Welfare program among worst in the nation
The Atlantic magazine printed a recent article containing the top 10 states doing the least to help the poor. While win, place and show went to Arkansas, Tennessee and Idaho respectively, South Carolina managed to finish a very strong seventh.
The study took in a number of factors including Medicaid and amount of assistance needy families received. The study found that "South Carolina scores worse than average in every metric of generosity we looked at."
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program was only able to provide an average of $172 per month. The average rent for an apartment alone is $300, and that's on the cheap side.
While conservatives have argued that more assistance creates dependency on the government, this aid is provided for 32 months, the 20th highest in the country. So in South Carolina, you will be given the least amount of aid for the longest period of time. Someone in the Capitol building is not thinking this clever plan through.
The total spending per pupil was the 16th lowest, not even putting the state in the upper 50th percentile. While this is not nearly as bad as the rest of South Carolina's apparent neglect of compassion, it certainly shows no signs of improvement. From the attitudes of the General Assembly, the governor and other officials, this number will likely decrease as the political scene is more concerned with further budget cuts and keeping taxes low rather than providing the best learning environments for our future generations.
This is not a cry for socialism. This is a cry for humanity.
