Social Safety Net free essay sample

Medicare, welfare, food stamps, etc, should be provided to the public when in they are in need of them. In today’s economic times, many people look to the government to help them provide for themselves and their families. Although there is much controversy over its role in the lives of citizens, the government should be responsible for maintaining a social safety net. Many people question the role of the government in their life, and are skeptical about programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Welfare. People did not always receive benefits or checks from the government to help them pay for living expenses, though . In the article â€Å"Social safety net: Who needs it? †, Wayne Baker spoke to the docent who worked at a museum that was once a jailhouse on Gore Bay. When asked what people were jailed for in the area, the docent responded that it was mostly public drunkenness or disorderly conduct. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Safety Net or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After that, she surprised Baker by adding that local farmers would send their daughters to live in jail because they did not have enough food. Because the jailer was obliged to feed them and provide shelter, they would stay protected, well fed, and warm throughout the season. â€Å"There wasn’t a social safety net back then like we have now,† said the docent. In reality, many people do not think about all of the ways the government is involved, but rather only focus on a few issues. In another article entitled â€Å"Even Critics of Safety Net Increasingly Depend on It†, a Mr. Gulbranson’s earned-income tax credit â€Å"covered the fees for his children’s sports leagues and the cost of keeping the older ones on the family’s car insurance†. Also in the article, one is introduced to Mr. Kopka, a 74 year old who has undergone three heart procedures. Mr. Kopka said that without Medicare being available, he would not have been able to pay for his treatments. He goes on to say, â€Å"I’d die. † In the article â€Å"Man Dies From Toothache, Couldn’t Afford Meds†, it is explained that Kyle Willis’ wisdom tooth was causing him pain, but he did not get it pulled because he couldn’t afford the procedure since he was unemployed and had no health insurance. His face started to swell and his head began to ache, which caused him to go to the emergency room, where he then received prescriptions for both antibiotics and pain medication. He couldn’t afford both, so he chose the pain medications. Eventually, his tooth infection spread, causing his brain to swell. He died within two weeks. The same thing happened to 12-year-old Deamonte Driver, who only needed an $80 tooth extraction, but his family was uninsured and lost its Medicaid benefits. Dr. Irvin Silverstein said, â€Å"When people are unemployed or don’t have insurance, where do they go? What do they do? People end up dying, and these are the most treatable, preventable diseases in the world. † These situations beg the question: Why are people so opposed to the social safety net? Many people are angry because they feel that the government is wasting the money that is supposedly used for maintaining the social safety net and providing for the people who depend on it. They claim that many of the people who get money from the government do not deserve it. They also want to reduce the role of the government in their lives. These people are guilty for accepting help, and resent the government for providing it. A Mr. Cravaak said that the amount of money spent is â€Å"simply unsustainable† and reducing the spending will â€Å"hurt now, but it will be absolutely deadly for the next generation†. About 66 cents of every dollar received by the government from taxes goes into sustaining the safety net, and some believe that this money is going to waste because people who receive it are not using it properly. Mr. Qualley, who owns a tattoo parlor, said some of his customers get $300 or $400 dollar tattoos, wear Nike shoes that he can’t afford, yet pay for their tattoos with money from disability checks. Although there is much controversy on the subject, the majority of people still believe that the government does more good than bad when it provides financial aid for its citizens. Gordy Peterson, a 62-year-old who has used a wheel chair for 30 years of his life because of a construction accident, has reached this conclusion. He said, â€Å"My own sister has only Social Security. That’s all. That’s all she’s going to have. † He says that if it’s taken from her, she would end up on the street. In recent statistics, 59% of adults say that the government is responsible for taking care of those who can’t take care of themselves. 3% say that they believe the government should help more needy people, even if it means going deeper in debt. The government should be responsible for maintaining a social safety net for its citizens. Without a doubt, the idea of a social safety net triggers a strong opinion in many Americans, especially in the current to ugh economic times, but the majority will agree that one of the government’s roles is to help its citizens financially. After all, you may be against it, but your neighbor sure isn’t going to help you pay for your heart surgery.