What has gone ballistic is [sic] entitlements.


Are you able to provide any examples?


I don't know if ktbr can but I'll be happy to. Look at the graph next to
the third paragraph.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...021301091.html

Is there an echo in here?

"Beef and pork".

That is, the part of the graph that is growing is the one labled "Social
Security and other payments to individuals". This lumps together a
number of disparate items which are then inappropriately labeled
"entitlements". Social security is something that one pays into, and
one receives benefits based on what one has paid in (and when). It is a
form of insurance, albeit one that has been administered by the
government. One may just as well throw tax refunds into the "payments
to individuals" pot too!

This is different from welfare, which is simply given. Without a
breakdown as to how much each program contributes to this big category,
it is unfair to say that "entitlements have gone ballistic" based on
this graph. The article shows a Social security as the dominant form of
"payments to individuals" Medicare and medicaid =combined= equal this,
and the category "payments to the poor" is about one sixth of the total.

I don't defend the present situation, but one must be careful in the
analysis.

Jose
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