Posted on 11/19/2010 1:51:32 PM PST by freespirited
Spending on poverty programs nearly doubled between 2000 and 2010, from $350 billion to $700 billion (in 2010 dollars). In the past three years, the increase has been nearly exponential. Incredibly, spending on these entitlement programs now rivals that for Social Security and national defense.
How did this happen? The rise cannot be explained by inflation, because the expenditures have been adjusted for that. Part of the increase is explained by the higher rate of inflation in health care costs, and another part by an increase in the number of people below the poverty line, but these two factors combined explain only about one-third of the increase.
Rather, a major cause is giving program benefits to millions of Americans who are not in poverty. In effect, the safety net has morphed into a "comfort" net by changing the eligibility for benefits to include people above the poverty line, even those with nearaverage income.
The consequences for state and federal budgets have been staggering and probably unsustainable, given burgeoning budget deficits.
Most Americans support safety net programs for persons and families who are below the poverty line, currently defined as an annual income below $11,000 for a single person and $22,000 for a family of four. However, over the past decade the federal government and many state governments have re-defined "needy" to include not only the truly poor, but also persons well above the poverty line, and even people with average incomes.
(Excerpt) Read more at 2.timesdispatch.com ...
Incredibly, the newly passed health care act includes subsidies for uninsured persons up to 400 percent of poverty, which is well above national average income. If it this provision is actually implemented, it means people in the upper one-third of the income distribution will be subsidizing health care for the lower two-thirds -- a wealth redistribution scheme gone mad.
No way. Congresses and State Legislatures will spend until they literally can not spend anymore. This article foolishly assumes that politicians will eventually do the math and find discipline. Wrong! If they can borrow, they will borrow, and if they can print money, they will print money - until the very last day before collapse.
History is very clear on this.
Headline would’ve been better if it had been “How the ‘Safety Net’ became a Hammock”. Random thoughts.
SnakeDoc
We have a lot of politicians who are well above the poverty line yet we have to pay them large pensions. I would like to see those stopped if they are independently wealthy. Take for example clinton he’s made millions yet we still have to pay him.
Then the congress people when they retire a lot of them make tons of money with insider trading, pretty much selling favors, etc. and yet we have to give them pensions.
After all shouldn’t whats good for the goose be good for the gander.
Why?
George W. Bush.
Compassionate Conservatism a.k.a, Corporate Conservatism, Corporatism.
He expanded “benefits” because it benefited Big Food, Walmart, and the others that get the money. They lobbied for it. It was not the “poor” who pushed this. Money was paid to politicians with an expectation for profitable return. It worked.
George W. Bush.
Compassionate Conservatism.
Guilty.
It’s not some Democrat conspiracy or some Ayn Randian-cult-like “consumers” group sucking off the “producers,”
but
George W. Bush.
Saw on the news the other day that Marion Berry - YES that Marion Berry of ‘The Beatch set me up’ fame - has been on the DC City Council and recently (AFTER the last election) introduced legislature to cut off welfare to people who had been on it to long.
I was probably dreaming, but one never knows /s/
..Sorry make that
Marion BARRY, ex mayor of DC
Yeah right, it's Bush's fault. I've never heard that before.
I see a lot of stupid stuff on FR but this takes the cake. Grocery stores don't get more money just because their customers food bill is paid by someone else. You seem to have a rabid case of BDS.
What a dumba$$ reply....that being said its obvious to anyone who looks at your profile why you would make such a asinine statement....
How the safety net became a hammock
Would of been a better title
A chicken in every pot and a government teat in every mouth.
A chicken in every pot and a government teat in every mouth.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.