Originally posted by mwm1331
Rant you would agree that most urban centers trend democratic correct?
Of course. That would be the little blue spots on the map that account for 48% of the vote.
You would also agree that urban centers have the highest populations of poor?
I agree they have the highest populations of
people which includes
concentrations of poor, average, wealthy and superwealthy.
And there's the rub. Don't you have poor in red areas? Millions of them? Millions and millions of them in fact, only they're spread out all over
the country helping ensure that red states suck the most out of the federal government as per the
tax foundation?
North Dakota, New Mexico, Mississippi, Alaska, West Virginia, Montana, Alabama, South Dakota, Arkansas...
Still "value voters" mind you. But people as poor as any ghetto minority in dreaded New York City?
Do you further agree these red areas
don't have the highest concentrations of affluent people? Of course they don't. But then you press this
point...
You would also agree that for the most part, thse who have the highest incomes do not live within the city they work?
Well you said "for the most part" so I'm assuming we exclude Donald Trump from your proof and all my high earning inner city friends in Atlanta,
NYC and Boston. I already said
alot of people contribute to inner city problems by sucking incomes out of them then fleeing to outside counties
to pay property taxes. So assuming
some do flee, let's look at the impact of those that don't but still vote overwhelmingly democratic.
Fulton County, Georgia: One of those "little blue spots" (I happen to know
quite well) in a big red state. Median income $47K. Sure the surrounding counties people "flee" to have somewhat higher median incomes and a lower
poverty index overall (even though several still went blue), but they also have exponentially less people. And a "median" being a median (not an
average), that's one
hell of alot of people earning about $50K a year that voted for John Kerry.
That shouldn't be that suprising though. Look at the national
vote
by demographics:
~50% of people earning $30K-$50K a year (22% of America) voted Kerry.
~43% of people earning $50K-$75K a year (23% of America) voted Kerry.
~45% of people earning $75K-$100K a year (14% of America) voted Kerry.
That's nearly 60% of America right there paying MOST of the taxes with nearly half voting Kerry. Of course Bush edged out, but don't make it
predicated on some poor versus rich thing.
Those earning under $15K (on welfare, etc) are only about 8% of the country but
a third of them still voted Bush! Are you sure you want to
disown those votes? Please do!

I'll take those 3 points right now.
Also about 40% of those earning over $100K (though only 18% of the country) voted Kerry. Of course those $200K plus went 63% Bush, but don't act like
a third to half of America's highest tax payers (a relatively small population) don't vote liberal.
I am simply saying that there is a connection there.
One vastly overblown by conservatives that believe they carry America on their shoulders alone, speak for the working and wealthy classes or "know
best" for the rest of us.
What I'm pointing out with these high concentrations of working and wealthy Democratic voters is that they probably live in cities (as per vote map)
and have a unique perspective to the benefits of democratic platforms someone in llpoolej's example of
Sevier County, TN may not share.
Originally posted by llpoolej
You can always move to an area with very low property taxes and problem is solved. Move to Sevier county TN. No state income tax, many areas are
DIRT cheap to live, $200,000 would buy you a NICE 2500-3000 sf home with crown moulding and alot of custom touches. You know what your total property
tax would be??? $332. That is it.
If people CHOOSE to live in a high tax area, that is a CHOICE. You have the freedom to move where you would like. I live in the county area ,that
doens't have city tax, and BETTER schools. I pay significantly more than Sevier county, but NOTHING like what people in the NE pay. One of the
reasons we CHOOSE to live here. Good public schools and low tax. Not to mention there is not state income tax.
Sounds great...a Republican paradise. Only 71,000 people (
97.3% white) with a per
capita income of $24K (20% below the national average) and already non-supportive LOW taxes that voted Bush in 2004 in order to lower their federal
taxes even more.
Not a unique red county by any stretch of the imagination. I live in one at the moment not doing nearly as well, but pro-Bush just the same. What all
these counties tend share are two things though. They relatively contribute very little to the federal budget while sucking more
per capita out
of it than their blue minority "laden" neighbors and all think they're the "real" America upon which supposedly lazy Democrats that don't pay
taxes suckle.
According to them
only the "poor, the young, and the trendy vote heavily democratic."
What a load of crap.