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Yes, it’s quite a paradise

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* Scott Reeder writes about the very real and disturbingly high increase in food stamp usage in Illinois and concludes…

Other states like Indiana are prospering.

At a time when Illinois has been raising taxes, the Hoosier State has been cutting them.

When Illinois has adopted more labor regulations, Indiana has reduced them.

Indiana’s economy has been prospering and Illinois’ has been struggling.

Prosperity may not be around the corner, but it certainly is right next door – in Indiana.

* I checked the USDA’s website and found SNAP participation rates from 2009 through 2013…

Indiana increase: 31.034 percent

Illinois increase: 39.498 percent

And on this page, you’ll see that June, 2014 SNAP usage declined in Illinois since June, 2013 by 5.8 percent. Indiana’s rate declined by 4.9 percent.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 2:31 pm

Comments

Indiana is prospering. Illinois is not.
Didn’t know that was in dispute. Just saw where Indiana’s public pensions had a great year, and they’re nearly 90 percent funded. Wish Illinois was in that good of shape.

Comment by jim Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 2:44 pm
Just June, Rich? Illinois is up by about 13,000 food stamp users on the year. Indiana is down about 35,000.

Comment by Johnny Utah Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 2:46 pm
How can SNAP usage be compared when the population of Illinois is almost double the population of Indiana?

Comment by Cable Line Beer Gardener Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 2:53 pm
Sure would have been nice if all recent Illinois Governors and Legislatures had fully funded the pensions. I’ll bet the Prison Workers pensions are fully funded!

Despite what Bruce thinks.

Comment by Del Clinkton Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 2:56 pm
Comparing Illinois to our neighbors is like comparing the Yankees to the Royals. We have vast more resources, what should be at worst a top 3 industrial city, bettor labor force, and 2 major rivers. Maybe they should compete every few years, but based on what resources we have available, none of our neighbors should be on the field with Illinois.

Comment by the Patriot Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 2:59 pm
johnny utah- not sure where you get your data but it always seems a little suspect. In this case you are simply wrong.

The best comparison would be the percentage of population on food stamps or the SNAP program. In this case Illinois is at 14.5 % and Indiana is 14%. So much for the fantastic Indiana economy. 1/2 of 1% is insignificant. Oh and the Illinois percentage is declining faster than Indiana’s! There are of course better indicators of a state’s economy and generally Illinois residents enjoy higher wages and standard of living.

Comment by Dazed and Not Confused Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:03 pm
Okay…are we also considering that Illinois has made a huge outreach push to enroll eligible persons on SNAP? Indiana may not be doing this so eligible persons may not be getting these benefits.

It is good to see Illinois has a poverty rate of 11.5 vs Indiana of 12.6 which means there are more people in poverty in Indiana. So the SNAP data could mean that Indiana is not getting SNAP benefits to the persons in their state that live in poverty. Also if Indiana is doing so good why do they have more persons in poverty?

Comment by illlinifan Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:05 pm
indiana is mostly a pipe dream for those who want to criticize illinois. in the south suburbs, you hear more of the horror stories about people who moved to indiana and found they couldn’t get cable, or broadband, or that the roads were horrendous, or that they were suddenly in a school district that thought creationism was science. you get what you pay for, and, in indiana, people pay less and get less. the one’s i always felt sorry for were the families with (small) children. although some were still sending their kids back into illinois for (private/catholic) education…

Comment by bored now Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:06 pm
Food stamp participation is down somewhat around most of the country as the economy has picked up, but I wouldn’t count on that lasting simply because the population is aging.

Only about 60% of seniors eligible for SNAP are signed up. Many states have and localities in recent years have institute more aggressive outreach programs to get them signed.

And for all you minimu-wage-bad “economists” out there, a sizeable majority of non-disabled, working-age SNAP recipients are employed.

They make just enough to qualify for SNAP.

SNAP, for some reason is a whipping boy in some circles, but it might be informative to know who’s actually getting it.

There are a lot of other things to be honked off about than food on the table for the working poor, elderly and disabled.

http://frac.org/reports-and-resources/snapfood-stamp-monthly-participation-data/#amay

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:08 pm
When you apply for Medicaid on the abe.illinois.gov website, it gives you the option to also apply for food stamps. A lot of the people I assisted in applying for Medicaid also applied for SNAP, just to see of they would qualify. Looks like a lot of them did qualify.

