Recently, the New York Times published an interactive map entitled “The Geography of Government Benefits” that totally debunks all welfare and social services stereotypes.
We’ve known for years that Caucasians, and not African Americans, make up the majority of welfare and social services recipients. What has now been discovered is that a higher percentage of social services recipients are rural Americans rather than not urban. Contrary to popular belief, a higher percentage of rural Americans take advantage of government programs than Americans in urban areas, especially in the state of Missouri.
Government payments to individuals in more than 50 benefit programs, from food stamps to Medicare accounted for 25.6 percent of 2009 personal income in the city of St. Louis and 13.2 percent in St. Louis County. Rural areas exceeded these percentages by drastic amounts. Government payments to individuals residing in rural areas as a percentage of personal income are as follows:
- Hickory County, MO – 46.7 percent
- Wayne County, MO – 45.1 percent
- Ripley County, MO – 44.7 percent
- Reynolds County, MO – 42.4 percent
- Carter County, MO – 42.3 percent.
Both the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County rank below the state average of personal income received from government payments to individuals by county.
Residents in the St. Louis area need government programs like Medicare, Medicaid and free lunches. Furthermore, it is appalling that the same Missourians who wish to demonize urban citizens as taking advantage of government actually take more from government than we do.
In Hickory County, Mo., nearly half of all personal income comes from government checks. All the while, nationally, urban Americans who receive small amounts of government benefits are still stigmatized as “welfare queens.” This stereotype is undeserved and simply untrue.
This new information is not meant to divide us. It must be used to unite both rural and urban Americans, out-state and inner-city Missourians, and all who are suffering. We must reframe our arguments on big and small government, and focus on the necessary and beneficial services for all people. Only then will we begin to spend our money wisely, progress our economy and improve race relations across the country.
Butler is a candidate for state representative in the city of St. Louis.
