Food Stamp Usage Plummets

A surprising drop:

The number of people enrolled in food stamps dropped by two million since President Trump took office, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA data show that the number of people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the government program that administers food stamps, plunged to 42,182,443 in fiscal year (FY) 2017 —a drop of 2,036,920 from the 44,219,363 enrolled in FY 2016…

After 2013, enrollment in SNAP declined as states passed laws requiring food stamp recipients to work, volunteer, be in school, or take part in job training for a set number of hours a week to receive food stamps. The improving economy also contributed to the continuing decline in food stamp usage.

This is a good example of a policy that will push society even farther K by simulating a resource shortage on those who would otherwise avail themselves of free resource availability, and be pushed even farther r.

I will bet illegals who are afraid to call attention to themselves is also adding to the drop.

Sometimes I fear the God-Emperor’s competence and economic savvy will forestall the Apocalypse, but it is important to remember that with the populace as r as it is, any resources (and ability to borrow) which the God Emperor creates will rapidly be sucked up at the state level by the myriad of incompetents the leftists in blue states have elected:

Many indicators show the country’s economy has been pumping on all cylinders this past year. Stocks are at record highs and the unemployment rate is at its lowest point in 17 years. Many would agree that the economy is moving in the right direction, which is excellent news.

Unfortunately, this optimistic news is somewhat undercut by worsening financial trajectories at the state government level from coast to coast. The nation is not in as good a shape as it seems.

Recently updated government financial disclosures show alarming levels of red ink on statehouse ledger books across the country. A 2017 analysis shows $1.5 trillion in state debt, a 15 percent increase over the previous year and part of a long-term worsening trend. In the last year, only seven states reported improved financials, while three were unchanged, and 40 are on a troubling downward trajectory.

There is a significant variation in the fortunes of the 40 downward trending states, which include examples at both ends of the extreme, such as Alaska’s declining surplus and New Jersey’s skyrocketing $208 billion debt. However, when the data is taken as whole it is hard to understate the scale of the precarious fiscal situation at the state government level. Truth in Accounting, an organization I founded in 2002, analyzes the most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports, and our data shows that the average state now carries a staggering $10,020 in debt for every one of its taxpayers…

But the most illuminating examples are simple increases in public-sector spending that are paid for with the taxpayer’s credit card.

Across all 50 states, we have seen expenditures creep up over the last 10 years in every category…

Increased government spending doesn’t necessarily foretell financial doom if it’s linked with corresponding revenue increases. But most states have opted to cover their spending sprees by unfairly shifting the burden onto future taxpayers, including our children and grandchildren…

This short-sighted accounting trick allows governments to claim they have balanced their budgets while artificially deflating their published debt numbers. However, the day will come when they have to decide whether to default on promises made to state workers, or hand the bill to surprised future taxpayers.

The new tax bill sucking state tax deductions from blue states, will also worsen this trend. Add in a massive infrastructure bill, as well as The Wall, and hopefully things will continue to roar under Trump as he sets the stage, only to collapse right after he leaves office.

Tell everyone about r/K Theory, because it is all coming down, and it is all for the best