[Beetle01]

Cut welfare completely...even as a stop gap measure as people try to find work? Every state wants jobs, wants projects, which equal jobs, wants infrastructure. Representatives and Senators feel that pressure. "Pork is what other states get that my state don't." I agree with trade policies that level the playing field (like the one you mentioned above.

Yep cut all welfare, put all this money into education.
If people are having a hardtime finding a job, they can apply to school, try and earn a degree. If they are doing this I have no problem with the Govt. giving them money for more than school.

We need to quit giving people the easy way out. .

However if you put in my idea about doing away with Nafta and forcing companies to bring back jobs instead of extoring cheap slave labor in other countries, welfare will not be as needed. Most of those on welfare are usually uneducated, not all, but you have to try and solve the majority of the problem. You can't force anyone to do anything, but only hope that they will want to. With incentives to goto school, you in turn may give a little motivation to people who may have neevr taken that route and better their lives.
Not only with more Federal funding for schools do you lower the cost of an education. The level of education will rise. As the level of education rises so will our way of life as a whole.