Posted on 10/23/2013 6:27:50 PM PDT by Nachum
(CNSNews.com) - In the fourth quarter of 2011, 49.2 percent of Americans received benefits from one or more government programs, according to data released Tuesday by the Census Bureau.
In total, the Census Bureau estimated, 151,014,000 Americans out of a population then estimated to be 306,804,000 received benefits from one or more government programs during the last three months of 2011. Those 151,014,000 beneficiaries equaled 49.2 percent of the population.
This included 82,457,000 people--or 26.9 percent of the population--who lived in households in which one or more people received Medicaid benefits.
Also among the 151,014,000 who received benefits from one or more government programs during that period: 49,901,000 who collected Social Security; 49,073,000 who got food stamps; 46,440,000 on Medicare; 23,228,000 in the Women, Infants and Children program, 20,223,000 getting Supplemental Security Income;13,433,000 who lived in public or subsidized rental housing; 5,098,000 who got unemployment; 3,178,000 who got veterans' benefits; and 364,000 who got railroad retirement benefits.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
never underestimate the ability of people to rationalize their subsidy (but want to cut someone else’s)
“It definitely isn’t a “gift”....”
What would you call a basket of benefits that pays out a lot more money than you were taxed back in the day?
I’ll agree to not call it a “gift” if you agree not to pretend to have “earned” it.
That’s the problem. Everyone “deserves” everything they get. Maybe you can even justify it with some reasoning, some more twisted than others.
Don’t worry, you’ll keep getting your check right up to the point that it stops.
because they paid in for their pensions
didn’t they also pay in to welfare and everything else the government does?
I know what you mean but people are getting out more than they put in. There are no accounts with our names on them, there is no lock box. SS money is spent in the general fund and benefits paid from the general fund.
By the way, SS is not a pension and was never meant to be.
I get your drift, thanks. But it is still correct that people “contribute” their required payments in to social security by means of the separate social security levies... and not as part of their general taxes. (Yes, Congress has mixed the revenues, once received there. A tragedy, but it does not negate the intended structure of SSec as something supported by the individual’s payments thereinto.)
It is supposed to be a pension, in this important sense. Incidentally, FDR never intended it to provide the sole means of support for old folks, it was only intended as a “supplement” to assist their private savings and investments, to provide a minimum “floor” of economic security if you will.
Having said all that, I do understand your point. Thanks.
I thought 47% was too low.
So get the majority on the dole by any means possible, then set up every election by shrieking that the conservatives are going to take your check away. I wondered why the government is currently recruiting people on to food stamps. RECRUITING people to accept food stamps. Yeah.
No, SS recipients are not moochers but they refuse to allow the law to be fixed because of their greediness.
We should be doing means testing but then again, greedy Americans start screaming. There are
many seniors out there that do not need SS.
We must fix this mess but don’t touch mine.
They paid into it with the full expectation they would get something back.
But they shouldn't get anything back because they don't need it?
If a wealthy person buys a failing company, turns it around and sells it -- should he be denied any profit because he doesn't need it? If a wealthy person buys municipal bonds, should he be denied the interest because he doesn't need it? Should he have to pay taxes on the interest anyway, simply because he can?
Are you sure about that?
So Phil Knight, founder of Nike can get SS disability for his son when he only paid in up to 109 thousand? Is that fair?
Mr Knight could easily pay everything for his son, but since his son is legally eligible he’ll take it anyway.?
We need to fix this for our
children. That statement “ but I paid into it therefore I should get it back.” keeps getting in the way.
It’ll never be fixed with an attitude like that and then someday, there won’t be anything for anyone even if they really need it.
SS started out to care for widows and children and ballooned into an unsustainable monstrosity.
Atlas will be shrugging shortly. Hang ON!!!!!
“Are you sure about that?”
I’m as sure that the checks will keep rolling in for everyone who gets them in the near-term as I am that they will stop.
We are addicted to government - whether Liberal or Conservative, we agree as a nation that the government checks must continue. We claim we “paid in” or are otherwise “entitled”. We want the checks above all else.
Even the TEA party had it’s start back in the day in the fundamental concern that Obamacare would interfere with or possibly eliminate Medicare - a difficult truth.
As Americans we simply want to live beyond our means, and we do not care if we enslave our grandchildren - we just don’t want to pay for it ourselves.
THAT is the America we live in today. Shameful.
Are you sure about that?
Everyone is argueing about SS while evil devils destroy the economy, the armed services, crash the dollar, turn our children into homos and sluts, and impoverish us and generations to come.
While we argue about SS
$17T reasons why are a good start........ When exactly? No one can say for sure, but the house of cards is wobbling as we speak.
Time to take our country back!
Medicare and Social Security are NOT charity. These are programs we were forced to contribute to throughout our working years. In fact, even after retirement we must contribute to Medicare.
Today the churches could not afford to help a person with cancer or the Chemo afterward.
They do help with small stuff, and some food, usually not good for a diabetic.
We need a complete over haul of the food stamp program to remove non nutrious foods like chips, dips, soda, candy, cakes, energy drings, etc.
And NO money back from welfare cards that are not going to laundry, personal body hygene or TP. Instead the money back is going to booze, cigs and loto tickets.
The people are for the most part 100 or more pounds over weight and kids are fat too, and not well behaved. Since I do the groceries I see what is going on. They get money back get cigs and loto tickets, take their stuff to the car and come back for beer.
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