The Real Burden of Entitlements

Someone recently asked me if I knew how many people in America are on food stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  I had no clue so I went to the internet to find out…the numbers are stunning and frightening.

According to the Wall Street Journal, nearly 15% of the U.S. population relied on food stamps in August 2011, as the number of recipients hit 45.8 million.[1]  The same article reported that in the state of Mississippi a staggering 21% are on the program, and in another 4 states – New Mexico, Tennessee, Louisiana and Oregon – 20% of the population is on food stamps.

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) publishes detailed information about participation in the SNAP program.  According to FRAC, nearly 46.5 million Americans were on food stamps by May 2012, over 1 million more people than in May 2011.[2]

Should we be concerned about why over 46 million people are on food stamps?  Is this Entitlement program out of control?

According to the USDA, in 2007 there were over 26 million people receiving food stamps.[3]  This means a more than 75% increase in recipients since 2007!

Food stamps were first introduced in 1939 and became permanent with The Food Stamp Act of 1964.[4]  So what does this program cost citizens in America?  In 2010 the program cost U.S. taxpayers $68 billion, compared with $250 million in 1969.[5]

Have you ever seen a government Entitlement program, once it has started, suddenly shrink itself?  Entitlement programs always grow and politicians then take money from hard working and productive workers to ensure their program survives.

Give a Man a Fish

“Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.”  Seems like it’s an instinctive concept to all of us.  However, this does not seem instinctive to government.  The continued growth of programs like food stamps is clear evidence of the insatiable desire to spend as well as keep people dependent on government as the solution.

The government can help states temporarily in natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes or tornadoes so that people get their basic needs met.  Ongoing programs for affected people have proven to be best run by non-profit organizations or charity groups, not governments.[6] [7]

If these Entitlement programs are threatened, what do we hear from politicians and Progressives?  People will starve, kids will go hungry, families will be destroyed, and it’s the wealthy against the poor.  These are very simplistic and politically charged accusations. Why do I say this is political?

Consider the consequences to the next election in November 2012 from food stamp recipients.  If half of the 46.5 million recipients vote and are feeling threatened by cuts or caps to spending for food stamps, whom would they vote for?  Do food stamp recipients vote for the party that promises more spending for them, or for those speaking about responsible caps and cuts?

Does this sound like votes are being bought through food stamps so that those benefiting from the program continue to benefit by the hands of politicians who feed them?

Clearly the state of the economy under the Obama administration has suffered because of job losses and lack of job creation in the private sector.  More people are out of work; businesses are fearful of another 82,420 pages of regulations[8] they must conform to and more taxation to pay for Entitlements.  The size of government and Entitlement payments are not shrinking.  The Obama administration must do something to stay in power and attract votes, and Entitlements might be their ticket!

What is the Solution?

• Create conditions where jobs can grow in the private sector so that the welfare roles are not growing.
• Place limits on welfare so as not to encourage or breed lifetime dependence on the system.
• Stop the annual budget increases made to Entitlement programs.
• Remove barriers for people to start their own businesses with far less government regulation and taxation.

True Capitalism IS the Answer

This is the year, this is the time, and this is the election to solve the problem created by the Liberal and Progressive agenda.  Politicians who continue to support government Entitlement and regulatory growth need to be voted out.  Candidates must be judged against their actions to create smaller government, fewer Entitlements and less dependence on government.

Your friends and neighbors need to be made aware that they can make THE difference in 2012.  Judge whom you vote for based on their actions: Do they see reducing the size and spending of government as a solution?  Do they have a proven record in creating jobs in the private sector?  Do they see true capitalism as something that will save our economy?

Become involved with ACEF as a contributor of articles or monthly funding, and help us change the course of America and the world forever.