The Three Biggest Moocher Counties in the Country

Quote from piezoe:

Can you tell us what counts as public assistance and whether the lists are in order of total nominal dollars, or per capita dollars. Even if we had that information, it isn't clear that any information of value can come from these lists, because you have a state like Idaho in one list and a state like New York in the other. If you drew the boundary lines of those sates differently you might end up with their positions switched. So is their any point at all here.

All the information can be fully found in the USA Today article and the links. Take time to read it.

In another note, over 80% of the total government benefit money in the U.S. go to counties that voted for Obama in 2012.

We should call these the "Taker Counties".


The counties that Obama won account for less than 20% of the land area in the U.S. (map below). Romney won 77.7 percent of US counties.

Election-results-by-county.png


A Tale of Three Maps: How Obama Won States While Losing Counties
http://www.decodedscience.com/2012-electoral-map-obama-won-states-lost-counties/20305

NY Times: The Geography of Government Benefits
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html?_r=2&
 
Quote from exGOPer:

Three Kentucky counties — Owsley, McCreary and Wolfe — are the only places that rely on government programs such as Social Security, food stamps and Medicaid for more than half of income.

The results of the 2012 presidential elections by county, per AP:

Owsley: Mitt Romney 83%; Barack Obama 17.9%
McCreary: Mitt Romney 80.0%; Barack Obama 18.7%
Wolfe: Mitt Romney 60.3%; Barack Obama 38.1%

http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/12/three-counties-in-kentucky-151076.html

Let's compare the government benefits received by an average urban county, the Bronx, NY to these three rural counties in Kentucky.

The Bronx
35.03% of the population on government benefits.
Avg Benefit Transfer income per capita = $10,319
Population: 1,385,108 (2010 Census data)
$14,292,929,452 in benefits per year total - Yes over $14 billion dollars!
divided by 485203 people on benefits (35.03% of 1,385,108 people)
= $29,457 per year for each person on benefits.

Owsley County, KY
53.07% of the population on government benefits
Avg. Benefit Transfer per capita = $13,811
Population: 4,858
$67,093,838 in benefits per year total
divided by 2578 people on benefits (53.07% of 4858 people)
= $26,025 per year for each person on benefits.

McCreary County, KY
52.46% of the population on government benefits
Avg. Benefit Transfer per capita = $11,022
Population: 17,080
$188,255,760 in benefits per year total
divided by 8960 people on benefits (52.46% of 17,080 people)
= $21,010 per year for each person on benefits.

Wolfe County, KY
52.17% of the population on government benefits
Avg. Benefit Transfer per capita = $12,226
Population: 7,065
$86,376,690 in benefits per year total
divided by 3686 people on benefits (52.17% of 7,065 people)
= $23,433 per year for each person on benefits.

The government benefit payments to these three counties combined ($341,726,288) equals a mere 2.39% of the $14,292,929,452 a typical urban county, the Bronx, takes in.

Shouldn't we let the aging population of these three rural counties enjoy their social security in retirement without you passing judgment on their voting habits. After all, we have not been judgmental about the voting habits of the over 35% of the population in the Bronx receiving nearly $30,000 each per year in government benefits.


Source for benefit information:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html?_r=2&
 
I take it that exGOPer can cut & paste left wing talking points from blogs and endlessly spam new threads but is totally incapable to performing basic data analysis or critical thinking on his own. Based on his lack of response to anyone who provides the facts we can only assume that it is hopeless to expect that he will comprehend detailed information.
 
Quote from gwb-trading:

I take it that exGOPer can cut & paste left wing talking points from blogs and endlessly spam new threads but is totally incapable to performing basic data analysis or critical thinking on his own. Based on his lack of response to anyone who provides the facts we can only assume that it is hopeless to expect that he will comprehend detailed information.

My conclusion as well.
 
Quote from exGOPer:

I should take a class on percentages, you seem to have COMPLETELY missed out on that simple concept.

If you are so brillant.... let's have you explain percentages to someone who works with a group of PhDs using statistical math everyday.

Go ahead, I'm waiting... this will be quite amusing.

So once again you have no detailed data or critical thinking to back up your assertions.
 
Quote from gwb-trading:

If you are so brillant.... let's have you explain percentages to someone who works with a group of PhDs using statistical math everyday.

Go ahead, I'm waiting... this will be quite amusing.

So once again you have no detailed data or critical thinking to back up your assertions.
Strictly speaking, that argument doesn't necessarily mean you know anything about statistics. Not saying you don't, just saying.
 
Quote from gwb-trading:

If you are so brillant.... let's have you explain percentages to someone who works with a group of PhDs using statistical math everyday.

Go ahead, I'm waiting... this will be quite amusing.

So once again you have no detailed data or critical thinking to back up your assertions.

It's not good enough to work with them, you actually have to learn from them as well - ask some of your colleagues to explain the concept of percentages to you.
 
Quote from exGOPer:

It's not good enough to work with them, you actually have to learn from them as well - ask some of your colleagues to explain the concept of percentages to you.
I think it's fair to say those three counties are not a representative sample, though.

As for this:

"In another note, over 80% of the total government benefit money in the U.S. go to counties that voted for Obama in 2012.

"We should call these the "Taker Counties".

Can we call them "taker counties" before we also know how much they contribute to federal coffers?
 
Quote from Ricter:

I think it's fair to say those three counties are not a representative sample, though.

Those are the ONLY counties in the country where government contributes for more than HALF of their income. There just aren't any other counties to expand the sample.
 
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