Welfare spending as a percent of total government spending?

[NewUser]

I remember reading in the 1980's that welfare spending only amounted to 2%. What are the numbers on government spending now?

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

What are the numbers on government spending now?



Choose the best answer:

a. Hey buddy, there's a new invention out now. It's called a search engine.

b. Oh look, it's RPF member, "NewUser." He must've just found a new Mother Jones article claiming that welfare spending is at zero.

c. Oh look, it's RPF member, "NewUser." He's waiting for somebody to post figures so he can pounce on them with his Mother Jones article.

d. Let me look that up on my Obama Phone. How do you spell welfair?

[Antischism]

Minuscule and irrelevant when compared to military/defense spending, which should be the primary target of anyone who claims to be fiscally conservative. Furthermore, corporate welfare is higher than what's used on poor Americans. While slowly eliminating social welfare is a goal, people who focus only on eliminating social welfare without considering the consequences or looking at where the largest amount of capital is being allocated are pretty annoying, yes.

[oyarde]

I remember reading in the 1980's that welfare spending only amounted to 2%. What are the numbers on government spending now?

For the Fed govt , anything above Zero is unacceptable .

[AuH20]

Minuscule and irrelevant when compared to military/defense spending, which should be the primary target of anyone who claims to be fiscally conservative. Furthermore, corporate welfare is higher than what's used on poor Americans. While slowly eliminating social welfare is a goal, people who focus only on eliminating social welfare without considering the consequences or looking at where the largest amount of capital is being allocated are pretty annoying, yes.

Are you taking into account mandatory entitlement responsibilities which includes SS, SS Dis., Medicare and Medicaid? All those expenditures combined together dwarf any defense outlays.

Look at the CBO's projections past 2010. You can see the cancer growing in the future years, absorbing more and more gross domestic product:

http://www.estatevaults.com/bol/_Entitlement_Spending_Explodes.jpg

[Ronin Truth]

Now if you also add in the corporate welfare, including the MIC part, then Katy bar the door.

[emazur]

I like this chart better b/c it includes the costs and federal revenue. As of 2010, medicare/medicaid/social security consumed at least 50% of federal revenue, and by 2025 in combination with interest on the national debt will consume ALL federal revenue
http://bipartisanpolicy.org/sites/default/files/FINAL%20DRTF%20EXECUTIVE%20SUMMARY_0.pdf
http://i.imgur.com/iaR6g.jpg

[charrob]

Are you taking into account mandatory entitlement responsibilities which includes SS, SS Dis., Medicare and Medicaid? All those expenditures combined together dwarf any defense outlays.

Look at the CBO's projections past 2010. You can see the cancer growing in the future years, absorbing more and more gross domestic product:

http://www.estatevaults.com/bol/_Entitlement_Spending_Explodes.jpg


Social Security and Medicare are not an "entitlement". Those of us who have worked our whole lives have paid into it!

[Acala]

Social Security and Medicare are not an "entitlement". Those of us who have worked our whole lives have paid into it!

Social Security and Medicare are taxes and always were. No different than any other tax and not a moral justification for taking money from young people now. Social Security and Medicare are transfer payment programs like all the rest.

[Victor Grey]

Social Security and Medicare are not an "entitlement". Those of us who have worked our whole lives have paid into it!

So what you're saying is you're entitled to it.

[CaseyJones]

it's really all welfare isn't it?

[LibForestPaul]

it's really all welfare isn't it?
Elderly hate being lumped in with the coloreds and the Mexicans.
Heck, they even hate being lumped in with the teacher and cop payout theft.

[puppetmaster]

And the drumbeat rolls on. It is going to be ugly...real ugly real soon.

[enoch150]

Social Security and Medicare are not an "entitlement". Those of us who have worked our whole lives have paid into it!

The first person to start collecting a SS check was Ida May Fuller. Her total contribution to SS amounted to $24.75. She collected $22,888.92. No one gets back the money they put into it - they collect what the next generation pays into it. The whole thing is a pyramid scheme. It worked fine when the population age demographics were shaped like a triangle - a lot of young workers supporting a few older workers. With the baby boomers coming of age, it's now being shaped more like a rectangle, and pyramid schemes aren't sustainable at that point. Especially since Congress has already spent the so-called "trust fund" that was built up before the boomers came of age and stuffed it full of IOUs.

http://i.imgur.com/DfuY19E.png

[tod evans]

Social Security and Medicare are not an "entitlement". Those of us who have worked our whole lives have paid into it!

I've paid that tax since '74 and I don't expect to see one nickle...

In fact I'll gladly sign away any claim I may have to excuse my son from the burden....

[mrsat_98]

I've paid that tax since '74 and I don't expect to see one nickle...

In fact I'll gladly sign away any claim I may have to excuse my son from the burden....

