David_Gerard comments on So you say you're an altruist... - Less Wrong

11 Post author: John_Maxwell_IV 12 March 2009 10:15PM

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Comment author: David_Gerard 06 April 2011 07:23:19AM *  2 points [-]

As P. J. O'Rourke says, speaking of something like a total of $200,000(?) per poor person spent by the American welfare system

Per year? If so, that is evidence mostly that your system is ridiculous. When I worked for the Department of Social Security in Australia (who do most welfare payments) in 1991, our running costs were 2% of benefits disbursed (so we were told by our managers).

In this case, I really think a cite for precisely what he was claiming, and his source for it, would be needed.