A reader passed along an interesting graph from the Montana Legislative Fiscal Division illustrating how demand is steadily growing for assistance programs like Medicaid, food stamps (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. According to the fiscal division, May of 2008 was before the recession really hit Montana; with the downturn growing apparent in Oct. 2008. As you can see in the graph, as of August 2010, 12 percent of Montana’s population of 974,989 is on food stamps.
Statistics and trends like these, with growing demand for public assistance programs, are only going to make it tougher for legislators in the 2011 session to figure out how to cut spending in light of the revenue shortfall they are likely to face. I don’t envy those choices. Here’s a link to the LFD’s page.