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from the better-than-growing-up-to-be-a-sink dept.
Scientists at Kings College London performed a longitudinal study to test the 'Pareto principle' and found that adults who were greater users of public services were most likely to have had a low score on the intelligence and impulsivity test administered at age three.
"About 20 per cent of population is using the lion's share of a wide array of public services," said Prof Terrie Moffitt, of King's College and Duke University in North Carolina. "The same people use most of the NHS, the criminal courts, insurance claims, for disabling injury, pharmaceutical prescriptions and special welfare benefits.
"If we stopped there it might be fair to think these are lazy bums who are freeloading off the taxpayer and exploiting the public purse.
"But we also went further back into their childhood and found that 20 per cent begin their lives with mild problems with brain function and brain health when they were very small children.
"Looking at health examinations really changed the whole picture. It gives you a feeling of compassion for these people as opposed to a feeling of blame.
"Being able to predict which children will struggle is an opportunity to intervene in their lives very early to attempt to change their trajectories, for everyone's benefit and could bring big returns on investment for government."
Full Paper: Childhood forecasting of a small segment of the population with large economic burden DOI: 10.1038/s41562-016-0005
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday December 16 2016, @02:06AM
How, precisely, do you figure Medicare is anything but an entitlement?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1) by Francis on Friday December 16 2016, @07:55PM
People pay into it, then they get to use it. The people who aren't paying for it are a minority. It's disingenuous to suggest otherwise. Every pay stub I get has lines for both medicare and social security.
Those alone cover most of the "welfare" spending. It's a lie to suggest that 3/4 government is welfare when the defense budget is larger than the total of all welfare programs combined
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday December 17 2016, @03:35AM
You're in fact wrong. Medicare money pulled from your check does not go to a fund like SS. It is simply a tax and goes to generic government coffers.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.