Mar 12 2009
The Mormon Welfare System
For everyone who thinks that private welfare cannot work, you are wrong. Take a look at the Mormons.
Ingrained in Mormons at a young age is that you give to those less fortunate. Every Mormon in good standing with the church pays their tithe - 10% of their income - to the church to sustain all the church programs…including the church welfare program.
If a Mormon, and non-Mormons, need help, they go see their Bishop. The Bishop then has the ability to help them out. This can be with a check for rent and bills, or/and vouchers for food from the storehouse. It isn’t brand name food, but it is good food. It is the staples - rice, wheat, flour, peanut butter, eggs, milk etc. The members of the church and those in need are supported by the community.
There is no government involvement in this process.
Often times there are stipulations attached. The person in need might have to go see the employment center for work - for which they will get paid. They might have to donate time when they can to support the efforts of the welfare program. Nothing drastic is asked of the needy, except that they give back when they are able to.
The employment centers help the unemployed to find job. They will help with resumes, skills testing, interview skills and everything a job seeker needs. These centers are an extension of the welfare program.
Private welfare can work. The Mormons have shown how successfully it can function.
If private welfare works, why is the government still in the welfare business?
Let’s have the government spend their welfare money giving grants to places that actually work - food banks, homeless shelters and private welfare programs. They can function for less money than the state spends on welfare, and they get results - which the sate program doesn’t get.
Instead of talking about privatizing Social Secuirty - we should privatize welfare.
