Good piece on New York Times on what part of the country uses most of the safety net.

[geefloyd46]

Dozens of benefits programs provided an average of $6,583 for each man, woman and child in the county in 2009, a 69 percent increase from 2000 after adjusting for inflation. In Chisago, and across the nation, the government now provides almost $1 in benefits for every $4 in other income.

¶Older people get most of the benefits, primarily through Social Security and Medicare, but aid for the rest of the population has increased about as quickly through programs for the disabled, the unemployed, veterans and children.

¶The government safety net was created to keep Americans from abject poverty, but the poorest households no longer receive a majority of government benefits. A secondary mission has gradually become primary: maintaining the middle class from childhood through retirement. The share of benefits flowing to the least affluent households, the bottom fifth, has declined from 54 percent in 1979 to 36 percent in 2007, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis published last year.

From: http://laborspains.blogspot.com/2012/09/good-piece-on-new-york-times-on-what.html


Really good interactive map:http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html?ref=us

Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/us/even-critics-of-safety-net-increasingly-depend-on-it.html?_r=1

[Swagman]

1. and that money keeps a lot of people employed and

businesses afloat. A fact never mentioned by those who want to slash SS.

social security is pumped straight back into the economy.

[tclambert]

2. True. Social Security is such a powerful economic stimulus program that states compete

to draw seniors who will spend their retirement money there.

[liberal N proud]

3. Take those dollars out of the economy and watch this country dive into a deep depression.

Every one of those dollars goes directly back into the economy, directly providing stimulus. NOT one DIME is ever saved because those people need the money just to survive.

You could double that amount and it would only make the economy grow.

[geckosfeet]

4. "Older people" (or their spouse/parent) payed into SS all their working lives

The government is not handing out or funding SS! They administer the program, and by some accounts do a poor job at it.

[Berlum]

5. "We promise to toss America's smelly seniors under the bus." - Romnoid-Ryan 1% Republicans

"...just as you can count on us elite Republicans to lash all you middle class proles to the roof of the same same stinking polluting 1% bus. More more more more more more more for us. << lip smack >>"

- Romnoid-Ryan 1% Republicans

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Funny how a lot of money seems to flow from blue states to red states, yet the red states scream.nt

[108vcd]

7. talk about voting against your own self interests