Welcome to Barack Obama's America. Why work when you can live well off of government handouts?

Reporter Chris Papst of a local CBS affiliate in Pennsylvania recently did this scathing report on the massive growth of government assistance:

Our family would be eligible for $14,976 in free day care, another $13,400 for Head Start and Early Head Start, $7,148 in housing vouchers, $6,500 for weatherization projects, $400 to pay heating bills, $480 a year for a cell phone, with an extra $230 for a land line, and $182 in free legal advice.

The family would get more than $6,028 in food assistance and another $6,045 in medical assistance. The mother is eligible for $5,500 in Pell Grants for school with an additional $12,000 for the Education Opportunity Grant; SMART Grant; and TEACH Grant.

Our family would also get $6,800 in tax credits, and $1,900 in withholding would be returned.

Add it up and this family can get $81,589 in free assistance.

“This isn’t the American dream,” commented Matt Brouillette of the Commonwealth Foundation.

Matt Brouillette is with the Commonwealth Foundation, a government watchdog group which emphasizes a safety net, not a safety hammock.

Living the good life off of government benefits