One Third of US Population On Welfare [Reader Post]

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The population of the US in May, 2012, was about 314 million. Now the Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee say that about 107 million US citizens receive some type of means-tested welfare. That figure does NOT include people receiving Social Security benefits or Medicare. For all you Democrats/Progressives, that’s over one third of the US population. The Senate Budget Committee says that, “The federal government administers nearly 80 different overlapping federal means-tested welfare programs.”

What is, in my humble opinion, most frightening about all of this is the GROWTH of the entitlement programs. It illustrates a shift in the views of the country. No longer is there a stigma or negative connotation attached to receiving a hand-out, to getting something for nothing. In fact, we providers (taxpayers) are now looked upon as suckers.

Food stamps and Medicaid are two of the most expensive welfare programs.

Since 2000, the number of people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, the new name for food stamps) has grown from 17 million to 45 million, a 165 percent increase. Food stamp spending, under Obama, has risen by over 100 percent. Spending has more than doubled since 2008, and spending is projected to be an “estimated $770 billion over the next 10 years.”

Since 2000, the number of Medicaid recipients has grown from 34 million to 54 million, a 59 percent increase. When Obamacare kicks in 2014, the number is expected to rise by an additional 19.6 million.

And, as the committee points out, “These figures include not only citizens, but non-citizens as well.”

So, with those numbers in mind, let’s see what Obama has been up to regarding welfare. He will continue his shenanigans as long as welfare recipients are allowed to vote.

The Obama Administration issued a memo on Thursday, August 2, 2012, stating that it would issue waivers to states on work requirements for participation in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families act (TANF). President Bill Clinton signed “Welfare Reform” into law in 1996, which replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program, and the Emergency Assistance (EA) program with TANF as the nation’s welfare program. TANF requires recipients to be working or engaged in work-related activities in order to continue to receive welfare assistance from tax payers. Obama’s memo would grant waivers to states so that the definition of work can be greatly expanded and weakened.

Welfare recipients must work as soon as they are job-ready or no later than two years after receiving welfare. Recipients could be on welfare for up to two years without a job or satisfactory “work participation.” Now states can include such things such as “hula dancing and attendance of weight watchers programs” as activities that would meet the work requirements in order to receive welfare benefits. As Rich Mitchell says, “Citizens pay taxes from their hard-earned income and would expect that anyone receiving a portion of those taxes does something productive to deserve the assistance. America does not want to pay people to go to dancing lessons or diet classes.”

Section 1115 of TANF provides the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with the authority to grant waiver to states for work requirements, but the work requirement and definitions are in section 407, not 1115. Work requirements were put in a separate section specifically to prevent this kind of action. Where is AG Eric Holder on this? I don’t expect we’ll hear a peep from him since he is truly Obama’s lap dog.

As Mitchell says, Obama, by dictatorial fiat, has:

“… illegally gutted President Clinton’s Welfare Reform. He hasn’t directly redefined the work requirements, but by granting the states waivers and demanding higher participation, he has guaranteed that states will game the system and individually weaken existing work requirements directly in contradiction to the intent of the law.”

I guess that’s just another way for Obama to increase welfare participation, and to buy votes.

By the way, here is a source that presents the Federal Budget in graph form. It is from the Heritage Foundation, and it will make your blood boil.

But that’s just my opinion.

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If I’m supporting these people, they should at least come to my house and do some yard work, don’t ya think?

Something was wrong with your link to this:
http://www.heritage.org/federalbudget/federal-spending

Seems Obama wants a poor, but compliant dependency class.
But I do not believe he cares about them in the long run…..after the Nov. election.
That’s his expiration date.
IF Obama really cared about poor people he would have been helping his 1/2 brother George, his poor Aunt, his poor ”grandmother.”
Remember when McCain was criticized for maintaining a home in SoCal?
All the hoopla about that ended suddenly when it was learned that he was fully supporting an elderly female relative in her own home.
Has Obama got any record of helping poor relatives?

@Nan G: Hey Nan, you should change the last two words in your last sentence to “anyone?” Other than that, with ya 100%. Vote buying has turned into a mighty big industry.

Your opinion is not humble, but arrogant. What do you do if there still aren’t any jobs? In case you haven’t heard, we’re in a world-wide depression/recession—with one job for every five applicants. One that would be beyond the control of any president—especially when the opposition party has one primary purpose: To make Obama a one-term President; and the secondary purpose of abortion and contraception.

