The flow of federal tax dollars
I listened to Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana claim last week that states run by Democrats are “nanny states.” In response to the Democrats proposal that the corporate tax rate be raised to pay for the infrastructure bill, Kennedy accused blue states of “constantly looking for a handout.”
I really, really wish that I had been standing within earshot of Kennedy when he made these ridiculous claims. Had I been nearby, I would’ve reminded Kennedy that:
The 10 most federally dependent states in our country are red states, including Louisiana.
Seven of the 10 least federally dependent states in our country are blue states.
Mississippi, for example, receives $2.13 for every tax dollar the state sent to Washington, according to a Rockefeller study. West Virginia receives $2.07, Kentucky gets $1.90 and South Carolina gets $1.71.
Meanwhile, New Jersey receives 74 cents in federal spending for tax every dollar the state sent to Washington. New York receives 81 cents, Connecticut receives 82 cents, Massachusetts receives 83 cents, and California receives 96 cents.
Federal tax dollars tend to flow from blue states to red states. 18 cents of every tax dollar that I pay in Connecticut ends up outside Connecticut, and almost certainly in a red state.
Blue states are nanny states? I don’t think so.
Red states also have:
The most teen pregnancies
The lowest median income
The fewest number of insured people
The lowest life expectancy
The highest rate of welfare usage.
This is not a criticism of residents of red states. I am simply pointing out that in general, red states depend on federal tax dollars far more than blue states, but even with this additional tax money, residents in these states are still not benefiting from the same quality of life that Americans in blue states are experiencing.
Perhaps Kennedy should be focused more on the quality of life of his constituents and spend less time criticizing those states that are funding the livelihoods of his constituents.
I really hate that guy.
