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Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani on a report on where New York City welfare recipients are spending the money.
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Check the seats six now I've heard a bang for the buck -- What what the book and practice a few -- for this segment.
You really have to wonder why wouldn't trust these velocity guys with a ten foot pole even if it's a strippers -- Reports of welfare recipients of the Big Apple are getting a big -- stripping does -- spending money ugly women who are.
Well just about -- -- joining me now Ben Harding and all on our dime of the sound for mayor Rudy Giuliani says.
It is -- I was too many programs what happens.
And deja Vu all over again in the words of Yogi Berra.
When I first became mayor of New York City Bob lord of the DA had done an investigation.
And he found something like hundreds of people.
That -- double.
Recipients of welfare sometimes triple recipients including some people work in the police department.
So I instituted a program of -- part.
We did finger imaging it was an outrage.
The liberal media went crazy this was offensive to as people getting a welfare check to be fingerprinted -- it worked in my administration had to -- -- part of and that wasn't.
Offensive well as you know network equipment and well I was -- was just awful.
But you know how well how we got rid of -- watch the -- couple thousand people who would who would double collecting they go to the Bronx they go to.
They go to Manhattan they go to queens they collect -- -- -- they spend their week collecting 234 welfare checks but we will -- A different kind of case remain because that they get these electronic debit cards that they're rather like credit cards debit cards.
So you can use them for a minute and now lot of free rights votes say well then don't stop and -- spend as -- We you know this money -- money has a spending has to be accountable after all this is the taxpayers' money isn't.
Your money in my money or the government's money belongs to to the taxpayers.
When you do this you hurt programs for truly needy people.
Because the people who are people who who are who are contributing to the taxpayers start to wonder what the heck is going on in and -- is going on even bigger than it is.
There's an obligation on the government to have accountability for these programs to make sure that this money is not given out cash.
That it's done through even if done to a credit cards can only be well that makes it almost too easy that -- the I think it should be tough.
It's triggered an adult but the credit card should only be redeemable certain places -- shouldn't be you should be able to use it.
Which really is for food so I there's an older club would you get all this entry can use in a bar we can't use it to -- you know that in the and a liquor store.
I mean this is the problem of food stamp threats to.
They argue with this electronic program I don't know what it's called Maynard and edited it's actually -- -- -- -- efficiencies.
This I I can't imagine that -- that -- save money can't imagine that it save money.
But even if even if it's a wash my.
It is using a totally unaccountable purposes like going to strip clubs in this it it undermines the integrity -- what -- program helped the stripping industry.
If you and I have found in my experience that they don't pay the requisite share of taxes oh I I got there -- it is.
Is part arsenal a bigger problem all right I mean the more you spend the rule of thumb is the more leeway as to did you -- -- 10% rule waste and abuse.
Then -- the F inject cash Vatican felt the objective here should be to try to put most of the work the other thing I did was workfare.
I said if you want your welfare check you have to work twenty hours a week.
I've got a lot of people off welfare right away he and boy that created tremendous amount of -- but it was one of those smartest things smartest things that I did.
With I start it would one point one million people on welfare and that would about 500000 people wolf it's bigger than most cities in the country we got off welfare and most of them got jobs.
I remember you were vilified -- Anti homeless guys and it is so you weren't afraid to take on a media a lot of portrait US -- this idea -- and what -- -- Republicans are afraid to buck that he has.
What I did I went I I said look you can't live on the street.
Doesn't help deal doesn't help me feel about that -- live on the street on the doing any favorability and live on the street if you've got paranoia you become more of -- -- If you if you're drunk you become a bigger chunk of your drug addict your biggest drug and a -- -- and if you just need a place to live I can help you did.
So what I would have a police officer at a social worker approach every homeless person -- given an option.
The option did not include -- you come with me to -- show the world about a value what you.
Approach in the right program or you gotta get up and get out.
So we got homelessness under control and we started engaging people homeless and I would go to the homeless groups and say to them.
On the one who really loves you not these people who -- -- keep you on the street.
-- the one who really cares about you because I wanna take care you if my brother was on the street.
What I just understand -- street but what I indeed like the.
Knowing my brother cricket but do you get a sense of that Republicans are afraid to do the tough love because they then get this rap for being.
The -- die.
The and I people party and I minority party and I help the little guy.
I doubt I I think we've been we've been pushed into it into a corner so much with the exception -- Jack Kemp very few knew how.
To talk about the results -- the reality is if we're pushing you toward work and -- making welfare hearted -- And we're trying to keep you in the work -- we're really fighting to save you.
We're really fighting to keep you able to take care yourself -- your family and -- -- the depend on somebody else to do that that's what you would do for somebody you cared about.
You if it again if you had a brother or person you -- than they were in trouble -- hoping for a little while.
That you wouldn't take over their entire family you try to get them -- job.
And there's nothing like that going on here you know a lot of -- a lot of the welfare reforms that frankly -- started by Tommy Thompson Wisconsin.
That I borrowed and used in new York and then became part of federal law.
A lot of them being undercut by what -- -- is doing with these constant extensions of benefits and more benefits and extra benefits and don't make benefits hard.
They should be hard they should be hard because then a counter reaction happens in a person this outlook and other alternatives you make it easy -- you have more people on welfare of the unique.
You know now remain on a Norman Rockwell yeah this is outrageous hands and it is outrageous.
They're happy new year with -- happy new year good luck and Rudy Giuliani all right well.