Liberal1… consider this about jobs. Where is the incentive to even apply for a job, when unemployment, no-work welfare and SS Disability is so easy to get under this administration? You say there’s one job for every five applicants, yet when I have tried to hire people, and friends of mine have tried to hire people, we can’t seem to find anyone interested in (a) passing a drug screen to get hired and (b) work (you know, get dirty, work long hours, maybe nights and weekends until the job is done). I’m not talking about little minium wage jobs either, we can’t fill $20+/hour skilled jobs, not even at the trainee level.

Do you think the government should be responsible for everything? Or should the govenernment get out of the way and let business do what business does best, grow and keep people working?

@Scott in Oklahoma:
I second that.
We had an empty condo here.
The out-of-state owner looked at all of the welfare people living here, the people on unemployment and thought, “I’ll pay someone here to clean this place.”
One problem: Not one person here wanted to do any work of any kind.
He and I ended up cleaning it.
I showed him where the best fish in town was and he paid for lunch there.
Also here in CA we are losing our crops….not to drought.
There are not enough people WILLING to work to pick our crops!
CNBC is no right-wing news outlet…..
http://www.cnbc.com/id/48725145

Some crops aren’t get picked this season due to a lack of workers.

“We just left them in the field,” said Craig Underwood, who farms everything from strawberries to lemons to peppers, carrots, and turnips in Ventura County.

The Western Growers Association told CNBC its members are reporting a 20 percent drop in laborers this year.

Is the pay too low?

In one of Underwood’s fields, pickers are harvesting peppers for $9.25 a hour, or $5 a bucket, whichever is more.

Berry growers — among the highest paying — saw fewer field hands show up in the spring.

“Fruit that you should be picking is not being picked,” said grower John Eiskamp.

Asked if any local residents have come out to apply to work in the fields, Craig Underwood replied, “None. Absolutely none.” He is even having trouble finding truck drivers and other semi-skilled labor for jobs that pay $12-$18 an hour.

So, will we have food?

While standing in a field of peppers, Underwood realizes even if he doesn’t have enough labor to pick his crop, Americans will still have food.

“It’ll just be grown in Mexico,” he said. “Or China.”

I have always said that the best way to get people off Welfare was to make them do actual work for the city or county they live in. Notice how dirty the highways, over passes and parts of downtown are? Manditory 20 hour a week labor for anyone on welfare, checks only issued if you complete your service each week. Have them meet at a central place each day and then transport them on the school busses to the sites. If they claim they have kids then set up day care at social centers like the YMCA.

@Aleric: Nice sentiment, one I totally agree with. But could it happen? Nope, not under this administration anyway.

@Scott in Oklahoma:

Do you think the government should be responsible for everything?

That might be a rhetorical question, as far as liberal/progressives are concerned. Why else would they support taking away choice and freedom from individuals and give the decision making power to those who have lied, cheated, and grafted their way into positions of power?

@Liberal1 (objectivity):
Really? I live just southeast of Atlanta. I did a quick search, less than 15 seconds and this is what I got back from AJC.com:
549 jobs in McDonough, GA matched your search

Our company was looking for workers. We were willing to train them to become skilled technicians. Put up the notice with the DOL. We had many people show up, but not a single one was interested in the job. They just wanted us to sign the paper saying they came to inquire.

@Aqua:

They just wanted us to sign the paper saying they came to inquire.

Bingo!

How about workfare, not welfare. There are plenty of jobs that go wanting, maybe not blue collar or white collar, but manpower jobs. Too many sit on their butts because they are receiving aid we pay for. Can you spell leech?

Of course there are the really needy that deserve help, but 100 million of them?

@bwax: But then there’s that pesky drug screen issue…

@NanG#6 –
I thought we had so many illegals/Mexicans who will do the work ‘no American would do’ ?? What happened to that mantra??? Where are they?? Where are the documented workers?

@Scott in Oklahoma: Which should be required to get a welfare check after a certain period of time.

