Over $1 Trillion in welfare spending in 2011

What are YOUR thoughts when you read the below story?

Mine are:
- our safety net programs have become a hammock for many, many people who can and should be productive citizens
- this is an institutional problem. Nothing grows this fast without being pushed on a grand scale
- the "war of poverty" was a very good thing for a FEW years to help the destitute. At some point it shuld have been completely overhauled to adjust to the times and designed to make itself obsolete. Becasue I'm lazy, i wont spend time on thing of better words, but we need a "war on entitlement mentality" and a "war of not-figuring-it-out-yourself."
- what more evidence is needed that our current president has FAILED

THOUGHTS???



'Welfare' spending topped $1 trillion in 2011, study shows
Published October 18, 2012

AP
Total federal and state "welfare" spending topped $1 trillion last year, marking a nearly 30 percent increase since the start of the Obama administration -- according to a new congressional report which documented spending across more than 80 benefit programs for low-income families.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, released the figures Thursday, compiled based on a committee analysis and a new Congressional Research Service study. The stats show that the combination of federal and state "welfare" spending is more than the country spends on Medicare, Social Security or non-war defense.
Sessions, who has been on a campaign of late against what he sees as aggressive and unchecked spending on food stamps and other programs, called the figures "astounding."
"No longer should we measure compassion by how much money the government spends but by how many people we help to rise out of poverty," he said in a statement. "Welfare assistance should be seen as temporary whenever possible, and the goal must be to help more of our fellow citizens attain gainful employment and financial independence."
The study factored in Medicaid, the federal health care aid program for low-income families. But it also covered 82 other federal programs that Sessions classified as "welfare" -- from food stamps to public housing to various tax credits for low-income families.
The CRS study found the federal portion of all that spending rose from $563 billion in fiscal 2008 to $746 billion in fiscal 2011 -- representing a 32 percent increase. Republicans on the budget committee calculated that, with total state spending on federal programs factored in, the total amount rose from nearly $800 billion in 2008 to over $1 trillion last year -- a 29 percent increase.
According to Sessions' office, the federal share is now roughly one-fifth of the budget.
The number of people enrolling in these benefits program has risen in part due to the recession and its aftermath. Record numbers of people, for example, have gone on food stamps as unemployment continues to hover near the 8 percent mark.
Sessions office acknowledges that "persistently weak GDP growth" is "unquestionably a factor" in the rising budget for benefits programs.
However, Sessions office claims federal policy has "explicitly encouraged growth in welfare enrollment -- combined with a weakening of welfare standards and rules."
Republicans have, for example, accused the Obama administration of trying to loosen welfare requirements, though the administration claims it is just trying to give states the kind of flexibility they have sought.
Sessions has also claimed that food stamp administrators have proactively tried to enroll people even when they might not necessarily need the assistance.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/18/welfare-spending-topped-1-trillion-in-2011-study-shows/#ixzz29ktJj5Gu

Ah, the food stamp president. It makes me sad.

And, people say we only put Pennies a day of our personal tax money into the welfare system. Stories like this are why I am so outspoken about the welfare system. It just doesn't work.

I'm wondering how anyone can be surprised that welfare spending is up.

We are all aware of the unemployment rates in recent past.

Seems pretty logical to me.

our governmetn is probably gonna crash and burn in the next few years..

so yeah, either way we are smurfed.

also,not sure how the president can control lazy people from applying and getting the welfare with the standards we have now.. not hard to quit your job and go apply. or pop a few kids to get more money. obama cant control that or any president for that fact, unless they change how easy it is to get it.

No matter where you live there are always people who are leeches on the system they know how to work they system to get everything and anything they want or need my sister is one of those people. I know there are people that need help but governments everywhere need to find the people who are defrauding the system or using the system who do not need it or are more than capable of holding and maintaining employment. Or give it for a limited time then give supporting evidence every six months or so to show what you have done to try and get off of it or why you still need it be a drs note or proof you have apply to x amount of jobs ect

Quoting .Colleen.:" I'm wondering how anyone can be surprised that welfare spending is up. We are all aware of the unemployment rates in recent past. Seems pretty logical to me."

Agreed. We shouldnt be surprised as real unemployment is probably about 14% but when you look into this further, you find that there are incentive programs to get enrollment higher. I saw one story that showed employees were given responses to "help people overcome pride" so they employee could get the person enrolled.
The list of 83 programs is an eye-opener.

According to Obama, unemployment is the same now as it was when he started. So, shouldnt welfare spending be going down? yes, this is a study about 2011, but i seriously doubt 2012's figures will show a reduction given the incentives and mentality.

