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The U.S. Economic Recovery Is Still On Food Stamps
RCM ^ | 10/15/2014 | Riobert Doar

Posted on 10/16/2014 7:08:40 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Something peculiar is happening to our nation's food assistance program. The recently renamed food stamp program - now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP - is supposed to respond to difficult economic conditions by providing financial assistance to purchase food to poor Americans. As bad times hit and more people need assistance, SNAP caseloads should go up. And as the economy strengthens, the number of SNAP recipients should decline - at least in theory.

For most of the history of the program, that is what happened. As the accompanying chart shows, from 1969 until 2003, SNAP has been very responsive to changes in the unemployment rate with the number of recipients rising as unemployment rises and declining as unemployment declines.

But that seems to have changed. As unemployment declined between 2003 and 2007, the number of SNAP recipients marched steadily higher. Then, as the Great Recession hit, the SNAP caseload went even higher. The recovery after the 2001 recession did little to interrupt SNAP growth and now-as the economy has strengthened with unemployment declining and jobs growing (although slowly)-the number of SNAP recipients has barely come off its all-time peak of 47.8 million recipients hit in December 2012. Since then, the number of SNAP recipients has only declined by 2.7% -- and oddly ticked up in the months of April and June 2014.

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearmarkets.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: economy; foodstamps; recovery

1 posted on 10/16/2014 7:08:40 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

When you have ever more people living on government benefits as a vocation, why should the number of food stamps go down.

It’s mission accomplished for the statists.


2 posted on 10/16/2014 7:11:42 AM PDT by headstamp 2
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To: SeekAndFind

Oh, SNAP!


3 posted on 10/16/2014 7:12:44 AM PDT by sportutegrl
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To: SeekAndFind

All by design, Comrade. All. By. Design.


4 posted on 10/16/2014 7:12:47 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: SeekAndFind

We have a Federal Reserve and fiat money system which prints money, buys government debt, and controls interest rates such that the government never needs to say “no” to any social engineering or welfare scheme.

Conservatives will be fighting a losing battle on every front as long as this basic condition exists.


5 posted on 10/16/2014 7:15:07 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: SeekAndFind

The problem is:

The numbr on food stamps is a definite finite number that you can not manipulate.

What is, is.

On the other hand, the unemployment numbers as well as the employment numbers have been manipulated to the point of fraud on the American public.

In other words, the numbers we get are a pack of lies meant to make obumbler look better than he is.

So the food stamp numbers are the only numbers you can believe.


6 posted on 10/16/2014 7:16:24 AM PDT by old curmudgeon
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To: SeekAndFind

Help me with the math please. 48 million on SNAP at about $200/month/person is how much per year?


7 posted on 10/16/2014 7:18:00 AM PDT by Zuben Elgenubi (NOPe to GOPe)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi

Is that really over $100 billion per year?


8 posted on 10/16/2014 7:19:49 AM PDT by Zuben Elgenubi (NOPe to GOPe)
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To: SeekAndFind
2012:

"Today, al Qaeda is on the run and Osama bin Laden is dead."

2014:

Today, American citizens are on the run and the US economy is dead.


9 posted on 10/16/2014 7:21:23 AM PDT by Iron Munro (We can make it work with only one square per restroom visit -- Sheryl Crow)
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To: SeekAndFind

What recovery?


10 posted on 10/16/2014 7:22:54 AM PDT by dfwgator (The "Fire Muschamp" tagline is back!)
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To: SeekAndFind
Here is how the general population is feeling the great recession, from 2008 to 2013.

Almost 50% inflation on the essentials such as food, gas, toiletries, etc.

Go to www.thepeoplehistory.com/pricebasket.html

And yet, income declined by 10%.

US Census showed median income went from $56,000 to $51,000.

With real unemployment U6 well somewhere around 12-14% and shadowstats at about 24%, the economy sucks.

And also people are not spending money. There are now articles on how people are "hoarding" money. Well yes, people are not doing well in this Greater Depression, and as a result, they are tightening their belts, holding onto what little they have left, because they don't know what is around the corner, or in other words, how Obama and the democrats are going to screw them again.

11 posted on 10/16/2014 7:23:20 AM PDT by ForYourChildren (Christian Education [ RomanRoadsMedia.com - a Classical Christian Approach to Homeschool ])
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To: Zuben Elgenubi

RE: Help me with the math please. 48 million on SNAP at about $200/month/person is how much per year?

$115,200,000,000/year (115.2 Billion ).

They’re not concerned because that’s small in the scheme of things compared to a $3.5 TRILLION budget


12 posted on 10/16/2014 7:24:12 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (If at first you don't succeed, put it out for beta test.)
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To: SeekAndFind
I know a 23 year old soon to be mom and single living with parents with no job and cannot get any type of welfare. Parents are ready to retire and currently have very little income. How is that for a welfare system. Problem she is not black or illegal Mexican.
13 posted on 10/16/2014 7:25:16 AM PDT by Logical me
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To: SeekAndFind
The entire United Kingdom annual budget is about 100 billion pounds ($160B), approaching the total annual cost of SNAP.
14 posted on 10/16/2014 7:27:43 AM PDT by Zuben Elgenubi (NOPe to GOPe)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi
48,000,000 on foodstamps x $200. per month = $9,600,000,000. per month

$9,600,000,000. per month x 12 months = $115,200,000,000.

$1.15 BILLION dollars per month !!!


15 posted on 10/16/2014 7:30:13 AM PDT by Iron Munro (We can make it work with only one square per restroom visit -- Sheryl Crow)
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To: Iron Munro
Oops! Correction:

$1.15 BILLION dollars per month !!!

$115. BILLION dollars per month !!!


16 posted on 10/16/2014 7:32:24 AM PDT by Iron Munro (We can make it work with only one square per restroom visit -- Sheryl Crow)
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To: SeekAndFind

N
Unprepared Boomers going on SS.
They’re dropped from unemployment numbers and still qualify for SNAP.

Also the statistics are inaccurate and cheating is rampant.


17 posted on 10/16/2014 7:37:19 AM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/federal-food-stamp-program-spent-record-804b-fy-2012

“During fiscal year 2012, the U.S. government spent a record $80.4 billion on food stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a $2.7 billion increase from FY 2011. “


18 posted on 10/16/2014 7:42:20 AM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
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To: SeekAndFind
http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html

One Million Dollars In $100 Dollar Bills

One Hundred Million Dollars In $100 Dollar Bills

It takes 1,150 of these pallets to pay For Food Stamps For One Year

One Billion Dollars In $100 Dollar Bills

It takes 115 of these piles to pay For Food Stamps For One Year


19 posted on 10/16/2014 8:01:38 AM PDT by Iron Munro (We can make it work with only one square per restroom visit -- Sheryl Crow)
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To: SeekAndFind
The nearly-PC title sickens me. The title should read,

The US Economic Recovery is still on WELFARE

THAT'd get their panties in a bunch...
20 posted on 10/16/2014 8:14:48 AM PDT by logi_cal869
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