Whether by design, as the conspiracy theorists might suggest, or as a by product of a serious decline in the economy, those signing up for government benefits under various welfare programs, including food stamps, took a dramatic jump upward in 2009.
Welfare rolls rose in 2009 for the first time in 15 years, but the 5% increase was dwarfed by spikes in the number of people receiving food stamps and unemployment insurance.
The cash-assistance program that once helped more than 14 million people served an average of 4 million in the 2009 fiscal year, up from 3.8 million in fiscal 2008. By comparison, there were more than 37 million people receiving food stamps in September, an increase of 18% from the year before. The number receiving unemployment benefits more than doubled, to about 9.1 million.
No matter what he reads off of the teleprompter tonight, THIS is the state of our Union.
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