Dependency Upon The Government Encourages Irresponsibility

[Case_Closed]

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[Case_Closed]

2012 Index of Dependence on Government: No Slowdown in Sight

February 8, 2012

Greater Handouts Result in a Dependency Nation

Americans Receive More Than Ever Before:Americans relying on the federal government received an average $32,748 worth of benefits in 2010. That’s more than the average American’s personal disposable income of $32,446.

A Growing Population Looking to Government: Now, more than 67.3 million Americans depend on the federal government for everything from food stamps and college tuition to retirement services and health care. The Index saw overall dependency on the government jump 8.1% in 2010. This cost federal taxpayers roughly $2.5 trillion.
Fewer Federal Taxpayers to Support Programs:At the same time, nearly half the nation (49.5%) does not pay any federal income taxes. This means a shrinking number of taxpayers are funding a growing number of people who rely on the government for their daily existence—a recipe for the government’s fiscal collapse.

Higher Spikes on the Horizon:With more than 77 million baby boomers retiring in the next 25 years, Heritage’s Index could show even higher spikes as seniors start collecting Social Security checks, using Medicare benefits, and relying on Medicaid for long-term care.

Reliance on Washington Weakens America

Growing Voter Base Dependent on Government:A new crop of voters would vote for more benefits that would be paid by a shrinking pool of taxpayers. This would put tremendous pressure on the nation’s democratic government process.

Unsustainable Federal Spending: Right now, the federal government devotes 70% of its spending toward individual assistance programs. Without true welfare and entitlement reform, the nation’s budget will be crowded out by these programs—corroding important interests like national defense.
Government Fails to Adequately Replace Private Aid: While government assistance programs have replaced many functions that were done by communities, neighborhood groups, and private charities, research shows that private aid has better success than federal handouts in helping individuals become independent. Plus, local and private aid is often more effectively distributed than through government’s bureaucratic channels.

How Do We Change Course?

Reform Welfare and Entitlement Programs: Heritage’s long-term fiscal plan, Saving the American Dream, provides the framework for reforming Social Security, Medicare, welfare, and other assistance programs so that they serve the neediest first and are sustainable for future generations.
Curb Washington’s Addiction to More Spending: Congress should rein in its runaway spending if it plans to not burden future generations of taxpayers with an insurmountable debt. With welfare and assistance programs tying up a large chunk of the budget, Congress should streamline these programs so they work more efficiently.

Encourage More Community-Aid: Dependence on the federal government for life’s challenges has robbed civil society of its important role in working those in need. Allowing these groups to lead local efforts helps struggling Americans achieve their natural-born exceptionalism.

To read the full Index of Dependence on Government, please visit www.heritage.org.

[Case_Closed]

The American public’s dependence on the federal government shot up 23% in just two years under President Obama, with 67 million now relying on some federal program, according to a newly released study by the Heritage Foundation.

The conservative think tank’s annual Index of Dependence on Government tracks money spent on housing, health, welfare, education subsidies and other federal programs that were “traditionally provided to needy people by local organizations and families.”

The increase under Obama is the biggest two-year jump since Jimmy Carter was president, the data show.

The rise was driven mainly by increases in housing subsidies, an expansion in Medicaid and changes to the welfare system, along with a sharp rise in food stamps, the study found.

“You can’t get around the fact that policy decisions made over the past two years, on top of those made over the past several decades, are having a large effect on the pace of growth of the index,” said William Beach, who authored the Heritage study.

Dependence on the government has climbed steadily since 1962, when the index stood at 19. By 1980, the index had risen to 100. It stood at 294 in 2010, the last year for which the data are available. The D.C.-based Heritage Foundation has produced the index for nine years.

The report also found that spending on “dependence programs” accounts for more than 70% of the federal budget. That, too, is up dramatically. In 1990, for example, the figure stood at 48.5%, and in 1962 just over a quarter of federal spending went to dependence programs.

