Executive rewrites Law again

The Obama Administration has rewritten the 1996 welfare reform law.  No, it wasn't Congress - that would be the legislative branch - that rewrote the law but the executive - that would be the branch responsible for enforcing laws passed by the legislative branch - that rewrote it.  As I said in a recent post: who needs Congress?

The central part of the law was a requirement to work or seek work in order to receive government assistance.  The program was a huge success, cutting in half the number of recipients as they transitioned to work.  It was a signature achievement of Bill Clinton and showed him crossing party lines for the benefit of the country.  After all, is it not preferable that citizens support themselves?  Apparently not.  So, why change the law?

We have reached a point where almost half the population receives a check from the government.  Also, half the population pays no income tax (though they still have payroll taxes for programs such as Social Security) and thus have little interest in keeping income taxes low.  These citizens are naturally inclined to support those who promise to keep the checks coming or even expand the checks at the expense of the 50% who are funding those checks.  Removing the work requirement will surely expand the number of people on the welfare rolls and those new enrollees will be inclined to support the candidate who supports them.  President Obama thinks that the country has just about reached the tipping point where more citizens receive payments than pay taxes and is goosing the number by removing the work requirement.

If he is right that there are more takers than makers, the death spiral will commence.  The majority will vote to drain the wealth of the minority in a process that can only end in economic collapse.  But, by the time that happens, Obama's second term will be long over.  The only future that matters is the next election.

To recap: President Obama has lawlessly rewritten law to encourage more people to be supported by government while unemployed to improve his election chances.  Hope and Change!