Tennessee is trying really hard to end welfare

I don’t know why I read ThinkProgress; it only makes me sad. So this week in things that causes my depression: Tennessee advances legislation that ties welfare to children’s grades by Travis Waldron. So this came out on Monday, and I ranted about it for a minute, and then decided to red something else and mock a friend.

Two Republican Tennessee lawmakers introduced legislation that ties welfare assistance under TANF to the educational performance of students who benefit from it. The legislation was approved by the state House and Senate last week. Better hope you’re not poor and low-performing, which totally isn’t linked to food and shelter insecurity, oh wait it is.

Under the proposed legislation, a student who doesn’t make “satisfactory progress” in school could cost his/her family up to 30% of its welfare assistance. The Knoxville News and Sentinel reported:

“The bill is sponsored by Sen. Stacy Campfield, R-Knoxville, and Rep. Vance Dennis, R-Savannah. It calls for a 30 percent reduction in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits to parents whose children are not making satisfactory progress in school.

“As amended, it would not apply when a child has a handicap or learning disability or when the parent takes steps to try improving the youngster’s school performances—such as signing up for a ‘parenting class,’ arranging a tutoring program or attending a parent-teacher conference.”

Campfield introduced the legislation back in January, saying parent have “gotten away with doing absolutely nothing to help their children” in school. Adding, “That’s child abuse to me.” So you know because all poor people are bad parents. Tennessee ties welfare to education by mandating a20 percent cut in benefits if students don’t meet attendance standards. But this would change that and place the burden of maintaining benefits on the children if they don’t keep up in school.

All the while, TANF is a failure. Welfare reform resulted in the stratifying of the poor. Welfare can only help the destitute now, and after you’re time limit you’re shit out of luck. You can see how it failed because of the Great Recession. Poverty, SNAP, and unemployment saw increases while 35 states cut their welfare rolls. The maximum benefit in Tennessee is $185, which hasn’t changed since 1996. So, everyone who knows anything about TANF knows this policy is going to hurt children and their families.

Well, played Tennessee. I guess you felt ignored because North Dakota is looking like the worst place to live right now. Keep trying. Kansas is with their attempts to quarantine AIDS patients. #IHateEverything.