Freedom Daily: January 1997

Many conservatives have applauded the recently signed welfare legislation as far reaching reform. In "The Welfare Trap," Sheldon Richman argues that it was not even a major overhaul of the existing system. Since the federal government has imposed work requirements on the states, it is clear that the existing legislation will lead to increased taxes as the states subsidize jobs for people on welfare. Richman argues that true reform would entail the complete defederalization of the welfare process. Also in this issue, Jacob Hornberger argues for "The Relegalization of Drugs." In addition, though President Clinton has called the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) "the most successful part of the federal government today," James Bovard, in "Clinton's Biggest Disaster Fraud," exposes it for an inept and costly operation that violates fundamental precepts of liberty with the "purpose of political pay off."