At the same time, fewer Americans pay income taxes, the report notes. Almost half (49.5%) didn’t pay income taxes in 2009, the latest year for which the researchers have data. Back in the late 1960s, only 12% of Americans escaped the income tax burden.

Other findings:

The number of people dependent on the federal government shot up 7.5% over the past two years.

In 2010, for the first time ever, average spending on dependence programs per recipient exceeded the country’s per-capita disposable income.

The dependency index has dipped only seven times in the past 49 years, three of which were under President Reagan and two under President Clinton.

Some observers say the rise in dependence under Obama is merely a reflection of the deep and long recession.

But Beach says his team’s research shows that economic effects account for only one-fifth of the change in the index.

In addition, the index shot up 8% in 2010, a year when the economy grew by 3%.

Also, in the wake of the 1981-82 recession — which lasted nearly as long as the so-called Great Recession (16 months vs 18 months), and saw unemployment rise higher (peaking at 10.8% vs. 10%) — the dependence index climbed only 6%, then fell the very next year.

The lingering high unemployment rate during the slow economic recovery under Obama could also explain the dependency rise. It’s also possible that the growth in federal dependency programs is partly to blame for the ongoing jobs recession, not just the result of it.

As the nearby chart shows, the time it’s taken for employment to reach its prerecession peak has climbed the past four decades, right along with the growth in federal dependency. The current jobs recession hit a post-World War II record of 48 months in January, with payrolls still 5.6 million below their January 2008 high.

Research seems to validate this connection. Various studies have shown that extending unemployment benefits can keep unemployment rates higher than they would otherwise have been.

Obama’s own former economic adviser, Larry Summers, noted in the 1999 Concise Encyclopedia of Economics that “government assistance programs contribute to long-term unemployment … by providing an incentive, and the means, not to work.”

http://patdollard.com/2012/02/government-dependency-up-23-in-last-2-years/

[Case_Closed]

“government assistance programs contribute to long-term unemployment … by providing an incentive, and the means, not to work.”

GET IT!!

DUH!!!

[Observer]

True.

[Sassy]

Dependency Index Surges 23% Under President Obama

The American public's dependence on the federal government shot up 23% in just two years under President Obama, with 67 million now relying on some federal program, according to a newly released study by the Heritage Foundation.

...The two-year increase under Obama is the biggest two-year jump since Jimmy Carter was president, the data show.

http://news.investors.com/Article/600452/201202080802/government-dependence-jumps-under-president-obama.htm

Another record setting event.

[dustup]

Dependency Index Surges 23% Under President Obama

The American public's dependence on the federal government shot up 23% in just two years under President Obama, with 67 million now relying on some federal program, according to a newly released study by the Heritage Foundation.

...The two-year increase under Obama is the biggest two-year jump since Jimmy Carter was president, the data show.

http://news.investors.com/Article/600452/201202080802/government-dependence-jumps-under-president-obama.htm

Another record setting event.

.............Looks to me like Both Political parties, Republicans and Democrats have caused the increase........

[Sassy]

.............Looks to me like Both Political parties, Republicans and Democrats have caused the increase........

Who said otherwise?

[ivanm]

I don't regard receiving my monthly social security retirement check as being dependent on the government because I have paid into the system since I was thirteen years old and am still paying in when I work.  It is an annuity and in the later years people draw back with interest what they paid in.  Yep, it is also much like a Ponzi scheme, but it is a cheap shot for the Heritage know it alls to bitch about folks getting what they paid for.

As to Medicare, I pay nearly 100 dollars a month in premiums for the insurance, and have little practical choice in the matter, so you young punks can kiss my ass if you don't like it.  What I don't cover of my medical costs with Medicare premiums and copayments and deductibles I cover with annual payments of Federal income taxes, so once again, piss on you if you are being left out.  My wife and I also pay monthly premiums to our Medigap insurance provider so if you think we are sponges then why don't you cough up the monthly premiums of about 250 bucks.  Then you will have sojmething to bitch about.  This money comes from my wife's monthly retirement benefit from MMM, so really, is it any skin off your asses?

