On the June 6 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, The Savage Nation, Michael Savage responded to a caller's question about how Savage would address the “problem with the homelessness in this country” by asking, “Why not put them in work camps? Most of them are able-bodied.” The caller then asked: “How much do you plan on paying them in these work camps, sir?” to which Savage replied, “Well, since they're already receiving public assistance, I'd pay them nothing.”

Savage went on to assert:

SAVAGE: Why do you have to pay a man who's right now living off the fat of the land? And he's sucking the fat of the land for, you know, a fairly small check -- it is true -- but he is a leech. He is not a productive member of society. Where is the money supposed to come from?

No, I've studied the homeless problem for many years, Ed, because I live in one of the most infested cities in the United States -- San Francisco -- and I've observed the bums for many years. And the good -- the largest portion of them are able-bodied. They're drug addicts or alcoholics. There's no reason they could not be put into work camps and do much of the labor that our illegal aliens are doing.

Now, who do you think did this labor in previous generations? It was ne'er-do-wells, who today are basically able to live on the fat of the land and then drink or use drugs because they're getting a check for nothing. In the old days, they'd pick the crops and they would spend their money on alcohol.

According to Talk Radio Network, which syndicates Savage's show, Savage is heard on more than 350 radio stations. The Savage Nation reaches a minimum of approximately 8.25 million listeners each week, according to Talkers Magazine, making it one of the most listened-to talk radio shows in the nation, behind only The Rush Limbaugh Show, and The Sean Hannity Show.

From the June 6 broadcast of Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation:

SAVAGE: Ed, Chicago. Welcome. You're on The Savage Nation. What's on your mind?

CALLER: I'm a second-time caller. Let me give you a little different spin from a liberal Democrat who's really not enamored with Barack Obama at all, probably from a different perspective than you. In my book, he's not anywhere near liberal enough. For instance, I was looking at Dennis Kucinich and his proposals about ending the war in 90 days. Obama wants 16 months. And what I'm saying about Obama, you can say about Hillary Clinton too, OK? We have a problem with the homelessness in this country, caused basically by the 1996 welfare reform act. Neither one of them is talking --

SAVAGE: You mean all the bums on -- in the streets would be better off if we gave them more money?

CALLER: Well, what would you do? Let them spend the rest of their lives sleeping on park benches?

SAVAGE: Why not put them in work camps? Most of them are able-bodied.

CALLER: How much do you plan on paying them in these work camps, sir?

SAVAGE: Well, since they're already receiving public assistance, I'd pay them nothing.

CALLER: Well --

SAVAGE: Why do you have to pay a man who's right now living off the fat of the land? And he's sucking the fat of the land for, you know, a fairly small check -- it is true -- but he is a leech. He is not a productive member of society. Where is the money supposed to come from?

No, I've studied the homeless problem for many years, Ed, because I live in one of the most infested cities in the United States -- San Francisco -- and I've observed the bums for many years. And the good -- the largest portion of them are able-bodied. They're drug addicts or alcoholics. There's no reason they could not be put into work camps and do much of the labor that our illegal aliens are doing.

Now, who do you think did this labor in previous generations? It was ne'er-do-wells, who today are basically able to live on the fat of the land and then drink or use drugs because they're getting a check for nothing. In the old days, they'd pick the crops and they would spend their money on alcohol.

CALLER: Well, you're going to pay them slave wages. Why not do what Dennis Kucinich said and put them to work for the federal government, fixing up --

SAVAGE: Well, because then you're getting into a Soviet-style economy, which I don't happen to think has proven to be very effective.

Zachary Aronow is an intern at Media Matters for America