Map: Beggar states and donor states

jonathanjo

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Sunday November 14, 2004 · 10:29 PM PST

2004/11/14 · 22:29

There’s been much talk about “red state welfare.” Supposedly, the Bush-voting, big-government-bashing states feed at the federal trough, while the baby-killing Kerry states pay the other states’ way. Seems like everyone who’s mentioned this meme online has referred to this article, which juxtaposes incomplete data on interstate cash flow with the electoral map from the 2000 presidential race, which just confuses things. Are the red states all bums, and are the blue states all suckers, or not?

So here’s my own map of interstate cash flow as of 2002, based on source data from Tax Foundation. Federal spending in each state has been compared to federal taxes paid. Green states generate the green and red states operate in the red. Voila, the beggar states and the donor states:

Florida and Oregon, in 2002, received exactly a dollar for each dollar paid.

It does look suspiciously similar to all those election return maps, doesn’t it? Noteworthy:

Texas and Colorado are significant Republican donor states. Nevada too.

Pennsylvania broke with most Kerry states in being a beggar state. Same with Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine.

States very close to the fiscal borderline: Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Wyoming.

Do what you like with that. Discuss. Fight amongst yourselves.

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Map: Beggar states and donor states

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