Medicaid is for those who cannot pay for their own health care, and yep, it is a major expense for the American taxpayer.  So what is the alternative, kick them into a ditch and let them die.  You fucking idiots never cease to amaze me with your self centered attitude about social responsibility and your ignorance of how Social Security and Medicare work and are funded.  So either you dumb asses wise up or shut the hell up about what you don't know.

[Case_Closed]

I don't regard receiving my monthly social security retirement check as being dependent on the government because I have paid into the system since I was thirteen years old and am still paying in when I work.  It is an annuity and in the later years people draw back with interest what they paid in.  Yep, it is also much like a Ponzi scheme, but it is a cheap shot for the Heritage know it alls to bitch about folks getting what they paid for.

As to Medicare, I pay nearly 100 dollars a month in premiums for the insurance, and have little practical choice in the matter, so you young punks can kiss my ass if you don't like it.  What I don't cover of my medical costs with Medicare premiums and copayments and deductibles I cover with annual payments of Federal income taxes, so once again, piss on you if you are being left out.  My wife and I also pay monthly premiums to our Medigap insurance provider so if you think we are sponges then why don't you cough up the monthly premiums of about 250 bucks.  Then you will have sojmething to bitch about.  This money comes from my wife's monthly retirement benefit from MMM, so really, is it any skin off your asses?

Medicaid is for those who cannot pay for their own health care, and yep, it is a major expense for the American taxpayer.  So what is the alternative, kick them into a ditch and let them die.  You fucking idiots never cease to amaze me with your self centered attitude about social responsibility and your ignorance of how Social Security and Medicare work and are funded.  So either you dumb asses wise up or shut the hell up about what you don't know.

TRANSLATION:  "GET OFF MY LAWN!!!!!!!!!"

LOL

[Pepsi]

I don't regard receiving my monthly social security retirement check as being dependent on the government because I have paid into the system since I was thirteen years old and am still paying in when I work.  It is an annuity and in the later years people draw back with interest what they paid in.  Yep, it is also much like a Ponzi scheme, but it is a cheap shot for the Heritage know it alls to bitch about folks getting what they paid for.

Very good point. right wingers like to paint SS as a government handout but the fact is we've all paid into it. 

However, I cannot agree it is like a ponzi scheme.   It is not at all, not even a little bit, like a ponzi scheme.   That is just ridiculous.    If it was a ponzi scheme how has it been paying out for 70 years?

[Case_Closed]

Very good point. right wingers like to paint SS as a government handout but the fact is we've all paid into it. 

However, I cannot agree it is like a ponzi scheme.   It is not at all, not even a little bit, like a ponzi scheme.   That is just ridiculous.    If it was a ponzi scheme how has it been paying out for 70 years?

Yeah, well, NO ONE is talking about Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid.

Those aren't "entitlements."  Those are earned "things" which we've paid in for all of our lives as working adults.  If you have to have "entitlements" explained to you at this stage of the game, you are beyond any kind of help.

[dustup]

Who said otherwise?

.....just saying.......

[Pepsi]

Yeah, well, NO ONE is talking about Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid.

from YOUR post:

The rise was driven mainly by increases in housing subsidies, an expansion in Medicaid and changes to the welfare system, along with a sharp rise in food stamps, the study found.

[Pepsi]

and from the Heritage study which the article is sourced from

The Fiscal Calamities Created by Growing Dependence
Entitlements. The issue of dependence is particularly salient today when more and more Americans are increasing their reliance on government as they pass into retirement. Current retirees became eligible for Social Security income, as well as for health care benefits from Medicare or Medicaid, at age 65.[8] These programs currently make up 42 percent of all non-interest federal program spending. Over the next two decades, that spending will increase to nearly 62 percent of non-interest spending as 10,000 baby boomers per day retire and begin to collect benefits. Jointly, these programs will enable the government dependence of nearly 80 million baby boomers.

-clearly they ARe including ENTITLEMENTS in this "study"