Texas Insider

10:08 am CST - June 23, 2009

Texas Welfare Numbers Drop

By Laura Elizabeth Morales

Welfare cases in the Lone Star State dropped 9.7 per cent, despite a rising number of cases in states across the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and National Conference of State Legislatures. Florida’s welfare cases increased by 14.2 per cent, California increased by 10.4 per cent, Illinois increased by 3 per cent and New York increased by 1.2 per cent.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the severe increases are in states with the highest unemployment rates. Furthermore, welfare cases in California have continued to steadily climb since 2007, peaking at its current rate of just over 520,000 cases.

Already ailing state budgets will now have to deal with increasing demands of welfare cases.

“Good welfare-to-work programs actually save taxpayers money by moving many people off the rolls and into employment. The 1996 reforms allow a state to keep excess federal funds if their caseloads shrink, and those monies can be spent on a variety of other related programs, thereby freeing up more state dollars for other purposes,” said Katherine Bradley and Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation.

The Heritage Foundation also reports that spending on Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid will grow faster than the overall economy of the United States between 2005 and 2030.

Texans have continued to see economic prosperity in light of the economic downturn. According to the Brookings Institute, Texas is home to 6 of the top 20 strongest metro areas, including McAllen, El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Dallas.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Texas created more jobs in 2008 than all 49 other states combined.

“These companies are finding out what corporate giants such as Dell, Exxon Mobil, AT&T, and EDS have long known: that when it comes to business, Texas is number one,” said Joseph McCafferty in Directorship Magazine.

In 2008, 61 per cent of federal spending is used to pay for welfare benefits, while just 21 per cent goes towards defense, according to Newsweek.

3 Comments

CWJensen
9:39 pm CST
June 23, 2009

The politicians in Texas pay so well for the illegal votes they don’t need welfare.

CWJensen
9:41 pm CST
June 23, 2009

The final line in the story needs to be highlighted.
In 2008, 61 per cent of federal spending is used to pay for welfare benefits, while just 21 per cent goes towards defense, according to Newsweek

SJK
8:31 am CST
June 23, 2009

That is why Texas probably has a huge number of illegals living here because the job situation is so good, If they were all sent back to Mexico, just think how much better the economy and availability of jobs would be in Texas then! Amnesty for these illegals would be wrong and should not happen! They are all here illegally and they should do what it takes to be here legally! They have taken advantage of us and hurt our economy long enough! There would probably be less drugs in our country if it weren’t for the illegals! Send them home! NO AMNESTY! Finish building the fence and give us more border security—no more,no less! Nothing else is acceptable! Remember, there are terrorists who know they can pass through Mexico to get to us with whatever they want to use to destroy us!