There was recently an article posted on The College Conservative that lauded attention from Mainers fed up with the welfare system in the state. Within a matter of days, it circulated throughout social media outlets and drew attention from local papers as well.
The article, titled "My Time at Walmart: Why We Need Serious Welfare Reform", and posted at http://thecollegeconservative.com/2011/12/13/my-time-at-walmart-why-we-need-serious-welfare-reform/, recounts the young author's experience as a cashier at Walmart. She bluntly recalls the abuse of the system she encountered and brazenly describes the attitudes of the customers using food stamps or vouchers. She ends her article with a loud cry for reform and stomps madly at the abuse that runs rampant.
Far be it from me to be any sort of welfare system expert. In fact, admittedly, I initially joined the droves of fans applauding the article after my first read. Times are tough, and people are cutting every day necessities from their budgets...so to read about those that we are helping support using our hard earned money for iphones, video games, etc is downright maddening.
But then I started thinking about the bigger picture. The majority of people using the welfare system are women and their children. This is a given. But since we're discussing abuse of the system, then perhaps we should also discuss why the people who are on the system are on it to begin with.
It is 2012, and women are STILL paid only a portion of what men are paid. Yup, its true. And while the masses may roll their eyes and insist the fight for equal rights was buried when women were given the right to vote eons ago - the truth is, it isn't. Were the fight over, then mothers wouldn't be expected to care for their children to any greater extent than fathers, women wouldn't be expected to both work and care for the home simultaneously (when was the last time you noticed a messy house and instantly blamed the man for neglecting his housework???), and women would be given equal opportunities in the workplace and equal pay. And thus, because the tables are not weighted equally, women find themselves not only clamoring to get by on less money than their male counterparts but also struggling to support their children.
I am not going to insist that the welfare system in Maine does not need reform. On the contrary, the "My Time at Walmart..." article points out glaring flaws in the fabric that need attention. However, my point is that fixing the welfare system is simply a band aid in a much larger issue...the absence of gender equality. If we start at the beginning by leveling the workforce pay scales, then the majority of people using the system may be better able to support themselves.
