Major Owens: “That is uniform across the whole country. All children get a certain amount of money. It is generally higher than the…”

“That is uniform across the whole country. All children get a certain amount of money. It is generally higher than the amount they receive in AFDC. Every child is understood to be worth, under the Social Security program, a much higher amount than the AFDC program. Some of the things you have just cited in some States, $124 a month in Alabama for a family of three, you could see why welfare is so rampant and welfare has persisted for so long. In order to really provide an alternative to welfare, to provide training, to provide day care and jobs, a job would cost far more than $124 a month. In fact, it is ridiculous to even think about trying to provide anything significant with $124 a month. So that welfare becomes a symbolic thing that is done by, in this case, the State of Alabama, and some other State. When you compare the cost of living in the State with the amount of money recipients are receiving, it is just as bad. Welfare is the cheapest form of providing assistance to victims of the economic deficiencies of our society. It is our society that is economically deficient. The least our society can do for any individual is provide an opportunity to earn a living. That is basic.”