PoliticsUSA points out that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), whose 2012 budget proposal (PDF) presents significant cuts and alterations to welfare programs, put himself
“„One day as a 16 year old, Ryan came upon the lifeless body of his father. Paul Ryan, Sr. had died of a heart attack at age 55, leaving the Janesville Craig High School 10th grader, his three older brothers and sisters and his mother alone. It was Paul who told the family of his father’s death.
“„With his father’s passing, young Paul collected Social Security benefits until age 18, which he put away for college. To make ends meet, Paul’s mother returned to school to study interior design. His siblings were off at college. Ryan remembers this difficult time bringing him and his mother closer.
“„Within months, Paul’s maternal grandmother moved into the house. She suffered from Alzheimer’s, and it often fell on young Paul to care for her, including brushing and braiding her hair. Ryan credits his father’s death and the care of his grandmother as giving him first-hand experience as to how social service programs work.
“„There is a widely shared consensus in this country in support of a strong safety net for Americans who, through no fault of their own, have fallen on hard times. However, the government programs that make up this safety net are failing both the citizens who rely on them and the taxpayers who fund them. It should not come as a surprise that a system designed in the 1960s is not equipped to deal with the unique pressures of the 21st century.
“„The safety net should never become a hammock, lulling able-bodied citizens into lives of complacency and dependency. Instead, the aim should be to empower individuals, putting them in stronger position to achieve.