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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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15

Welfare Rolls Soar Along With Unemployment

Many make shift as jobless benefits run out

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(Newser) – Welfare rolls are on the rise nationwide for the first time since President Clinton signed a bill overhauling the system in 1996, the Wall Street Journal reports. Welfare recipients’ ranks fell in some areas at the beginning of the recession, but now 23 of the 30 biggest US states are seeing an increase as residents' unemployment compensation runs out.

States with the highest unemployment rates are seeing the biggest jump in welfare rolls.  Oregon’s numbers have risen 27%, South Carolina’s 23%, and California’s 10%. The number of people on food stamps rises first because qualification is easier; welfare stats signal more entrenched difficulty. It’s “the first real test” for the altered welfare system, said an analyst—and “this is exactly what should happen,” said one involved in the 1996 law.

Carolina Fuentes talks with a worker at the Sacramento county welfare office, as her daughter, Katherine, 5, waits, in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, June 1, 2009.
Carolina Fuentes talks with a worker at the Sacramento county welfare office, as her daughter, Katherine, 5, waits, in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, June 1, 2009.   (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Former President Bill Clinton speaks at a fundraising dinner for the Indiana Democratic Party in Indianapolis, Saturday, June 20, 2009.
Former President Bill Clinton speaks at a fundraising dinner for the Indiana Democratic Party in Indianapolis, Saturday, June 20, 2009.   (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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15 comments
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Timinator2K
Jun 22, 09 7:58 AM CDT
I think we ALL should get on food stamps since our paychecks have fallen so FAR behind the rise in food prices. Wow, then I could afford steak again and eat as well as the welfare folks do. Reply
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-1
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2-bits
Jun 22, 09 8:32 AM CDT
Wait so you're actually taking credit for this wonderful welfare system that you and your compatriots love so much? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?!?!?!?
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+5
IN RESPONSE:
Nwambe
Jun 22, 09 8:56 AM CDT
Come on, you're still on about Clinton like it's the end of the world. For Chrissake, your country lived through eight years of Reagan AND eight years of Bush, and ended up smelling like dog poop for both of those administrations - SDI, Iran Contra, the ATCO strike (Where Reagan stabbed the unions who supported his run to office in the back - How very Republican of him?), Katrina, Iraq II, Enron, WorldCom.... Look, I'm not saying that you shouldn't be angry, but what I AM saying is that you're an angry Republican... There are too many of you out there already, and it might be that your anger and seeming ignorance to your own party's mistakes, and lock- goose-stepping nature might just turn people off towards your cause. Do you really think American politics is so black-and-white that you can blame a single politician and his eight years in office for the ails of an entire country?
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+1
IN RESPONSE:
Clarke
Jun 22, 09 1:54 PM CDT
Corona_king, don't you know that if something works, its a Democrat idea....and if its bad, it must be Republican....its funny, but anything good in Clinton's years was despite the GoP led Congress, but the deregulation of the banking industry that was signed into law in 1999, that was the GoP...and in many cases, people still say it was Bush, even though he did not come into office for 2 more years.
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0
Sabrina
Jun 22, 09 8:32 AM CDT
Oh WoW!!! This is REALLY GREAT news for the Republicans, now if they could just reinstate the draft and pull in mainly future Democrats to be used a cannon fodder as in Vietnam they would have it made and perhaps actually stand a chance at holding political office??? Reply
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