Opinion
‘Entitlement Programs’ Serve Elderly
“Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now”
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R
epublicans have made it
clear that their next budget
goal is to slash so-called
entitlement programs. Democrats
have failed to explain to the public
that the misnamed programs are
valuable and prevent millions of
Americans, many of them elderly
or children, from living in poverty.
The Center on Budget and Poli-
cy Priorities issued a report last
week that found: “Social Security
benefits play a vital role in reduc-
ing poverty.
Without Social
Security, 22.2 million more Amer-
icans would be poor, according to
the latest available Census data
(for 2012). Although most of
those whom Social Security keeps
out of poverty are elderly, nearly a
third are under age 65, including 1
million children. Depending on
their design, reductions in Social
Security benefits could signifi-
cantly
increase
poverty,
particularly among the elderly.”
The report explained, “Almost
90 percent of people aged 65 and
older receive some of their family
income from Social Security.
Without Social Security benefits,
44.4 percent of elderly Americans
would have incomes below the
official poverty line, all else being
equal; with Social Security bene-
fits, only 9.1 percent do. These
benefits lift 15.3 million elderly
Americans — including 9.0 mil-
lion women – above the poverty
line.”
Medicare has proven equally as
effective. Yet, Republicans like to
pretend that the U.S. is quickly
moving toward an entitlement
society.
However, CBPP issued a report
last year titled, “Contrary to ‘Enti-
tlement Society’ Rhetoric, Over
Nine-Tenths of Entitlement Bene-
fits Go to Elderly, Disabled, or
Working Households.”
programs went to the elderly (peo-
ple 65 and over), the seriously
T HE C URRY disabled, and members of working
R EPORT
households. People who are nei-
ther elderly nor disabled — and do
not live in a working household —
George E.
received only 9 percent of the ben-
Curry
efits.
“Moreover, the vast bulk of that
9 percent goes for medical care,
unemployment insurance benefits
It stated, “More than 90 percent (which individuals must have a
of the benefit dollars that entitle- significant work history to
ment and other mandatory receive), Social Security survivor
programs spend go to assist people benefits for the children and
who are elderly, seriously dis- spouses of deceased workers, and
abled, or members of working Social Security benefits for
households — not to able-bodied, retirees between ages 62 and 64.
working-age Americans who Seven out of the 9 percentage
choose not to work. This figure points go for one of these four pur-
has changed little in the past few poses.”
President Obama has suggested a
more balanced approach, with cuts
being matched by closing some of
the loopholes for the wealthy
years.”
It stated, “The claim behind
these critiques is clear: federal
spending on entitlements and
other
mandatory
programs
through which individuals receive
benefits is promoting laziness, cre-
ating a dependent class of
Americans who are losing the
desire to work and would rather
collect government benefits than
find a job.
“Such beliefs are starkly at odds
with the basic facts regarding
social programs, the analysis
finds. Federal budget and Census
data show that, in 2010, 91 percent
of the benefit dollars from entitle-
ment and other mandatory
The research also shatters anoth-
er myth, the idea that entitlement
programs shift resources for the
middle class to the poor.
“The data show that the middle
class receives approximately its
proportionate share of benefits: in
2010, the middle 60 percent of the
population received 58 percent of
the entitlement benefits. The top
20 percent of the population
received 10 percent of the bene-
fits; the bottom 20 percent
received 32 percent of the bene-
fits. “
Even with a sluggish economy,
Congress seems unwilling to sup-
port those on food stamps, now
called SNAP – Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program.
Under the 2009 Recovery Act,
recipients received a 13.6 percent
temporary boost in benefits. How-
ever, that provision is set to expire
on Nov. 1, resulting in a $80 a
month loss for a family of four.
That means SNAP benefits will
average less than $1.40 per person
per meal in fiscal 2014.
Instead of continuing to help
those in dire need, House Agricul-
ture Committee Chairman Frank
Lucas (R-Ok.) introduced legisla-
tion in September cutting SNAP
by at least $39 billion over the
next decade.
To his credit, President Obama
has suggested a more balanced
approach, with cuts being matched
by closing some of the loopholes
for the wealthy.
