MORE FROM BILL BONNER ON THE INCREASE IN FOOD STAMP PARTICIPANTS

How bad is unemployment? Maybe these figures from Insider Monkey will help. Dear Readers will note that they give away the most bread in the same city where they have the most circuses:

In 2006, there were 26.5 million people who received food stamps. In 2007, there were 26.2 million people in the program. So, the "normal" level of food stamp participation was around 26 million people. Things changed in 2008. The number of participants increased by 1.9 million. We were still in a recession during the first half of 2009. Food stamp participants increased by another 5.2 million people that year. There were then a total 33.4 million people receiving food stamps. The recession officially ended by July 2009, and one would expect the worsening to stop. But millions more who weren't officially "poor" in 2009 became poor in 2010. When Republicans were trying to extend Bush tax cuts for the rich by keeping social programs hostage, 6.8 million more joined the ranks of food stamp participants. Now, there are more than 40 million people receiving food stamps, though to remove the stigma they don't call it the "food stamp program" anymore. Now, they use debit cards to distribute the handouts and they call it the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Oh Snap!

Today, there are 14 million more people who try to get by using food stamps than there were in 2007. These are in addition to the usual suspects who have been using food stamps for years. These people aren't your "average" food stamp participants - these are hardworking Americans who fell on hard times. Insider Monkey, your source for free insider trading data, compiled the list of states that are falling harder than the rest. Here is the list of top ten states with the highest food stamp participation rates:
10. Maine: 17.28 out of 100 receive food stamps

9. New Mexico: 17.33 out of 100 receive food stamps

8. Kentucky: 17.9 out of 100 receive food stamps

7. Michigan: 18 out 100 receive food stamps

6. Louisiana: 18.2 out of 100 receive food stamps

5. Oregon: 18.4 out of 100 receive food stamps

4. West Virginia: 18.41 out of 100 receive food stamps

3. Tennessee: 19.3 out of 100 receive food stamps

2. Mississippi: 19.4 out of 100 receive food stamps

1. District of Columbia: 19.7 out of 100 receive food stamps