Uncle Sam Has Deep Pockets--$4,599 for Each of Us

Uncle Sam spent an average of $4,599 for every American last year, handing out money for grants and benefits, to buy goods and services and to pay government salaries.

That was up more than $200 per person from the year before.

Overall, the federal government spent $1.25 trillion last fiscal year, according to new Census Bureau reports on federal spending. Entitlement programs and grants for Medicaid, family support payments and housing accounted for 60% of domestic spending, census analyst Robert McArthur said.

Alaska, where military salaries give the economy a big boost, remained the top recipient of federal dollars, receiving $7,697 per resident in 1993, the reports said.

Nine of the top 10 states were unchanged from 1992.

Second in spending per resident was New Mexico at $6,929, up one spot from 1992 thanks to Department of Energy procurement in the state.

Virginia, home to major naval facilities as well as federal agencies in the Washington suburbs, climbed from fourth to third, receiving $6,824 per resident.

Maryland, No. 2 in 1992, dropped to fourth with federal spending of $6,803 per person in 1993. Hawaii was next, at $6,017.

Rounding out the top 10 were North Dakota, Massachusetts, Missouri, Maine and Rhode Island. Missouri was a newcomer, up from 11th place, while Mississippi dropped out of the top 10.

The bottom 10, same as 1992, were: Illinois, Delaware, Vermont, Utah, Minnesota, North Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and New Hampshire.