COTW: Deadbeat States

Isn't it ironic--excuse US Person for using a descriptor that is dead--that some of the reddest states in the nation rely most on federal largesse. No one begrudges Louisiana receiving federal emergency aid despite the bashing its Repugnant delegation administers to the feds regularly, but look at Kentucky. This is not a state you would expect relies heavily on federal money. Perhaps this is what happens when you have a powerful Repugnant leader in the Senate as your senator Here is the chart from US Census Bureau data:

Part of the explanation about why souther states dominate the federal aid map is two prong. 1) when the South was solidly Democratic, Democratic congressmen who were leaders in Congress sent back federal dollars to their constituencies. The South also has higher poverty rates than other regions. Consequently, they receive more in federal welfare payments. These conditions are reflected in this table from The Atlantic, which shows the dollar return for each dollar of federal taxes paid by state residents. Once again Kentucky and Louisiana are near the top using this measure. As Business Insider put it, "As it turns out, it is red states that are overwhelmingly the Welfare Queen States. Yes, that's right. Red States—the ones governed by folks who think government is too big and spending needs to be cut—are a net drain on the economy, taking in more federal spending than they pay out in federal taxes." So the next time you hear a MAGA type ranting about 'damn 'Merica hating commie libs living off their sweat', show them the chart and ask them to LOOK:

Then ask them to get vaccinated before we have to pay for their hospitalization:

US COVID-19 DEATHS (est.): 890,000