United States and Florida Society Stats

As I have watched the election season go by I have seen a lot of half-truths and a lot of total fabrications. Unfortunately you cannot judge your quality of life in the “Good ole USA” or the Sunshine state simply by your investment portfolio or your bank account.  I would hope that most Americans would feel the same way. So I have researched some societal statistics from government agencies and non-partisan think tanks.

In the area of foreclosures, unemployment, and food stamps in the United States the average foreclosures were 681; -0.1 change in unemployment (August 2011 – 2012) and 3.3% increase in food stamp participations (June 2011 – 2012).  For the same period the District of Columbia had 37,090 foreclosures; -1.7% change in unemployment and ranked in 22nd in food stamp participation and ranked 50 tied with North Dakota across all categories. Florida had 328 foreclosures; -1.7% change in unemployment and ranked 2^nd in food stamp participation and 9^th across all categories.

The total number of Americans participating in Food Stamps rose from 45,183,927 people in June 2011 to 46,670,373 in June 2012. The District of Columbia ranked 8^th lowest in participation 136,347 to 141,266. Florida was third highest in the number of participants 3,117,913 to 3,419,492 people.

Latest data available indicated that there were 17,412,000 children of immigrants living in the United States. The District of Columbia ranked 8^th lowest in 19000 children while Florida ranked 4^th highest with 1,207,000 children in immigrant families.

With a total US population of 314,900,669 the homeless rate was 0.21% with 649,917 homeless people. The District of Columbia ranked 1^st with a homeless rate of 1.04% or 6,539 homeless of 601,723 total residents. Florida ranked 8^th highest with a homeless rate of 0.30% or 57,551 homeless of 18,801,310 residents.

The US had a total incarceration rate of 497 people per 100,000 and Florida ranked 6^th highest with 556 people per 100,000.

Suicide rate within the US was 11.8 deaths per 100,000, District of Columbia was 4.4 deaths per 100,000 and Florida was 14.6 deaths per 100,000 or 38^th highest. Deaths caused by firearms occurred at a rate of 10.1 per 100,000, District of Columbia 16.6 per 100,000 and Florida ranked 32^nd with 12.1 deaths per 100,000.

 The child death rate within the US was 18 per 100,000; District of Columbia was 45 per 100,000 (highest in US) and Florida was 24^th with 19 per 100,000. The infant death rate within the US was 6.7 deaths per 100,000, District of Columbia was 12 per 100,000 (highest in US) and Florida was 30^th with 7.2 per 100,000. The United States ranked 49^th lowest within the world.

In K to 12 Grades Florida was 41^st in the amount of expenditures per student with $8,437 and ranked 44^th in SAT scores.

These statistics are not flattering. I only compared one statistic to the rest of the world and that was infant mortality. With our technology, level of medical expertise, and availability of public health capabilities this country should be one of the lowest in the world, not 49^th.  Florida, the Sunshine State, does not live up to that sun-drenched paradise envisioned in Jimmy Buffett songs, but a state with a high incarceration rate, very high number of people living in poverty relying on Food Stamps, high number of homeless and insufficient funding for children in grades K to 12. Politicians may talk about GDP growth and low interest rates, but look at the human numbers resulting from Congress inaction and the incompetence of the Florida legislature, and it is a totally different picture.