Beast Worshipper !!!!!! (http://www.gematrix.org/?word=ss+number)

[TheCount]

Beast Worshipper !!!!!! (http://www.gematrix.org/?word=ss+number)


We all are!!!!!! (http://www.gematrix.org/?word=computer)

[specsaregood]

The first person to start collecting a SS check was Ida May Fuller. Her total contribution to SS amounted to $24.75. She collected $22,888.92. No one gets back the money they put into it - they collect what the next generation pays into it. The whole thing is a pyramid scheme.

The social security administration website used to have a whole page devoted to explaining why SS wasn't a Ponzi scheme...
http://www.ssa.gov/history/ponzi.htm
For some reason it was disappeared down the rabbit whole sometime between 10/31/2012 and 1/14/2013, never to be seen again.
http://web.archive.org/web/20121031144750/http://www.ssa.gov/history/ponzi.htm

IIRC, they also used to have "Is Social Security a pyramid scheme" in the FAQ section a few years a go. They said it wasn't a pyramid scheme because the govt had the ability to tax and print money so it could never go bust -- or something to that effect. But that too seems to have been disappeared. A search for pyramid and Ponzi on those websites now comes up with no results...

[Acala]

I've paid that tax since '74 and I don't expect to see one nickle...

In fact I'll gladly sign away any claim I may have to excuse my son from the burden....

I'm with you.

[Acala]

The social security administration website used to have a whole page devoted to explaining why SS wasn't a Ponzi scheme...
http://www.ssa.gov/history/ponzi.htm
For some reason it was disappeared down the rabbit whole sometime between 10/31/2012 and 1/14/2013, never to be seen again.
http://web.archive.org/web/20121031144750/http://www.ssa.gov/history/ponzi.htm

IIRC, they also used to have "Is Social Security a pyramid scheme" in the FAQ section a few years a go. They said it wasn't a pyramid scheme because the govt had the ability to tax and print money so it could never go bust -- or something to that effect. But that too seems to have been disappeared. A search for pyramid and Ponzi on those websites now comes up with no results...

It isn't exactly a Ponzi scheme because a Ponzi scheme relies on trust and deception to get people to contribute. SS relies on the point of a gun. Of course the government can (and will) print money to pay SS, but that is just a different kind of theft, not a solution.

[angelatc]

Social Security and Medicare are not an "entitlement". Those of us who have worked our whole lives have paid into it!

Actually it is an entitlement. Yes, you paid taxes for years and years. But that money is gone, and unless you die young, you're going to take far more out of it than you put in.

[angelatc]

And the drumbeat rolls on. It is going to be ugly...real ugly real soon.

You know, I'm not being contrarian here. But I've been hearing that for 50 years, and yet somehow they manage to hold it together.

[AuH20]

You know, I'm not being contrarian here. But I've been hearing that for 50 years, and yet somehow they manage to hold it together.

The real problem for them is the interest on the enormous debt consuming the entire revenue base. There is no escape aside from starting WW3.

[Anti Federalist]

You know, I'm not being contrarian here. But I've been hearing that for 50 years, and yet somehow they manage to hold it together.

Theye will kick the can down the road, just as long as theye need to.

And not a day longer.

Might be 100 years from now...maybe 1000...who knows?

I know that empires in the past that have figured out the cardinal rule of keeping people in line, docile and compliant and that being, keep them fed, entertained and allow them to boss their fellow man around and wield some petty power, have lasted for centuries sometimes.

[Red Green]

Let's see:

Social Security is technically welfare.
Medicare / Medicaid is technically welfare
Foreign aid is technically welfare
Department of Education is technically welfare
Health and Human Services is almost all welfare


Am I up to 2% yet?

[puppetmaster]

I've paid that tax since '74 and I don't expect to see one nickle...

In fact I'll gladly sign away any claim I may have to excuse my son from the burden....
+1

[NewUser]

Minuscule and irrelevant when compared to military/defense spending, which should be the primary target of anyone who claims to be fiscally conservative. Furthermore, corporate welfare is higher than what's used on poor Americans. While slowly eliminating social welfare is a goal, people who focus only on eliminating social welfare without considering the consequences or looking at where the largest amount of capital is being allocated are pretty annoying, yes.

Wow, thanks for your well-thought out reply!

If anyone has some graphs with numbers I'd love to see them!

[Weston White]

Actually it is an entitlement. Yes, you paid taxes for years and years. But that money is gone, and unless you die young, you're going to take far more out of it than you put in.

No, if we were to instead invest what we are UNCONSTITUTIONALLY TAXED into a prudent (IRA) investment portfolio--and being the recipient of the accruals--even median lifelong workers would become capable of retiring early and as millionaires.



You know, I'm not being contrarian here. But I've been hearing that for 50 years, and yet somehow they manage to hold it together.

Due to incessant inflation, ILLICIT TAXING ON WAGES, and covert meddling in Wall Street.