In the United States there are certainly poor families with incomes that are insufficient to attend to basic needs like housing and health care. But, as a landlord I have had "poor tenants" who lived remarkably well. One tenant on mine was the recipient of (section-8), food and medical subsidies, yet her family enjoyed: cable tv, a game box, a computer, multiple cell phones, a car, an aquarium and designer clothing. This makes me wonder how many of the people who are "unable to afford health care and other essential services," are unable to do so because of the consumer choices they make. If this family was able to cut back on the said luxuries they would have been able to ween themselves off of at least some of the government subsidies that they utilized at the public's expense. But, our expanding sense of entitlement has greatly expanded the category of "needs" to include many items that 80% of the world would consider unattainable luxuries. I am not sure what the solution is, because I would not be comfortable having government bureaucrats micro-manage the financial life of Americans, even if they are welfare recipients. But, if we continue to subsidize those who lack essential goods and services because of their financial choices, then we will soon bankrupt the system and be unable to attend to the truly poor and disadvantaged.
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