BILL CLEMENTS ON SOCIAL WELFARE Unlike many other states, Texas has had the wisdom to see welfare as a temporary payment to prevent hardship, not a permanent payment to prevent work. We have adopted a welfare program which provides sufficient help only to those who genuinely need it. I support this concept and oppose any changes which should make welfare an alternative to employment. Those who advocate such changes do a disservice to the poor as well as the taxpayers of this state. The best social service a state can offer its poor is a steady job. Texas offers such jobs in abundance, largely because it does not penalize wage earners with the heavy taxes required to support a large welfare state. We must decide whether we wish to offer our poor a welfare check or a paycheck. For an example of the alternative system, let us turn to states such as New York and California, which provide very liberal assistance. The taxes and the undermining of the work incentive which have resulted, have contributed to those states' economic problems, which are hitting the poor hardest of all. I believe that Texas, with its low taxes, low welfare payments, and expanding economy, is offering all our people a true opportunity to become independent, self-respecting, and self-supporting. Texas provides for its citizens' welfare by maintaining an unemployment rate considerably below the national average. At the same time, of course, we must accept our responsibility to the needy, the senior citizen, and the mentally and physically handicapped. These truly deserving citizens have a right to expect the state government to fully discharge its duty to take care of their needs. 12
