In a better world welfare would be set up differently. Instead of a flat check each month, give them vouchers. One for a place to live, food stamps that could only be used on food and personal hygiene products by the person they were issued to (no reselling to get money for cigs or alcohol), medical and prescription vouchers, vouchers for the utitlity companies, then give them a much smaller allowance of cash for incidentals, recreation, and "extras".
I see way too many people on welfare around here driving around in cars "pimped" out, stereos pounding, wearing all kinds of jewelry, fake nails, hair dyed, etc. It makes me sick that my last check was for about $1100 less than the gross amount, and a a huge chunk of that probably went to subsidize some welfare mom's hair weave, or some dude's "ice", or 24" spinners on some old beater.
If there was a way to stop people on welfare from gambling their money away, I'd be all for it. I think that's sadly only a tiny piece of the picture of what's wrong with our welfare system.