Help: how many americans are currently on welfare?

[Blue_Chill]

I can't seem to find a solid number, anyone know or know where I can find such a stat?

[LoZoccolo]

1. Tell them they have to prove it.

Or else it's bullshit.

[Blue_Chill]

2. Yeah I did but I'd like to prove them wrong

I hate the conservative line "there are millions, tens of in fact, collecting money they didn't earn."

I did however do a number on the "compassionate conervative" title. If EVER there was a oxymoron.....

[LoZoccolo]

3. I get you, but they should still be made to feel shame...

...for their assumptions. Be harsh if you need to be. These are other people you are defending, not yourself. It's completely irresponsible, it's violent, to make the kind of judgements that they do, with little or no information, that affect people's lives to the extent that they do.

[LoZoccolo]

4. By the way, here's a site with a lot of good stuff on economics.

http://www.conceptualguerilla.com

[sandnsea]

5. Here's a federal link

I didn't look up any of the data on this page. There's quite a bit.

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/stats/newstat2.shtml

I read somewhere that 40% of Americans get their health coverage through Medicare or Medicaid. And 40% of babies are born on Medicaid. Did you know that? Amazing number to me.

[KT2000]

6. If you are in a discussion

with a conservative, there is another fact to consider about welfare and ss disability. Some of the people collecting are people who have become chronically ill. The way some of these people have become ill: on the job injuries; serving in the military; exposure to toxic chemicals in their homes and communities.

While the conservatives love to yell about examples of lawsuit abuse, what they are not telling you is that toxic tort cases are nearly impossible to get through a court. Most people end up on public assistance of some sort or another.

Also - workers compensation programs have been targeted as a place to cut costs. Many people who are truly injured and permanently damaged on the job have their claims denied - forcing them onto public assistance.

Whatever the welfare stats are, there are other stories underneath (such as corporations forcing their casualties on tax supported programs), and not the stereotypes the conservatives love to complain about.