Who said this vague quote about welfare?

July 7, 2020 6:30 PM

An older acquaintance of mine says she remembers Ronald Reagan saying he'd reduce welfare even if it would likely cost the state more*. It's a a great example of conservative deontology, but I can't find any evidence of Reagan saying anything like it. What is she remembering?
posted by derbyshire to Law & Government (4 answers total)

I heard something about this quote or one like it, Reagan talking about welfare, anyhow, in an episode of the “You’re Wrong About” podcast, but I couldn’t tell you off-hand which episode. That’s what happens when I listen to three episodes a day for days in a row.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 7:58 PM on July 7, 2020

I don't know about Reagan, but I know I have heard conservatives saying the same thing about mandatory drug testing of public benefits recipients (i.e., that although it costs more with no social or fiscal benefit, it is worth the expense of doing anyway in support of the principle that people who break the law shouldn't get public benefits*). I mention this because the additional context might help with a search.

* The selective, and highly racialized, application of this "principle" should be apparent to the reader.
posted by gauche at 6:26 AM on July 8, 2020

Response by poster: My favorite response to means testing benifits: https://theweek.com/articles/689982/want-that-mortgage-interest-tax-deduction-pee-cup-first

Pity the mortgage interest deduction is rarer now in the middle class. It was a very good example to give to people of government handouts to non-bums-on-grates.
posted by derbyshire at 12:30 PM on July 9, 2020

Response by poster: s/means/drug/ s/benifits/benefits/
posted by derbyshire at 12:36 PM on July 9, 2020