Second only to France in alcoholism. Meanwhile, our government policies have actually hurt the traditional family by insisting that the real cause of crime is the absence of material goods and services. I submit to you the problem is not material poverty but behavioral poverty. I define behavioral poverty as an eroded work ethic, dependency, lack of educational aspiration and achievement, inability or unwillingness to control one's children, increasing single parenthood and illegitimacy, criminal activity, and drug and alcohol abuse. Welfare is an emotional issue and understandably so.
Welfare is so large it is difficult to comprehend.
Welfare spending is now 8.4 times greater than in 1965 when the war on poverty began. Cash, food, housing and energy aid are six times higher than when the war on poverty began. Welfare growth does not reflect the growth in population. Every airline, every railroad, every trucking firm, and the entire commercial fleet. Every telephone, television and radio company.