Comment by Bee Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:12 pm
–Indiana is prospering. Illinois is not.–

If by prospering you mean last in the Midwest in median income, you’re right.

High progressive tax state Minnesota is 1, Illinois is bunched up with high progressive tax states Wisconsin and Iowa, then further down the road comes Michigan, further more is Missouri and way down the list is prosperous Indiana.

Check out the three-year average median Income of Households by State.

https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/statemedian/

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:24 pm
I rarely comment, although I am a regular reader. But in this case, I’d point out that poverty is a lagging economic indicator and that according to the Brookings report linked below, the percentage of Indiana’s SNAP usage rose faster from 2007-2011 than Illinois. (50% vs. 45%) The sheer difference in numbers between Illinois and Indiana, as far as volume of people receiving food programs (there are 15 nutritional programs, not just SNAP) make this a very tough comparison. And certainly, this is not enough information to make a full economic comparison between states. Further, if Indiana is so flush with cash, I’m sure they won’t mind reducing their federal medicaid matching rate to 50%, like ours. They are comfortably at a 66% match rate for the federal fiscal year starting in next month. Federal medicaid dollars have their own economic indicators as well, providing a boost to higher recipient states. Enough with the Indiana - Illinois comparisons. The article’s point rings hollow. We have Chicago and a lot of top notch schools and businesses. There’s no there, there.

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2011/12/20%20children%20wellbeing%20isaacs/1220_children_wellbeing_isaacs.pdf

Comment by I just gotta say Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:24 pm
Scott reader must be on the payroll of new jersey,indiana and wisconsin. Misery loves company

Comment by foster brooks Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:24 pm
If it is so great in Indiana, why is the Indiana Toll Road system going bankrupt?
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20140922/NEWS10/140929990/indiana-toll-road-operator-files-chapter-11#

Comment by Rufus Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:28 pm
I’m with bored now. I can walk to Indiana and get cigarettes.

If you want to live in Indiana, there is plenty of real estate and cheap housing.

Which of the Republicans extolling Indiana as being great are actually moving to Indiana?

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:31 pm
The intellectual historian/philosopher Isaiah Berlin wrote an essay called “The Hedgehog and the Fox.” In short, hedgehogs know one big thing and view the world through that lens, while foxes know bits about lots of different things and try to synthesize them as best they can while recognizing not a single idea can explain everything. Reeder and his IPI ilk are hedgehogs. The one big thing they know: government is bad. Far more exhausting work to be a fox, darting here and there trying to make sense of the complicated world, than to be a hedgehog, balled up all day or lumbering along, head down, munching grubs and confident you’ve got it all figured out.

Comment by Willie Stark Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:35 pm
“There are a lot of other things to be honked off about than food on the table for the working poor, elderly and disabled.”
Thank you Wordslinger- it amazes me that so many people complain about food stamps, SNAP, etc. Yes there is fraud, but the poor and disabled will always be with us; it is government’s job to support everyone, not just the rich…

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:35 pm
Indiana’s tax revenue has plummeted over the last 30+ years, because of income inequality. Income that went to the wealthy did not trickle down, for reasons some mentioned many times.

http://news.yahoo.com/report-wealth-gap-could-threaten-042933224.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory

I read also that a private toll company in Indiana has major financial issues.

Illinois was recently ranked something like 18th in median income, whereas Indiana was ranked 31st (going by memory here).

Doesn’t Indiana also get more federal money than it pays in?

Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:45 pm
Perhaps food stamp (SNAP) use might decline with a livable minimum wage? INTERESTING THAT THE STATES WITH THE FASTEST ECONOMIC GROWTH ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE RAISED THEIR MINIMUM WAGE. No comment on that from IPI or candidate Raunner.

Comment by Dazed and Not Confused Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:47 pm
Lets define “prospering”

Indiana
Per capita money income in past 12 months (2012 dollars), 2008-2012 $24,558
Median household income, 2008-2012 $48,374
Persons below poverty level, percent, 2008-2012
14.7%

Per capita money income in past 12 months (2012 dollars), 2008-2012 $29,519

Median household income, 2008-2012 $56,853

Persons below poverty level, percent, 2008-2012
13.7%

National Average

Per capita money income in past 12 months (2012 dollars), 2008-2012 $28,051
Median household income, 2008-2012 $53,046
Persons below poverty level, percent, 2008-2012
14.9%

So Indiana is below the national average, and way below Il for per capita income, and median household income. They hover around the national average for people living in poverty.