@another vet: Another Vet, I really think that unless there’s some kind of disability or other circumstance involved, or retraining for a viable career, in order to get a welfare check one should have to work, and pass a drug screen. And by work, I mean either some type of public service work like cleaning streets, cutting grass, picking up trash, or something that person is skilled in, that can be used by a public entity (city, state, county). No such thing as a free ride, and you cannot qualify for welfare until you’ve exhausted unemployment and the job finding services provided by unemployment. Yeah…. novel concept, personal responsibility :-{)

@ Warren Beatty,

What is, in my humble opinion, most frightening about all of this is the GROWTH of the entitlement programs. It illustrates a shift in the views of the country. No longer is there a stigma or negative connotation attached to receiving a hand-out, to getting something for nothing. In fact, we providers (taxpayers) are now looked upon as suckers.

When you have the President using the bully pulpit of the W.H. to promote racial division, class division, hatred of wealth, promote big government and promote big bureaucracy, it is an inevitable outcome that the burden of BIG GOVERNMENT and the VAST BUREAUCRACY is increased as all middle to senior level government employees consider the President’s cheerleading a BIG GREEN LIGHT to increase all budgets and expenditures.

Government departments don’t use ZERO BASED budgeting. When you have an abuser of Other People’s Money like Obama in power leading the charge to spend, spend, spend, . . . . the troops spend big-time.

The growth of the empire which Obama has been able to construct will never be reigned in or reduced. Once government departments exist or grow, they never shrink, whether they distribute money to the unemployed or navel-gaze the possibilities of hair growth. This disaster will extend the long road to recovery.

@Liberal1 (objectivity): Why did the President promise to have unemployment below 6% and cut the deficit in half to get elected? In case you haven’t noticed he lied and that’s WHY the world IS in recession. It IS oblama’s fault idiot.

Back in the 60s, when I was divorced, had two young children to support, house and car payments, and all the other usual expenses, I put myself through college working three part-time jobs. I got NO assistance of any kind, although I now realize that I could have qualified for whatever was available at the time. I got VERY little child support. I also managed to stay on the Dean’s list throughout with a 3.8 average. You can imagine how I feel about all the government entitlements the ‘do nothings’ get today….even getting free cell phones and minutes. I worked my buns off to survive and get ahead, as that’s the way I was raised. It never even entered my mind to ask the government nor anyone else for ‘freebies.’ This disincentivizes people, just as does the endless unemployment benefits (think: MONEY). Studies have shown that in every country that limited them, as soon as they ended, the people who were getting unemployment got a job. There are actually people who make MORE on unemployment! The only reason this continues is because Obama WANTS it to. These people become good little voters that can be depended upon to vote for DEMOCRATS. It’s the same with making million of illegal, law-breaking immigrants citizens. REWARD them for sneaking into the country and they’ll vote for you for life! Call terrorists ‘enemy combatants’ and illegal aliens ‘undocumented workers’ and you change their image and you get their votes. The Democrats are such sleaze balls. They don’t give a damn about America’s future. They think TRILLIONS of dollars of debt aren’t important. I wonder how they think Greece and Cyprus got into the position they are? I’m definitely no right-winger, and disagree with many of their political agendas, but I could never vote Democratic, for the reasons above. At least Republicans believe in personal responsibility and limited government, and these are important principles that were the foundation of our country. Democrats obsession with maintaining power and control is destroying it. So, so sad. Our founding fathers are all facing DOWN now in their graves!

Beechigirl1953
that is so well said, thank you,

John Cooper
YOU’RE IN AUGUST 2012, WE MISS YOU HERE
MARCH 25 2013,
YOUR BEES ARE COMING SOON, FOR WORKING ON YOUR PEACH TREES,
LET ME KNOW ABOUT HOW THEY ARE,
BYE

Nan G
hi,
my SUPERSTORE don’t want anything from Mexico, it was said they use too much chemicals,
and I fought to get the garlic from USA, when I saw the big display of CHINESE garlic,
which I learn is grown with human fecies manure,
and the thing I cannot figure out , the garlic is white as snow,

Wingnuts believe lies like this to justify their hatred toward those who are in need so they can write them off as dependent or lazy. Shame on you all.

John
you are the wingnut for giving us your thoughts
and suggesting that we think like you.

@John: You accuse many of telling lies, yet you are too lazy to actually refute any of them John? Maybe if you stepped out in the real world and looked around you would see how wrong you and your idealism is.

