidized rent.
6. Every adult with a social security number should receive an amount of money each month equal to 1/12 the federal poverty line (which is likely a year out of date), minus rent assistance, minimum $0.
7. To pay for this, there should be a tax levied on every pollutant emitted, besides CO2 from human breath. Capital gains tax should increase. A wealth tax should be levied on household wealth over 500 million dollars, with the wealth tax increasing for every $500m (so $2b+$1 has 4x the marginal wealth tax of $500m+$1). Also, property taxes should be charged based on market value of the property, with the rate lowered for occupied property, and lowest for purpose built rentals. Finally, the government should stop paying for-profit prisons.