John Boehner in Saving Capitalism, by Robert Reich

On Welfare & Poverty: Poor prefer to sit around instead of working

Until quite recently, poverty was largely confined to those who did not work--widows and children, the elderly, the disabled and seriously ill, and those who had lost their jobs. Public safety nets and private charities were created to help them. It was rare for a full-time worker to be in poverty because the economy generated a plethora of middle-class jobs that paid reasonably well and were inherently secure. This is no longer the case. Some politicians cling to the view, as expressed, for example, by Speaker of the House John Boehner in 2014, when he said the poor have "this idea" that "I really don't have to work. I don't really want to do this. I think I'd rather just sit around." The reality is that America's poor work diligently, often more than forty hours a week, sometimes in two or more jobs. Yet they and their families remain poor. Source: Saving Capitalism, by Robert Reich, p.133-4 May 3, 2016

The above quotations are from Saving Capitalism For the Many, Not the Few by Robert B. Reich. Click here for other excerpts from Saving Capitalism For the Many, Not the Few by Robert B. Reich. Click here for other excerpts by John Boehner. Click here for a profile of John Boehner.
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