IL is over the national averages for per capita income and median household income, and is below the national average for people living in poverty. Conclusion: Il is prospering and Indiana residents struggle with higher poverty and lower pay.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18000.html

Comment by Ghost Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:49 pm
Remember that stat a while back that something like 10% of Indiana’s revenue comes from the casinos? And they can kiss that goodbye if Chicago ever gets one.

Comment by Chi Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:53 pm
oops left the illinois tag off the second set of number. The middle set that repeats the first set is Illinois /sigh

Comment by Ghost Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 3:57 pm
Dazed and Not Confused:

My data is exclusively from government sources. Why don’t you look up how many people Illinois has added to food stamps versus how many Indiana has had go off food stamps in 2014 and prove me wrong.

Comment by Johnny Utah Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 4:05 pm
== * Scott Reeder (© 2014 Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity )writes about the very real and disturbingly high increase…. ==
== Other states like Indiana are PROSPERING. ==.

Let’s look at this…..

> through 2013.

2009, just after the latest depression; oh, that’s right, the Major Recession.

We’ve seen the wealth distribution reports over the last year or so. Rich getting richer; poor getting poorer.

We’ve seen the ‘raise the minimum wage’ anti-arguments. And, the ‘drop the minimum wage’ Rauner concept.

But, the Rich keep getting richer; the Poor keep getting poorer.

People are homeless; people go to bed hungry every night. And, food stamp usage increases. Shockingly !

So, EXACTLY, what’s the point here, Scottie?

Comment by sal-says Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 4:06 pm
“There are a lot of other things to be honked off about than food on the table for the working poor, elderly and disabled.” Maybe you could put that on your Christmas card this year, Wordslinger.

Comment by Tom Joad Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 4:11 pm
Is there anything intellectually honest that IPI produces or is it all just meant to make our state look horrible and voters angry with the status quo?

Comment by ChinaTown Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 4:14 pm
Maybe the Indiana Policy Institute is just better at its job than the Illinois Policy Institute.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 4:23 pm
Have you people ever been to Indiana?

If I was given the choice between living there or living in Alaska, I’d start learning Inuktitut.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 4:34 pm
@Johnny:

Apparently you can’t read the post because Rich provided the info on how much SNAP usage in Illinois has declined since last year. So enough with your “prove me wrong” garbage.

To the post . . . are we really now comparing our economic prosperity with neighboring states based on SNAP usage? What a joke.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. ILLINOIS IS NOT INDIANA (yes I used all caps because I am yelling that). Can we get past this infantile “look over there” attitude? If the grass is so green over there then go. Sheesh. I get so sick and tired of this comparison nonsense.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 4:38 pm
@Johnny
I can only conclude that you just can’t read accurately. Your numbers are simply and demonstrably wrong. Read Rich’s post! I do statistical analysis for a living and bone heads like you who have an axe to grind really annoy me with your fantasy data and interpretations. SNAP data is a good measure of only one thing, SNAP data. State eligibility rules are different in every state so you really can’t compare them . As I stated earlier and others have figured out, there are much better and accurate ways of measuring a state’s standard of living. Pay attention, listen and quit waiting to run your mouth and you just might learn something. BTW Indiana is not a good comparison to Illinois. It’s a moderately poor state by almost every statistical measure. Get over it or move to Gary.

Comment by Dazed and Not Confused Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 4:51 pm
I have to agree it is quite strange why conservatives keep bringing up Indiana in comparison to Illinois. Is it because of its proximity to Chicago? Among our neighboring states, the stats clearly look better in Iowa than any other, but it has a split legislature & voted for Obama twice. Wisconsin is fine & Republican-run though both Iowa & Wisconsin have higher income taxes (at least on high incomes) than Illinois, which might explain why conservatives do not talk as much about Wisconsin & completely ignore Iowa. I get that as an entity the State of Indiana is in better fiscal health. Do you think that people exist for the sake of the state & not the other way around? The results Indiana’s people are experiencing are well below average for US states. All in all, I get why conservatives like the means Indiana is using & even feel the same appeal (especially on social/cultural issues, not so much on economic issues), but the ends their people are getting are lousy. Come up with a better example.

Comment by Illiana Monday, Sep 22, 14 @ 6:39 pm