They share stories of welfare queens and lazy people of color who don't want to work and they exist according to them because they know one or two people in their neighborhood who are being "coddled" by the government that's spending their hard-earned money on them.
For its part, the Pataki administration points to the state's achievement in cutting the welfare rolls by nearly half in four years, and for devoting its share of federal welfare dollars to anti-poverty programs, like the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Indeed, Mr. Greenberg said, a large share of the welfare block grant is being used to help families who do not receive welfare in the traditional sense.
"The social standard in major receiving countries is higher than in the United States, and a relatively much larger share of social welfare benefits are spent on immigrants," said Kay Hailbronner, an immigration expert.
(There is a consensus within parliament that the universal credit is desirable, so there little real debate on the merits of the scheme. In fact his original shadow opponent, Liam Byrne, was said to share his views of welfare reform).
