2013 Study - Hawaii Top Welfare state (section 8, rent, car insurance)

[mdand3boys]

This new, 2013 study examines the total value of welfare benefits.

Realize that the majority of the benefits that people receive are not in cash, but in things like subsidized housing, (Section 8), medical, food (SNAP, aka food stamps), etc.

It is eye-opening, for sure.

"...the national welfare championship to Hawaii, which offers $60,590 in annual welfare benefits, once you account for the fact that welfare benefits are tax-free to the recipient, compared to work-related wages. That’s the equivalent of $29.13 an hour..."

On Labor Day 2013, Welfare Pays More Than Minimum-Wage Work In 35 States - Forbes

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[whtviper1]

One only needs to read this forum and the egging on of broke people to move to the Big Island to really understand the draw to Hawaii and the welfare benefits.

[OpenD]

I'm extremely skeptical of anything coming out of the Cato Institute, which functions as an ultra-conservative loudspeaker for Libertarian Billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, whose family fortune traces back to Nazi Germany.

And in this case, their tagging Hawai'i as offering $60,590 in annual welfare benefits defies logic. In my community volunteer work I've seen how welfare recipients actually live in Hawai'i, and it's close to the bone for all those I've served. I find it outrageous that Cato has ginned up a slanderous lie like this against some of our most vulnerable citizens.

Here's a critique of this report from Business Insider, titled "There's a New Study That Says Welfare Pays Better Than Work—Here's Why It's Total Nonsense."

Chief among the criticisms of this Cato report, that $60,590 figure is simply a theoretical amount, the aggregated total of the maximum benefits of every single possible benefit a person with children might claim, despite the fact that very few people are approved to collect benefits from more than a few of the programs at any given time.

Does Welfare Really Pay Better Than Work? - Business Insider

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by OpenD

I'm extremely skeptical of anything coming out of the Cato Institute, which functions as an ultra-conservative loudspeaker for Libertarian Billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, whose family fortune traces back to Nazi Germany.

And in this case, their tagging Hawai'i as offering $60,590 in annual welfare benefits defies logic. In my community volunteer work I've seen how welfare recipients actually live in Hawai'i, and it's close to the bone for all those I've served. I find it outrageous that Cato has ginned up a slanderous lie like this against some of our most vulnerable citizens.

Here's a critique of this report from Business Insider, titled "There's a New Study That Says Welfare Pays Better Than Work—Here's Why It's Total Nonsense."

Chief among the criticisms of this Cato report, that $60,590 figure is simply a theoretical amount, the aggregated total of the maximum benefits of every single possible benefit a person with children might claim, despite the fact that very few people are approved to collect benefits from more than a few of the programs at any given time.

Does Welfare Really Pay Better Than Work? - Business Insider

I knew you would make some bogus claim and yet, you are wrong again... I have worked as a consultant in the Hawaii welfare offices. People are pushed onto/into every possible benefit by the social workers.

So many people are collecting housing (at $1200+ per month) utility payments, free medical care (Medicaid), Obama cell phones, food stamps at $300+ per month per person, free car insurance for those that work a few hours a week, WIC, TANF (cash at nearly $350 per person per month), free student breakfast and lunches, free school bus transportation, etc....

Hey recipient? You want to move to new place? We got program that pays you most of 1st month's rent and your deposit, too.

Add it up. Then add in the Earned Income tax Credit (EITC) which can give those who work a little bit each year, THOUSANDS of $ in the form of a TAX REFUND, much more than they ever paid in in SS taxes.

I dare you (if you are really even on island) to go into the offices on Kinoole St and simply sit in the waiting room and observe what goes on. MAYBE, you will figure it out.

I hope you are shocked - and start complaining about the unending benefits these people are receiving.

These excessive benefits are not helping any of these people to move up in the world.

[Rounds Complete]

Originally Posted by mdand3boys

I knew you would make some bogus claim and yet, you are wrong again... I have worked as a consultant in the Hawaii welfare offices. People are pushed onto/into every possible benefit by the social workers.

So many people are collecting housing (at $1200+ per month) utility payments, free medical care (Medicaid), Obama cell phones, food stamps at $300+ per month per person, free car insurance for those that work a few hours a week, WIC, TANF (cash at nearly $350 per person per month), free student breakfast and lunches, free school bus transportation, etc....

Hey recipient? You want to move to new place? We got program that pays you most of 1st month's rent and your deposit, too.

Add it up. Then add in the Earned Income tax Credit (EITC) which can give those who work a little bit each year, THOUSANDS of $ in the form of a TAX REFUND, much more than they ever paid in in SS taxes.

I dare you (if you are really even on island) to go into the offices on Kinoole St and simply sit in the waiting room and observe what goes on. MAYBE, you will figure it out.

I hope you are shocked - and start complaining about the unending benefits these people are receiving.

These excessive benefits are not helping any of these people to move up in the world.

You hit the Railroad Spike Squarely on the head. Congrats.

[Rounds Complete]

Originally Posted by OpenD

I'm extremely skeptical of anything coming out of the Cato Institute, which functions as an ultra-conservative loudspeaker for Libertarian Billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, whose family fortune traces back to Nazi Germany.

And in this case, their tagging Hawai'i as offering $60,590 in annual welfare benefits defies logic. In my community volunteer work I've seen how welfare recipients actually live in Hawai'i, and it's close to the bone for all those I've served. I find it outrageous that Cato has ginned up a slanderous lie like this against some of our most vulnerable citizens.

Here's a critique of this report from Business Insider, titled "There's a New Study That Says Welfare Pays Better Than Work—Here's Why It's Total Nonsense."

Chief among the criticisms of this Cato report, that $60,590 figure is simply a theoretical amount, the aggregated total of the maximum benefits of every single possible benefit a person with children might claim, despite the fact that very few people are approved to collect benefits from more than a few of the programs at any given time.

Does Welfare Really Pay Better Than Work? - Business Insider

Did they use the same methodology in analyzing all the other states, and the value of their welfare programs.

I have little-to-no doubt the methodology was identical, so it all amounts to same same in relative terms.

[Jungjohann]

Any specific, verifiable numbers at to what percentage of the overall population in Hawaii receives these benefits, and what portion of that percentage is new to the state, say less than 2 years?

No ho'opunipuni now

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by Rounds Complete

You hit the Railroad Spike Squarely on the head. Congrats.

Just the truth. Sorry if any ultra-liberals don't like it.

[whtviper1]

Somehow I think the servers at Wikipedia and Google are getting overloaded right now.

[mdand3boys]

I should add, those that work a few hours a week, also get paid mileage to/from work...
I know there are more benefits, I just can't remember them all. I wasn't a social worker, but was on several 89 day contracts with the state.