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. Floridas 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 520000 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.
