“Is this controversial?”
You wouldn’t have bothered writing it if it wasn’t. But it’s also moronic and based on false premises that only a non kollel yid could invent.
The welfare system isn’t there to only fund people who happen to be out of work but wish they weren’t. It’s about income levels per capita. Period. Your statement about “choosing to be poor” is disgusting. Im sure you would never grant such a title to someone who decides to live on one income so that their kids don’t have to be raised by babysitteres. Or how about someone who leaves their job to put together a startup that may never take off or is in a field that doesn’t make tons? Do you call them deliberately poor as well? Or is it the lack of value of long time learning that runs your campaign?
If i was a government employee and i saw a group of people who put in 10 hour days, showed up 6 days a week, gave up alot of life’s physical perks, and were married to women who were proud of them, all because it brings you closer to Gd and gives you endless reward, i wouldn’t just be glad to help, but i would chastise the community for not paying them more.
You seem to have very little understanding of what “life on welfare” looks like. Or what the majority of it’s recipients are doing with their waking hours.