[hammock]

Welfare payments supplemented wages by about 8% in 1960.

That figure has risen to about 36% today, a 3.5x increase.

Chart: http://www.mygovcost.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/governme...

Source: http://www.mygovcost.org/2011/03/14/the-u-s-as-welfare-state... (the first random example I found on Google)

[_moof]

This chart includes Social Security and Medicare. I don't think it makes sense to include retirees in a data set when making an argument about "welfare."

[hammock]

You don't have to be retired to receive Social Security or Medicare.

Anyway, do you have some alternate data to consider?

[_moof]

Yes, I'm aware, but that doesn't actually affect my objection. And no, I don't have any alternate data, and I don't feel it's my responsibility to come up with any. You're the one presenting this data set to make an argument; you do the work.