Quoting ☮ Phuket:" our governmetn is probably gonna crash and burn in the next few years.. so yeah, either way we are smurfed. ... [snip!] ... kids to get more money. obama cant control that or any president for that fact, unless they change how easy it is to get it."

Well, our president signed an executive order relaxing the work requirement fr welfare. additionally, the federal governement has incentive programs to get people enrolled.
The president can certainly help get people off of welfare. Bill Clinton did!

Quoting .Colleen.:" I'm wondering how anyone can be surprised that welfare spending is up. We are all aware of the unemployment rates in recent past. Seems pretty logical to me."

This....

And while I agree about some people abusing the system and just using it as a hammock (yes, there are people like that, Nuge, I agree)...



However, I will say this.

So, you live off of welfare, you're a leech.
What about when you work a full time job? If you ask for a wage that can support you and your family, you're asking for far too much, you aren't entitled to that! So... either you live off of welfare and you're lazy, or you work and you're still not able to support your family.


Damned if you do, damned if you don't, in many cases.

Quoting TheNuge:" Agreed. We shouldnt be surprised as real unemployment is probably about 14% but when you look into ... [snip!] ... yes, this is a study about 2011, but i seriously doubt 2012's figures will show a reduction given the incentives and mentality."

I worked for WIC for about 3 years and you are absolutely right.

We did alot of outreach to get people to sign up for the program.
Alot of what was done, was driven directly by the enrollment numbers for each site
But this was about 5 years ago so I am unsure how they are driving up numbers currently

Quoting TheNuge:" Well, our president signed an executive order relaxing the work requirement fr welfare. additionally, ... [snip!] ... has incentive programs to get people enrolled. The president can certainly help get people off of welfare. Bill Clinton did!"

cant help those, that cant help themselves. and i was unware he lowered the standards. I personally think you should have WORK unless disabled to quailfy. I have a family member whos "husband" has never worked in his life, almost 40 years old and never works. she works part time and they live with a family member and get assistance, he doesnt work for the simple fact they wouldnt get as much or any assistance. its stupid. I work 20+ hours a week, SO works 40 or more hours a week. I could just not work and we could get food stamps or something. its stupid as hell and it pisses me off.

Quoting The Doctor:" This.... And while I agree about some people abusing the system and just using it as a hammock (yes, ... [snip!] ... lazy, or you work and you're still not able to support your family. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, in many cases."

Noone likes welfare abusers, they are dead weight.

I just think the majority truly need and deserve the help.

and I don't think the majority should have their benefits revoked due to the actions of the minority.

Quoting .Colleen.:" Noone likes welfare abusers, they are dead weight. I just think the majority truly need and deserve ... [snip!] ... and deserve the help. and I don't think the majority should have their benefits revoked due to the actions of the minority."

Absolutely agree.

I do not think the majority are abusing the system, but those tend to be the ones we hear about.

<blockquote><b>Quoting .Colleen.:</b>" I worked for WIC for about 3 years and you are absolutely right. We did alot of outreach to get ... [snip!] ... the enrollment numbers for each site But this was about 5 years ago so I am unsure how they are driving up numbers currently"</blockquote>




States have been "bonused" by the federal government for increasing SNAP enrollment a specific percentage.
Whenever in in NY lately I hear commercials encouraging people to sign up for SNAP.
I was on unemployment years ago. When it stopped I got a letter saying "are you sure you don't need food stamps? If you change your mind, contact us." It was ludicrous!

Another welfare post... no surprise there. Im on assistance. It was very hard to get, required a lot of paperwork and took a very long time to be approved. It is not as easy to get assistance as people like to make it seem. Am i a leech? No, not by a long shot. Is my family in need, yes. I hate when people look down on others bc theyve fallen on hard times. Yes the numbers are ridiculous and yes some people "abuse" the system but it doesnt make us all lazy bums for doing what we feel is best for our families.

Quoting .Colleen.:" Noone likes welfare abusers, they are dead weight. I just think the majority truly need and deserve ... [snip!] ... and deserve the help. and I don't think the majority should have their benefits revoked due to the actions of the minority."

I agree that most arent abusing the system, but i dont know if that percentage is closer to 51% or 95%.
AND, while it's not considered abuse in a legal way, there are certainly many ridiculous allowances that get debated here all the time (i.e. junk food, birthday cakes, gum, etc). and, there are zillions of people who stretch the truth regarding living arrangemements just so they qualify for benefits.
and, of course, there are those on disability that may not be able to do their old job but could easily do some other job as they have no problem being on their computers 15 hours per day.