Even though the
real proportion of 2004 Presidential votes is much
less stark that the geographically divided electoral map displaying the spread of "Bush Country" would have one believe, there are very real
differences in red and blue states that will most likely be counterintuitive to anyone that's ever nodded along with a right wing pundit, politician
or bumper sticker.
The
Tax Foundation has released an interesting report on
Feeder versus
Funding states, and it's pretty much the opposite of everything you've been told.
Winners and losers
Currently taxpayers in North Dakota benefit most from the give-and-take with Uncle Sam, receiving $2.03 for every dollar in taxes. New Jersey benefits
least, receiving just 62¢ per federal tax dollar.
Other states that receive little spending per dollar of federal tax are Connecticut (64¢), New Hampshire (68¢), Nevada (73¢), Minnesota (77¢) and
Illinois (77¢).
Assigned rank of
Top and Bottom Ten...
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)
*DC, of course, isn't a state but a district with it's own unique problems, namely large numbers of out-of-state and federal employment skewing
against the urban population of residents.
The rest of the states, of course, went red in 2004. Winners all around. They helped re-elect the highest spending President in history, and continue
to enjoy the spoils the most.
States Receiving Least in Federal Spending Per Dollar of Federal Taxes Paid:
1. New Jersey ($0.62)
2. Connecticut ($0.64)
3. New Hampshire ($0.68)
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)
*Thank Providence for gambling right?
**Don't worry Colorado, you'll get your check next year. You earned it.
The rest of the states, of course, went blue in 2004. Losers all around. Not only do they get to keep funding the existence of "Bush Country" they
get to enjoy it's new imperative in issues of Moral Authority.
But to label entire states (given the actual spread of urban versus rural voting) as being lazy, selfish, parasites on Liberal America isn't fair.
I'm sure some of rural America remains grateful for their handouts, if not now, surely at one time when great
Democratic Initiatives first brought roads, electricity, subsidies, loans and jobs to
them at great expense for the greater good.
So what's changed since then to literally make them bite the hand that feeds them?
Family Values? And how.
Sadly, they've taken a turn for the worst in rural America, and mostly among born again Christians it would seem.
PRESIDENT Bush and Vice President Cheney make reference to "Massachusetts liberals" as if they were referring to people with some kind of
disease. I decided it was time to do some research on these people, and here is what I found.
The state with the lowest divorce rate in the nation is Massachusetts. At latest count it had a divorce rate of 2.4 per 1,000 population, while the
rate for Texas was 4.1.
But don't take the US government's word for it. Take a look at the findings from the George Barna Research Group. George Barna, a born-again
Christian whose company is in Ventura, Calif., found that Massachusetts does indeed have the lowest divorce rate among all 50 states. More disturbing
was the finding that born-again Christians have among the highest divorce rates.
The Associated Press, using data supplied by the US Census Bureau, found that the highest divorce rates are to be found in the Bible Belt. The AP
report stated that "the divorce rates in these conservative states are roughly 50 percent above the national average of 4.2 per thousand people."
The 10 Southern states with some of the highest divorce rates were Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina,
Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. By comparison nine states in the Northeast were among those with the lowest divorce rates: Connecticut,
Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
It appears then the new Moral Authority and tenuous "majority" is the most hypocritical, anti-family, anti-self reliant (not to mention ungrateful)
clap trap group of bumper sticker believing "value voters" ever wedged together in an American election. Some call that sort of thing Providence.
Not
this guy. But he's a little angry right now. Maybe he should be.
It seems some northeastern liberals, which happen to be among the most educated people in America, are considering leaving and taking their
higher average earnings and
tax burdens with them. Some bait purveyors to the south say good riddance. Still others among the enfranchised have a bolder idea:
Expell the Blue States
Yet, there are 38 states today that may be inclined to adopt, let us call it, a "Declaration of Expulsion," that is, a specific
constitutional amendment to kick out the systemically troublesome states and those trending rapidly toward anti-American, if not outright subversive,
behavior. The 12 states that must go: California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, Maryland, and Delaware. Only the remaining 38 states would retain the name, "United States of America." The 12 expelled mobs could call
themselves the "Dirty Dozen," or individually keep their identity and go their separate ways, probably straight to Hell.
Wow. Blue states are "systemically troublesome" and "trending rapidly toward anti-American, if not outright subversive, behavior" so let's kick
them out of America.
No, wait. Stop laughing. Hear the new Moral Authority out.
BUSH USA is predominantly white; devoutly Christian (mostly Protestant); openly, vigorously heterosexual; an open land of single-family
homes and ranches; economically sound (except for a few farms), but not drunk with cyberworld business development, and mainly English-speaking, with
a predilection for respectfully uttering "yes, ma'am" and "yes, sir."
GORE/KERRY USA is ethnically diverse; multi-religious, irreligious or nastily antireligious; more sexually liberated (if not in actual
practice, certainly in attitude); awash with condo canyons and other high-end real estate bordered by sprawling, squalid public housing or neglected
private homes, decidedly short of middle-class neighborhoods; both high tech and oddly primitive in its commerce; very artsy, and Babelesque, with
abnormally loud speakers.
And there it is. Forget the "Bush Country" bumper stickers about "Self Reliance" or "Family Values" as none of that stands the fact check.
The difference and "anger of the enfranchised" boils down to (listed in order of importance):
1. Being White
2. Christian
(Protestant please)
3. Vigorously Heterosexual
("vigorous" denotes girl on girl action being okay)
4. Mostly English speaking
(except when addressing hispanic value voters)
and
5. Polite
(proposal to kick out 49% of America notwithstanding)
Ignore the economic arguments of self reliance because they're bunk. As are "family or moral values" once boiled down to their inherent components
of intolerance (even in their own words). Bumper sticker politics are for people that look to bumper stickers for politics. That's pretty self
explanatory.
Now imagine a world where bumper stickers get their way. Mainly because they just did. It's going to be an interesting 4 years.
