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Posted on 03/01/2010 4:42:05 PM PST by Kaslin
Welfare State: A major newspaper looks at the data and finds that Americans have become more dependent on government than at any time since the Depression. Something's gone terribly wrong in our country.
We Americans pride ourselves on our independence. Our nation's founding document even uses that in its title — the Declaration of Independence. But this spirit is fading with each new year, each new state and federal program, each new unkeepable promise made to a growing throng of citizens looking to government — not their own abilities, savvy, learning and hard work — to get by in life.
A Washington Times report underscores this shift. Last year, "for the first time since the Great Depression, Americans took more aid from the government than they paid in taxes," it has determined.
Transfer payments — unemployment, Social Security, food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare and other forms of government welfare — grew $231 billion last year to just over $2.1 trillion. Meanwhile, individual taxes shrank $325 billion to $2.1 trillion, slightly less (before rounding) than transfer payments.
Let that sink in for a moment: We, as a people, are taking more in welfare than we're paying in taxes.
There are reasons for this, of course. For one, more than 8 million people have lost jobs in the recession and are no longer paying taxes. That hurts. And many are on unemployment and other government programs. Also, some who've lost their jobs are jumping straight into retirement. Those aged 62 going on Social Security climbed a record 19% last year.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
It’s sure Obama’s goal ... But the sustainability of conning people to work for nothing is always the fail spot.
Niagara Falls dead ahead! Paddle faster, everybody!
/mark
People are 'getting it', but there's still too many suckers out there.
The Users and Takers now outnumber the Producers and Makers.
“The Users and Takers now outnumber the Producers and Makers.”
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Well stated!
The costliest form of government welfare is that received by government employees and special interests receiving funding for otherwise private efforts.
Good! I can’t bring myself to accept welfare, but you all go right ahead! The big default ahead of us is the only way that we’ll see small government, so bring it on faster! ;-D
I’m with you!
So what if the tick is really bigger than the dog.
Will that make any of us self respecting dogs willing to become a miserable tick?
.
“Something’s gone terribly wrong in our country.”
Without a doubt.
The narcissistic “Won” is probably celebrating the success of the Cloward/Piven strategy with a few smokes, a few drinks, and a few lines.(All paid for by the taxpayers, of course).
There is more to it than the programs mentioned - subsidized education, farm payments, corporate welfare. It is difficult to find anyone who is not taking government cash in some form. Let’s face it, even the pols who call themselves conservative bring home the bacon. That’s the way the system works. Jim Inhofe, who is voted #1 by some conservative group, voted for the smaller jobs bill because it had $ for Oklahoma.
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