According to the Tax Policy
Center, the top fifth of the popula-
tion receives 66 percent of
tax-expenditure benefits, the mid-
dle 60 percent of the population
receives a little more than 31 per-
cent of tax-expenditure benefits,
the bottom fifth receives just 2.8
percent of tax-expenditure bene-
fits and the top 1 percent of the
population receives 23.9 percent
of tax-expenditure benefits. And
the report pointed out, “That’s
more than eight times as much as
the bottom fifth of the population,
and nearly as much as the middle
60 percent of the population.”
It’s time for President Obama
and Democratic leaders to show
that they can stand up to Teapubli-
cans more than once.
George E. Curry, former editor-
in-chief of Emerge magazine, is
editor-in-chief of the National
Newspaper Publishers Associa-
tion News Service.
http://www.theskanner.com
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Don Yelton: Look Who’s ‘Lazy’ and ‘Crazy’
V
oter suppression is alive
and well, especially in the
state of North Carolina,
where a Republican official, Don
Yelton, proved himself to be at
best intellectually limited, and at
worse, downright crazy.
While discussing North Caroli-
na’s new voter ID law, Yelton
made some absurd and incendiary
statements. “The law is going to
kick the Democrats in the butt. If it
hurts a bunch of college kids [that
are] too lazy to get up off their
bohonkas and go get a photo ID,
so be it. If it hurts a bunch of
whites, so be it.”
Yelton continued, “If it hurts a
bunch of lazy blacks that want the
government to give them every-
thing, so be it,”
What is wrong with this man?
Has he no decency? He tipped his
hand by telling the world what he
really thinks, and indicating what
the so-called voter ID laws are
really about. These laws are about
suppressing likely Democratic
votes. They are about racism and
racist attitudes. These attitudes
don’t belong in these United States
of America 150 years after the
signing of the Emancipation
Proclamation.
Who the heck is Don Yelton,
anyway? He’s a local North Car-
Page 4 The Portland Skanner October 30, 2013
B ENNETT
C OLLEGE
Julianne
Malveaux
olina precinct chair who initially
answered questions about his
interview with some belligerence.
“I’ve been called a bigot before,”
he said before adding that his best
friend is Black. Then he goes on
the past because they are fright-
ened of our multicultural future.
I am waiting for someone to tell
me that Yelton is “just one person”
and that his views do not represent
those of the Republican Party. I’m
also waiting for ants to eat snakes.
I am certain that Yelton has used
these kinds of comments before.
Is this the first time he has been
reprimanded?
To apply the world “lazy” to stu-
dents and African Americans is
disingenuous, racist, and insult-
ing. Yelton seemed careful,
though, not to ignore senior citi-
zens, some of who might be
Editor’s note: Yelton resigned last week
after his remarks were aired on “The
Daily Show.”
to talk about the “n” word, saying
that if African Americans can use
the word, then so can he.
Of course, Yelton was repri-
manded by his party. He ended up
resigning over his comments. But
no one reprimanded Mitt Romney
over his 47 percent comments, and
no one has reprimanded the many
Republican racists who cling to
challenged to get new ID. Yelton’s
comments are especially revealing
of the contempt that some elected
officer for their constituents. Now
that Republicans control both
houses of the North Carolina leg-
islature, some feel free to say what
they really think.
This is not a North Carolina
problem. Many states want to sup-
press the vote with new voter ID
laws, fewer polling places, and
other methods of keeping voters
away from the polls. These efforts
to “kick Democrats in the butt” by
attacking likely Democratic voters
ought to mobilize voters to outma-
neuver and out vote these people
who are so crazy that they call oth-
ers lazy. The lazy comment is
connected to racist stereotypes.
Somebody needs to remind Yelton
that the plantation and sharecrop-
ping systems that North Carolina’s
economy rested on for at least a
century was staffed by “lazy” peo-
ple who were constantly being
ripped off for their labor.
Shame on Don Yelton for being
crazy enough to call hard working
students and African Americans
lazy. Shame on the Republican
Party that he purports to repre-
sent. And shame on the state of
North Carolina for its attempt to
suppress the vote. Shame, too, on
the other states around the nation
who, like North Carolina, who
have made voter suppression a pri-
ority.
Julianne Malveaux is a Wash-
ington, D.C.-based economist and
writer. She is President Emerita of
Bennett College for Women in
Greensboro, N.C.