Welfare Costs in Shelby County, Tennessee Are on the Rise

Recently I read an article while at work on the Shelby County welfare's system and the increase in welfare that has hit Memphis streets. Being that I am contracted by the state in the organization that I work for, mostly by Shelby County itself, I deal daily with analyzing Shelby County's welfare system in whole. However, this article mentioned nothing nice about out county, only the very large dollar, which is paid out in welfare each month. The author caught me by surprise in the simple fact that as a journalist, you should know your facts. All I can think to myself as the anger grows within, "This must be the kind of author who thinks we are living in a gold mine right now." For someone who makes a living on writing to educate us as a public entirety, wouldn't it make sense to dwell into why it is our welfare numbers are this high. Hmm, could it be the fault of our economy and not the county?

Someone of education that writes without the reason or cause, only on the facts of numbers they see; should go back and continue their education you see. We are in the middle of a recession folks. Instead of quoting numbers, should we not focus on what we can do to get out of it or what might have caused this to come to where it is now. We have gas prices rising to equal more than our car payments each month. Everywhere you look, in any part of Memphis, you can see all the new businesses each week; the businesses that are closed and only open this last week. Maybe we should even factor in the equation of layoffs and cutbacks in our companies. Many things happen over time to put a nation into recession. In addition, guess what people? We as residents and cities alike, done it to ourselves, from your business owner to your man on the streets. We all played a part in the result we are now seeing.

First, we know that Memphis has around 770,000 residents out of the estimated 900,000 that make up Shelby County. Then, we know each county has its own assistance programs. Memphis has more assistance programs than I have ever paid attention to. There is paying people in poverty to get job-training skills and then places them into higher paying positions. The clients can get anything from health benefits to gas money for the month. Since April, I have been analyzing these numbers of clients and who really needs assistance. I have learned in the past few months, there are more who need assistance than those who do not in our current position. However, there are many who still abuse the state assistance programs and there always will. In April, Shelby County spent $18 million dollars in food stamps alone. In May, Shelby County passed along another $22 million in food stamps. I know from first-hand experience that many aren't noticing what is happening to cause those numbers rise. Since mid-May until mid-June, I have seen a rise of 3000 clients join just Shelby County's welfare programs alone. Therefore, we as a nation can only imagine the rise we will have this month in dollar amounts.

Second, we must see around us in the cities we live in; the number of businesses closing their doors each day. Driving downtown this morning, I saw every other business up for lease. Imagining to myself, how many families are now suffering because their parents gave everything they had to succeed as an entrepreneur in the current economy. Then, we have to think about all the cutbacks at the hospitals in town of their doctor's and staff. Even though, these professions are in demand, the organizations cannot afford to pay their benefits, while some are reacting in fear of the future. Now, we are having recent news of upcoming layoffs to hit our city soon. With all of these happening around us, can we as a nation not see how our welfare can skyrocket from this alone? If you find yourself still pondering the fact of the matter, then let's add how many of these residents had good-paying positions within their companies. Now, these same individuals are unemployed and out looking to find something new. Knowing they are worth every cent they were paid, for the first couple of months, most will pass down positions thinking they deserved better pay. Therefore, here we have two months of paying bills and driving around looking for a new employer; they are spending money they do not have. By the time the two months or so are over, they are willing to take anything just to make ends meet. Now we have found another way our employment keeps the economy out of poverty.

Lastly, the price of gas has plummeted into surreal amounts equaling in some households more than their automobile payment and even some, their mortgage as well. Here we have people that once lived well, and now they cannot afford to pay the light bill. Of course, we should all understand why our gas prices are as high as they are. Recent chapters in the books of business show that our nation ran out of our supply while other countries were just finding theirs. This means that the other countries can charge what they want for their newly found "gold mine." We as a nation are stuck paying it because we depleted our supply. In addition, since the economy was great not long ago, you have many families who have a garage full of SUV's and Trucks. These drivers can't afford a new vehicle, and they are stuck to suffer the overwhelming gas prices in order to get to work each day. Understanding now, we can all see another rise in the welfare community.

If you are going to judge the millions of dollars spend on your county's money they spend to help the city try to rebuild again someday, then you should probably not participate in buying gas, going to work, or doing anything today. It could only be a matter of time before I see your name on next month's welfare list. Try to understand why the welfare system is spending all it can. They are trying to make the city thrive once again. We all need a little help from time to time, so don't look down these days on the person who sits next to you and draws in some sort of assistance from the state or the county each month. We all play a part in where our economy sits. It is up to you if you are going to judge by the numbers punched in, or if you are going to do all you can to make it a better economy for the next generation? Only now, can you reconsider who you bash and call names because they live poor? The only way to rebuild is taking a chance in keeping your staff, bargaining to good gas prices, and being strong in knowing that one day not too far away, this could be the situation you find yourself in.