By the way… when as the last time you actually helped anyone, without concern for yourself?

Scott in Oklahoma
hi,
I’m hearing that the UN are pushing for NATIONAL GUN REGISTRY,
one of us said it must must not be done, never,

@ilovebeeswarzone: #26,

You’re right, the UN is well under way on the international gun registry treaty.

Here’s a really easy prediction to make: Obama will LIE about his Administration’s ratification of this pact, and he will pretend that in no way will it subvert the Constitutional Rights of citizens. (In his mind He’ll mean the rights of people in Zimbabwe, of course, not Americans, when he says it,) . . . . I’m guessing.

James Raider
the UN said they won’t touch the rights of AMERICANS,
oh ya? once it’s on the way they will have gain power, and from there
an easy step, is left to OBAMA, to finish it and put AMERICA in the bucket of restrictions along the other already in the bucket,
I say who the hell is OBAMA for? THE WORLD UN ORG> or AMERICA,AMERICANS, WE THE PEOPLE,
THE CONSTITUTION only for AMERICANS,
who need THE UN. nobody, because AMERICA has her own laws untouchable,

John, I believe that it would benefit you to talk to some business owners. Many have experienced listing jobs and having 50 people come to the interview, only to ask that the business owner sign their sheet verifying that they ‘applied.’ They had no intention of actually applying for the job, because if they got it, unemployment benefits or their welfare, food stamps, whatever they are now receiving for NO work would end. I know, because two of my sons own businesses and run into this all the time. That doesn’t mean that there is NO one out there who genuinely needs and deserves special assistance. In the past, good people and organizations took care of them. Now, the government wants to do this with OUR money, because all these people getting entitlements traditionally vote democratic. That’s because the democrats don’t require anything of them. They just, undeservedly, keep raking it in and democrats are assured of a loyal voting base. This fact is so important to understanding what is (negatively) happening in our society that I changed parties. I can’t stomach this fostering of the nanny state anymore. You aren’t doing anyone a favor by keeping them on handouts that they don’t need. They should only go to those who are genuinely in need. Being totally capable of working is not a ‘genuine need.’ Also, one of my business owner sons offered to provide health insurance for his employees (and he has under the 50 that Obamacare stipulates requires employees provided healthcare. He has 42.), but every one of them turned it down. Their reason? “If we had insurance, we would have to make co-pays for services. Right now, we just go to the emergency room and don’t pay anything.” That’s gaming the system. You just don’t have the insight nor knowledge to know what’s going on, yet you brand those who do as “haters of the poor.” That’s a pathetically deprived brain’s assumption! And what’ more, it’s completely wrong!

Bechigirl1953
may I mention some important people , who would do a very good job,
if they qualify you’r son demands,
they are the AMERICANS who have the most difficulty to find a job because of the label
force on them, although they paid the price of some errors which they where caught,
some have just to be there,we have a post here, 400 and some with stories, of many,
some have the right superior learning, other less but interesting intelligence,
I invite you and your son to take a look at felons who did light mistakes label all as the mentality put them dangerous and sure to repeat the crime, they did so young, and now renewed after suffering their
years of trying to find work and being rejected because of felon after all the time past,
they have family to feed, and reject the welfare, they want to work if only a business would give them a job they can prove their dedication to the employer and produce better because they know to appreciate
a job, and a good leader giving them their pride back
THE POST IS; DO FELONS DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE……..
your son might find there what he is looking for,and pick those he find okay. he will have the first answered to judge
just by reading their comments,
I would be so happy to have found the right leader finding the right employees,
best to you, you will need some times to look into it, they have time too,
you could tell your demand and needs for the job ,
they will get your comment on their sites, and the first step is done, I hope you find what you are looking for,
some have high degrees, and on and on.

There is a program here in Texas that gives incentives for employers to hire just the sort of employees you are talking about. I had totally forgotten about it until you mentioned it here. I shall let both of my sons know about it. Maybe they will be able to find some good workers through that program, if it is still in effect here. It was thirty years ago when someone mentioned it to me, so I’m not sure if it still exists. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.

@Beechigirl1953: hey Beechigirl, send me a note at ssprankle@gmail, I know some people in Texas that might be looking for work depending on location on what kind of skills they’re looking for…

@Scott in Oklahoma
San Antonio.