# Why are people reproducing like rabbits? TAX checks FOOD stamps & more fun benefits! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 29, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168 "2017-10-29T19:33:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/61 "2017-10-31T22:02:22Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > 😕 I don’t understand this sentence. Is that what you meant to type? I know what I meant to write so I can parse it. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/62 "2017-10-31T23:03:01Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Yeah, it’s amazing how many conservatives seem to believe that the (very large) poverty-wage workforce is just a helpless lumpenproletariat of the congenitally unfit, who ought to be grateful to their employers for deigning to give them shit jobs because clearly they couldn’t cope with anything better. > > In fact, many people currently working shit jobs previously supported themselves quite successfully at comparatively non-shit jobs, until the non-shit jobs went away. Yeah. I used to make about 4 times the wage I currently do. I not only supported myself, I support another adult, lent assistance to two more as needed, stimulated the economy by buying stuff, put money towards my retirement, and, oh, yes, had enough left over to fly airplanes as a hobby. Now I’m barely supporting just myself. I didn’t change - my old job went away. Multiply by millions,. Welcome to the twenty-teens. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/63 "2017-10-31T23:25:49Z")
The infamous twenty-teens, which have seen a reduction in non-farm payroll of nearly 17 million since 2010. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/64 "2017-11-01T01:09:29Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > The infamous twenty-teens, which have seen a reduction in non-farm payroll of nearly 17 million since 2010. I assume you’re following the Huckabee-Drumpf-Ryan Protocol: Whenever a number would make Obama look good, reverse the sign, and send Kellyanne Conway to explain to Sean Hannity that your #AlternativeFact is just as valid as the #LameStream fact. Wasn’t it Patrick Moynihan Daniel who said “_ **Everyone is entitled to his own facts, but not his own opinions.** _” ? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/65 "2017-11-01T01:25:06Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > U-6 minus U-5 gives you workers “employed part time for economic reasons.” Most people working part time want to work part time. You want BLS Table A-15: [https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm) How does this relate to Walmart? How many of their employees are part time? How many want to be full time? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/66 "2017-11-01T01:26:24Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > The infamous twenty-teens, which have seen a reduction in non-farm payroll of nearly 17 million since 2010. What does this mean? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/67 "2017-11-01T02:26:29Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > What does this mean? I’m not authorized to speak for **Mr. Ruken** , but I think he was being sarcastic: he followed the Huckabee-Drumpf-Ryan Protocol in imitation of our leaders. _In fact the huge job **growth** under Obama was unprecedented in scale_. This fact offers a counterpoint to the less sanguine views of **Mr. octopus** : > [@octopus](#): > > Amazing with a rising wage floor, global trade, and practically unconstrained immigration jobs have been dislocated. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/68 "2017-11-01T03:23:37Z")
Perhaps, to combat the whole idiocracy thing, the government should incentivize smart people to produce more children. Take an IQ test (with questions appropriate to preventing cultural discrimination), get above a certain mark and you’re good to go. At least the woman who has five kids with five different fathers might pick a better class of guy to have them with. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/69 "2017-11-01T03:36:30Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Yeah. > > I used to make about 4 times the wage I currently do. I not only supported myself, I support another adult, lent assistance to two more as needed, stimulated the economy by buying stuff, put money towards my retirement, and, oh, yes, had enough left over to fly airplanes as a hobby. > > Now I’m barely supporting just myself. > > I didn’t change - my old job went away. > > Multiply by millions,. > > Welcome to the twenty-teens. Like I said above. Jobs move in response to policy. Many so-called high paying jobs can now be done cheaper with non domestic labor or robots. I checked myself out at Target today. So did thousands of others. Bye bye jobs. People think we can magically fix prices and create wealth merely by wishing it into existence via legislation. Economics doesn’t work that way. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/70 "2017-11-01T03:38:30Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I’m not authorized to speak for **Mr. Ruken** , but I think he was being sarcastic: he followed the Huckabee-Drumpf-Ryan Protocol in imitation of our leaders. _In fact the huge job **growth** under Obama was unprecedented in scale_. This fact offers a counterpoint to the less sanguine views of **Mr. octopus** : Obviously, not all jobs are going overseas. But you can’t deny that jobs that once paid well with good benefits for moderately skilled people are shrinking in number. