Since President Bill Clinton signed the welfare reform bill into law last week, supporters of this bill are being “reminded” that this act will force a million children into poverty and ruin the lives of millions more Americans.

These simple “reminders” have taken the form of the ever-familiar scare tactic used by today’s liberals.

This law provides that those on welfare must find a job within two years, and have a five year maximum time limit on benefits.

A large portion of benefits now provided by the federal government will now go to the states in the form of block grants. These block grants will be used by each state in the manner they best see fit. This law is also dependent on the private sector to assist current and potential welfare recipients.

Opponents claim that two years is not enough time to find the job required by this law.

They also say that states will not use these block grants to the benefit of the people, and that the private sector will not pick up the slack and force millions into poverty.

These opponents are not helping anyone; this law will give the poor in America a real chance to make something of their lives, and to get off this road to ruin that our welfare system has become.

The deadline for recipients is approaching, and two years doesn’t seem like much time. In two years though, recipients could obtain a high school diploma/GED, obtain an associates degree, or complete various vocational study programs. Two years is plenty of time to train yourself to be successful. With the financial aid available for low income Americans, it can be done.

The block grants that will now go to each state will be spent in the most useful manner. This welfare funding can be spent according to a particular state’s needs.

If these funds are not being used responsibly, then people have an obligation to demand that their state governments act accordingly.

The private sector will pick up the slack, because helping potential employees and customers is in their best interests.

A month ago, two Des Moines low income day care centers were in danger of closing because the inept county government could not come up with $200,000. Local real estate magnate Bill Knapp donated the necessary funds to help keep them open.

On Monday, corporations raised millions of dollars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Those who have one of these crippling neuromuscular diseases will benefit from donations by private industries and organizations. Any funding provided by the federal government for these afflictions would be woefully inadequate.

Many liberals enjoy portraying the image of the private sector as a group of tight-budgeted, penny pinching, Ebeneezer Scrooge types who will stop at nothing to steal your last dollar. While some groups and corporations are guilty of this, most are not.

Unfortunately, it is the politicians in Washington who fit this picture; they tax more of your earnings yet you receive nothing in return. If you paid $500 less in taxes this year you’d give a little bit more to those in need, wouldn’t you?

Both Dole’s and Clinton’s tax break programs will lead to more personal donations to those less fortunate. This windfall will assuredly help the poor.

This law will provide many underlying benefits to our society. While the average recipient of welfare is a small child, chances are that child was born out of wedlock.

The provisions will persuade young men and women to make responsible choices, because they will only be able to use welfare temporarily if they have children while they are young. Hopefully this will stem the tide of children born to single parents that has created a generation of socially-ill youngsters.

This welfare reform act will also keep many in school. Dropout rates in America’s high schools have soared in the last twenty years. Those who leave before graduation will have to find a job within two years or lose their welfare benefits. Most sane teenagers will choose to get their diploma over absolute poverty.

These implicit benefits will further decrease the number of those receiving governmental assistance. Those who receive welfare will truly need it; not 16-year olds who use welfare because they want to have a kid and get away from Mom and Dad.

There is a popular notion that this law is simply an uncaring, heartless notion to divide the classes in our society.

Those who truly believe that are missing the point. The objective of these reforms is to enable more of us to have a piece of the pie that is the American Dream.

There are plenty of pieces to go around; we just won’t have it fed to us anymore.

Robert Zeis is a senior in finance from Des Moines.