Thread: New Yorkers lead pack in government benefits

New Yorkers lead pack in government benefits

By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY
Updated 9m ago |

New Yorkers get more government aid per person from social programs than residents of any other state, a USA TODAY analysis finds.

The state’s Medicaid program is the most expensive in the nation, driving the average cost of all government benefits in New York to $9,442 per person.

New York ranks 28th in Social Security payments per person and 9th in Medicare benefits. But the spending on Medicaid, the health program for the poor, is far above that in any other state. Only Washington, D.C., spends more.

New York spent $2,903 per person on Medicaid in 2010 — a third more than any other state. The U.S. average is $1,364. Nevada spent the least: $666 per person.

“New York has a social tradition, an ethic, if you will, of providing services to the entire population with a special welcoming attention to those at the bottom,â€

New York has unique challenges — a large number of poor people, often immigrants, and a high-cost of providing health care in New York City, he says.

Huh? I thought the invader advocates have insisted that immigrants - even illegal ones - don't come here for benefits, aren't eligible for benefits, come here to work, and contribute much more than they take in welfare. In fact, I thought even legal immigrants weren't supposed to be eligible for welfare for several years after they arrived here.

You know they are not even including the anchor babies in any "immigrant" statistics.

. . . New York has unique challenges — a large number of poor people, often immigrants, and a high-cost of providing health care in New York City, he says. . .

Overall, government checks flow from affluent states, generally in the Northeast and West, to less affluent states, especially in the South. . .