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Are the Red States Welfare Queens?

argexpat

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From TaxProf Blog:

Red States Feed at Federal Trough, Blue States Supply the Feed

"The Tax Foundation has released a fascinating report showing which states benefit from federal tax and spending policies, and which states foot the bill.

The report shows that of the 32 states (and the District of Columbia) that are "winners" -- receiving more in federal spending than they pay in federal taxes -- 76% are Red States that voted for George Bush in 2000. Indeed, 17 of the 20 (85%) states receiving the most federal spending per dollar of federal taxes paid are Red States. Here are the Top 10 states that feed at the federal trough (with Red States highlighted in bold):

States Receiving Most in Federal Spending Per Dollar of Federal Taxes Paid:

1. D.C. ($6.17)
2. North Dakota ($2.03)
3. New Mexico ($1.89)
4. Mississippi ($1.84)
5. Alaska ($1.82)
6. West Virginia ($1.74)
7. Montana ($1.64)
8. Alabama ($1.61)
9. South Dakota ($1.59)
10. Arkansas ($1.53)

In contrast, of the 16 states that are "losers" -- receiving less in federal spending than they pay in federal taxes -- 69% are Blue States that voted for Al Gore in 2000. Indeed, 11 of the 14 (79%) of the states receiving the least federal spending per dollar of federal taxes paid are Blue States. Here are the Top 10 states that supply feed for the federal trough (with Blue States highlighted in bold):

States Receiving Least in Federal Spending Per Dollar of Federal Taxes Paid:

1. New Jersey ($0.62)
2. Connecticut ($0.64)
3. New Hampshire ($0.67)
4. Nevada ($0.73)
5. Illinois ($0.77)
6. Minnesota ($0.77)
7. Colorado ($0.79)
8. Massachusetts ($0.79)
9. California ($0.81)
10. New York ($0.81)

Two states -- Florida and Oregon (coincidentally, the two closest states in the 2000 Presidential election) -- received $1.00 in federal spending for each $1.00 in federal taxes paid."

How ironic that conservative Red States, who loath "tax and spend" liberal policies and consistently vote for Republicans promising to dismantle them, are themselves the biggest beneficiaries of these policies, while the liberal Blue States---like "Taxachusetts"---foot the bill. “It’s your money” sayeth the Republican Party to its Red State base. Apparently not. I seem to remember we had a little skirmish called the Revolutionary War over “taxation without representation.”
 
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Thanks for posting that, Argexpat.

I'm not sure it proves anything, but it is interesting.

Hoot
 
somthing you need to realize(at least about new mexico) is that the reasons for federal funding are things like national labs, military facilitys, and in new mexcio especially you have the indian reservations getting large amounts of federal funding
BTW new mexico voted for bush
 
barely, and who knows they could have cheated there too :p
 
The thing about D. C. is that a large part of what the feds pay must be regarded as rent. Right now the feds are planning to force the District to pay for much of the inaugural expenses.
 
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