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Under Obama: 70% of government now involves writing checks to individuals
Investor's Business Daily ^ | 03/10/2014 | John Merline

Posted on 03/11/2014 6:43:45 AM PDT by IBD editorial writer

Buried deep in a section of President Obama's budget, released this week, is an eye-opening fact: This year, 70% of all the money the federal government spends will be in the form of direct payments to individuals, an all-time high.

In effect, the government has become primarily a massive money-transfer machine, taking $2.6 trillion from some and handing it back out to others. These government transfers now account for 15% of GDP, another all-time high. In 1991, direct payments accounted for less than half the budget and 10% of GDP.

What's more, the cost of these direct payments is exploding. Even after adjusting for inflation, they've shot up 29% under Obama.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: entitlements; obama; obamacare; welfare

1 posted on 03/11/2014 6:43:45 AM PDT by IBD editorial writer
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To: IBD editorial writer
Under Obama: 70% of government now involves writing checks to individuals

Under Obama: 70% of government now involves writing checks to individuals who vote for Obama.


2 posted on 03/11/2014 6:46:14 AM PDT by Iron Munro (Albert Einstein: The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits)
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To: IBD editorial writer

So when we see stories, like yesterday, that asks why we aren’t funding research anymore, or why are we slashing military funding, here is the answer.


3 posted on 03/11/2014 6:48:23 AM PDT by DManA
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To: IBD editorial writer

Ya want feedback? IBD editorials are the best in the world.


4 posted on 03/11/2014 6:49:37 AM PDT by DManA
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To: IBD editorial writer
70% of all the money the federal government spends will be in the form of direct payments to individuals, an all-time high.

So, if the Federal government stopped doing that, people would be making the payments to each other instead, on one set of terms or another. I guess that's what you would call an economy. Sounds somehow more efficient.

5 posted on 03/11/2014 6:53:57 AM PDT by SamuraiScot
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To: SamuraiScot

It’s capitalism....the middle man take his cut.


6 posted on 03/11/2014 7:02:11 AM PDT by spokeshave (OMG.......Schadenfreude overload is not covered under Obamacare :-()
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To: IBD editorial writer

Leftists buying votes.


7 posted on 03/11/2014 7:16:17 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Mohammed was a pedophile and Islam is a Totalitarian Death Cult.)
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To: IBD editorial writer

I get mine.... and most people would say if Uncle Sam is so indulgent, why should guilt stop me? Small government is dead in this country and even conservatives are OPPOSED to cutting benefits, as the military retirees uproar revealed. Congress promptly restored them.


8 posted on 03/11/2014 7:16:35 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: IBD editorial writer

But, but, but, I thought all the money was wasted on defense ‘spending’!!!


9 posted on 03/11/2014 7:35:50 AM PDT by ArtDodger
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To: goldstategop

“I get mine.... and most people would say if Uncle Sam is so indulgent, why should guilt stop me? Small government is dead in this country and even conservatives are OPPOSED to cutting benefits, as the military retirees uproar revealed. Congress promptly restored them.”

Thank you for being honest. The “go-to” excuse for nearly every check recipient that is right-of-center that I’ve debated here and elsewhere seems to be “as long as we spend one dollar on X, Y, or Z, don’t come looking to cut MY check”

Check-receiving “conservatives” are never going to vote to cut their own checks in significant enough numbers to make a difference.

We have to go over the cliff where all checks stop.

You have taken the first step in being honest about it.


10 posted on 03/11/2014 7:46:26 AM PDT by RFEngineer
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To: IBD editorial writer

TRANPARENCY

Buried deep in a section of President Obama’s budget.


11 posted on 03/11/2014 9:52:09 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: Uncle Miltie

11 million on ‘disability’ via SSDI.
(more than Greece,Tunisia and Portugal combined)

keep working-millions of gibmedats depend on you.

Oh well, all last we’re getting the All Star Game here this year. That should be some good bread and circus for the masses.


12 posted on 05/20/2014 3:17:39 PM PDT by TurboZamboni (Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.-JFK)
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