Graphic Illustrating Distribution of Government Benefits

[montanadave]

OK, some of you may need to hold your nose while visiting the NYT's website, but they have a fascinating interactive graphic which shows the distribution of government benefits as a percentage of personal income across the country.

It allows the user to look not only at total benefits, but also break out such specific items as Social Security, VA benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, and unemployment benefits. Additionally, it allows the user to look at historical trends. Interesting to see which areas of the country are getting what.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html?ref=us

Someone could make a great study by taking this type of data and collating it with congressional districts, voting records on entitlement programs, and voter registration and turnout.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

This came out before and I can't remember what the problem with it, because the problem with government obviously isn't because we spend too much money in Appilachia, as this map would suggest.

What it really shows is that wages and income really suck in some areas. Look at the Social Security map. You can start to see the typical retirement areas like Arizona and Florida, but once again that Appilachia thru the South isn't a go-to place to retire- it just shows really poor people, unable to move, going on SS. Is the govt dumping money into northern lower penninsula of Michigan?

The problem is that the map shows percent income from the government, not the amount of money that actually goes to the county. So low income will spike this map with all kinds of red, in places where there isn't that much actual dollars flowing.

The map you want is actual dollars- in benefits and also in general govt spending- per person in each county. Being able to spliting benefits and govt spending would be interesting, plus the amount of personal and business taxes paid from that county would be interesting.

Maps like this are made to try to convince people that govt money isn't spent where it is actually spent. It is interesting to see where govt 'addiction' is the most prevalent, and probably most importantly how it has changed over time, but like I said, it really is just a low wage map rather than anything really relevant about govt spending.

[nimdabew]

This comic may be tongue and cheek, with a bit of satire on the side, but it illustrates the problem with graphs, statistics, and maps such as this. It gives the author ability to represent the data as they see fit. While the actual data might be accurate, the way the data is represented can skew public opinion who it is shown to, where it is shown, and how it is shown.

I may be wrong on this but the main population centers that actually produce the majority of per capita income are showing low government benefits, even though the likely hood of government benefits are to be higher in these areas. Look at King County, LA County, Cook County, and New York County. True, surrounding NY County is the Bronx, Kings, and Queens Counties that may be commuters that live in those counties but produce in New York County. If the map was expressed in millions of dollars instead of a percentage, it would be easier to read.

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/convincing.png

[SteyrAUG]

And it would figure the only one I actually support, Veterans Benefits, get's the least amount of support at 0.4%.

We spend 5x as much on shit like welfare and food stamps.

So if you sit on your ass and pump out a bunch of kids you will be treated five times better than if you defend the country.

Amazing.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

And it would figure the only one I actually support, Veterans Benefits, get's the least amount of support at 0.4%.

We spend 5x as much on shit like welfare and food stamps.

So if you sit on your ass and pump out a bunch of kids you will be treated five times better than if you defend the country.

Amazing.

Actually, it probably means that there are more than 5x as many people popping out kids and going on welfare than serving their country.

Wait.... that's not much better.

-Montana Dave, thanks for at least bringing data to the conversation.

Nimdabew- I give a lot of data driven presentations and one of the best things a mentor ever told me was, for every slide, for every graph- explain the axis of the graph.

[SteyrAUG]

Actually, it probably means that there are more than 5x as many people popping out kids and going on welfare than serving their country.

Wait.... that's not much better.



Probably. But regardless of numbers, we are still spending 5 times as much on things like welfare, food stamps and the like than veterans benefits from a finite supply of tax dollars.

Assuming for a moment that there are 5 times as many people receiving welfare, food stamps, etc. than there are veterans receiving benefits which would result in everyone getting the same amount of support, that is STILL unacceptable to me.

Even if there were 25 times as many people receiving welfare, food stamps, etc. which would result in them receiving 1/5 of the support that a veteran receives would also still be unacceptable to me. I don't really care about the per capita distribution.

What concerns me is we are allocating 5 times as much money for welfare, food stamps and the like than we are for veterans benefits. Most of those people collecting food stamps, welfare and the like would be eligible for military service. And if you want tax dollar "handouts" you should have to give something in return. You shouldn't be allowed to sit at home watching Oprah and smoking weed.

If you can't find a job, or if the only job you can find can't support you and/or your family then you should join the military. And then if you still need some help, I'd have no problem with my tax dollars going to somebody who is at least trying.

But having four kids, getting a part time job at McDonalds and then getting section 8 housing, food stamps and a welfare check to take up the slack is bullshit.