The Forbes "Death Spiral" States

[OswegoAtheist]

Courtesy of snopes.com

There's a new email going around that claims that eleven states now have more people on "welfare" (that vague notion of welfare which pervades the wingers' meager brains, anyway) than working. The email goes on to state that all eleven are "straight Democratic states" which surprises me because three of the states (SC, AL, MS) are the blood-reddest of them all.

Rated false, of course.

Oswego "Death Spiral Notebook" Atheist

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Isn't it possible to be working

and still get some welfare? If that is the case, they cannot judge this just by numbers on welfare.

And it makes me laugh that all of these states, including SC, AL, and MS, are "straight Democratic states".

[SheilaT]

3. It is certainly possible to be working and

get food stamps. To be working and your health insurance is Medicaid.

After this coming August I'll be working and on Medicare for my health coverage. I hope to put off collecting SS for a couple more years.

And the fact that someone can be working and still get food stamps and Medicaid shows both how badly paid many jobs are, and the lack of regular health care coverage at a job.

There are probably other things called "welfare" that a working person can qualify for.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. You bring up a good point....

Exactly what is meant by "welfare". I have a feeling that so many people who talk about "welfare" have no idea what they are discussing. Is it just a government check, or is it also the benefits of food stamps, Medicaid, WIC, Section 8 housing, etc.? I am guilty of using the word "welfare" as just meaning a check from the government when you are not working, but I know better if I think about it.

[progree]

2. Kentucky - 4 of the last presidential elections voted RepubliCON, and 9 of the last 12

http://www.270towin.com/states/Kentucky

In 2012, they voted for Romney by a 22.7% margin over Obama.

Of the 3 elections (in the past 12) where they voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, it was twice for Clinton (from Arkansas) and once for Carter (from Georgia) (southerners running against non-southerners). I guess that makes them a "straight Democratic state".

[OmahaBlueDog]

5. This is a typical example of the "vague notion of welfare which pervades the wingers' meager brains"

I keep wondering why wingnuts assume that hard-working Americans don't utilize services such as WIC, SNAP, or Section 8 rental assistance. I can only assume they've never tried to support a family on minimum wage.

[antigop19667]

7. exactly!

[toddmiller]

6. Forbes need to do a follow-up article on intellectual death spiral states.