Where the Real Welfare Goes

We all know - or we should - that the total taxpayer dollars going toward food stamps that prevent children from starving, TANF checks to support needy families, Section 8 affordable housing subsidies and all the other money that goes to help working class and poor people is a pittance compared to the hundreds of billions of dollars - trillions if you count the Wall Street bailout - going to people who hire lobbyists to protect their private jet tax deduction.

And that's not even counting the tens of billions of dollars states and counties waste in giveaways to corporations who might - but usually don't - create lots of jobs.

From Firedoglake:

Very cool data base, showing taxpayer $s cities, counties and states spend trying to lure businesses.  $s are shown in per capita and % of state budget dollars, too.  TX is tops, with MI , NE, WV and OK following.   2012 poverty stats for comparison.

Here's Kentucky.

Kentucky spends at least $1.41 billion per year on incentive programs, according to the most recent data available. That is roughly:

• $324 per capita
• 15¢ per dollar of state budget

• Top Incentives by type

  1. $264 million in Personal income tax credit

  2. $108 million in Sales tax refund, exemptions or other sales tax discounts

  3. $69.2 million in Corporate income tax credit, rebate or reduction

• Top Incentives by industry

  1. $569 million in Oil, gas, mining
  2. $341 million in Agriculture
  3. $180 million in Manufacturing 

See the complete list here.