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/71 "2017-11-01T03:54:21Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Technically, it is true that people with less education have more children: > > [http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/05/07/childlessness-falls-family-size-grows-among-highly-educated-women/st\_2015-05-07\_childlessness-11/](http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/05/07/childlessness-falls-family-size-grows-among-highly-educated-women/st_2015-05-07_childlessness-11/) > > But larger families do have larger incomes on average. > > [Median Income: Family vs. Household](http://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org/2014/04/08/median-income-family-vs-household/) > > Not quite sure how to square those two facts, but it seems to be the facts. Looking at my local agemates: people who didn’t go to college got married between the ages of 20 and 25, had 2-3 kids and stopped. People who went to college got married between the ages of 25 and 40, were a lot more likely to have difficulty having children or deciding that “at our age, hell no”. Actual income will vary from family to family but variations by type of activity are larger than by educational level. The owner of a mechanic’s shop makes more money than his workers (if he doesn’t he’s working extra for nothing), but has the same educational level; a nurse will have several years’ more schooling and make something in between. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/72 "2017-11-01T05:15:39Z")
what are people like the op going to do when we have “guaranteed income”? aka the modern version of “bread and circuses” ? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/73 "2017-11-01T13:53:35Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > But you can’t deny that jobs that once paid well with good benefits for moderately skilled people are shrinking in number. You’re welcome to make that argument and support that argument with data. I can show you that the number of jobs is increasing (BLS), that all measures of unemployment are decreasing (more BLS), that the percent insured is increasing (USCB), that the percent with employer-provided insurance is flat (more USCB), and that median household income is increasing (more more USCB), but we rely on you to show us the data on pay wellness and benefit goodness. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/74 "2017-11-01T15:08:42Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > How does this relate to Walmart? > > How many of their employees are part time? How many want to be full time? I’m eager to read what you find out. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/75 "2017-11-01T18:29:39Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > You’re welcome to make that argument and support that argument with data. I can show you that the number of jobs is increasing (BLS), that all measures of unemployment are decreasing (more BLS), that the percent insured is increasing (USCB), that the percent with employer-provided insurance is flat (more USCB), and that median household income is increasing (more more USCB), but we rely on you to show us the data on pay wellness and benefit goodness. That’s great. I’m glad you can claim to find a source to show number of jobs is increasing. Number of jobs doesn’t seem to be a meaningful statistic with regards to strength of an economy though. If I push a broom at your house and you push a broom at my house then that is real, full employment in a society of two. What it doesn’t demonstrate is the quality of that economy. Or the goodness of the benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/76 "2017-11-01T18:33:43Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > I’m eager to read what you find out. I cannot answer how your answers related to Walmart. I’ll take it that your answers were meant as smoke and mirrors meant to distract. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/77 "2017-11-01T19:21:38Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > That’s great. I’m glad you can claim to find a source to show number of jobs is increasing. Number of jobs doesn’t seem to be a meaningful statistic with regards to strength of an economy though. If I push a broom at your house and you push a broom at my house then that is real, full employment in a society of two. What it doesn’t demonstrate is the quality of that economy. Or the goodness of the benefits. _First_ you claim jobs haven’t increased; _now_ you claim that it doesn’t matter? Interesting. Of course you’re correct that statistics reports can have biases or other flaws, and it’s good to identify those but the flaw you want to focus on is … sweeper swapping? 😕 I imagine there are some communities where wife-swapping is in vogue but AFAIK these activities are not reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics even when money changes hands. If you don’t like employment figures as a proxy for economic prosperity, why not use constant-dollar GDP? How has that metric performed over the past 8 years? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/78 "2017-11-01T19:30:50Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I cannot answer how your answers related to Walmart. > > I’ll take it that your answers were meant as smoke and mirrors meant to distract. Then let us know how _your_ posts related to Walmart, because this is the first time you’ve mentioned it AFAIK and I certainly didn’t have Walmart in mind when I was responding to you. You responded to a fact (most people living in poverty…) with misconceptions about part time workers as a whole (most people work part time…). If you were only taking about part time workers at Walmart, that’s fine. We can talk about Walmart. But I can only respond to what you posted, not what you think you posted. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/79 "2017-11-01T20:00:09Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > Then let us know how _your_ posts related to Walmart, because this is the first time you’ve mentioned it AFAIK and I certainly didn’t have Walmart in mind when I was responding to you. The first time I responded to you I quoted a bit you had used responding to **Kimstu** talking about Walmart. Thus the connection. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168/80 "2017-11-01T20:03:15Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > … **Why are people reproducing like rabbits? TAX checks FOOD stamps & more fun benefits! Whack-a-Mole** I just have to say this is a great thread title/username juxtaposition. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-reproducing-like-rabbits-tax-checks-food-stamps-more-fun-benefits/800168.md?page=3)