Presented by. Netflix released the second season of Orange Is the New Black in the wee hours last Friday morning. We've been tackling the episodes in small chunks, the better to binge responsibly. CLICK HERE for episodes 1-4.
In the period since 1993, the percentage of people living in families receiving âwelfareâ (TANF, SSI and/or SNAP) hit its lowest level in 2000, when it was 12.5 percent, according to the report. Between then and 2011, it climbed to its highest-yet-recorded rate of 23.1 percent.
African Americans are only 12% of the population as a whole, at least according to the census count, yet they're 33% of the welfare population -- surely evidence of a shocking addiction to the dole. But we're forgetting something. Welfare is a program for poor people, very poor people. African Americans are three times as likely as whites to fall below the poverty level and hence to have a chance of qualifying for welfare benefits.