Should we Abolish or Reform WELFARE/goverment assistance programs?

We reformed Welfare 20 years ago in the 1996 Personal Work and Responsibility Act. This was what Newt Gingrich was touting as his lone legislative accomplishment for the last 20 years. The law mandated, among many things, that any able-bodied person receiving welfare had to either be employed, in school, or in job training. It also reformed how welfare was distributed. It used to be given directly to the recipient, but Conservatives demanded to insert the state as a middle-man because "states know what's best for their citizens"...I know, it's a stupid argument but whatever...so welfare funds were changed to block grants given to states. The law mandated that at least 35% of the block grant be applied to federal welfare programs. The remaining 65% was up to the states to distribute at their discretion through their state programs. So guess what every single red state did? They gave out the mandated 35% then applied as much as 65% of the remaining grant directly to their budgets to close deficits that came about from failed trickle-down tax-cutting policies. Every red state does it, and we just saw it happen a few months ago in Arizona. They cut taxes in 2011, saw their surplus turn into a $1B deficit, and so they cut welfare so they could apply that welfare to their budget holes that came from cutting taxes. So Conservatives literally use welfare to pay for trickle-down. But Democrats are moochers? LOL! Ridiculous.