This was a reply to a DUer who took exception to my anger at AL for being on the dole and liking secessionists.
There's a difference there. Just like racism could be popular amongst certain neighborhoods but it doesn't mean that all residents in those neighborhoods are necessarily racists.
Also, there are of course "welfare states" in the lower 48. An interesting note though that most of the states who receive more federal money than they are taxed are red states. The states that are taxed more than they get back tend to be bluer. Also, Alaska actually ranks in the top 3 of states that get way more than they are taxed, at least according to a 2005 ranking. Don't believe me? Look up the Tax Foundation here:
http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show... I will reproduce the ranking for those without a PDF viewer:
List of states by number of federal spending per dollar of federal taxes
- New Mexico - $2.03
- Mississippi - $2.02
- Alaska - $1.84
- Louisiana - $1.78
- West Virginia - $1.76
- North Dakota - 1.68
- Alabama - $1.66
- South Dakota - $1.53
- Kentucky - $1.51
- Virginia - $1.51
- Montana - $1.47
- Hawaii - $1.44
- Maine - $1.41
- Arkansas - $1.41
- Oklahoma - $1.36
- South Carolina - $1.35
- Missouri - $1.32
- Maryland - $1.30
- Tennessee - $1.27
- Idaho - $1.21
- Arizona - $1.19
- Kansas - $1.12
- Wyoming - $1.11
- Iowa - $1.10
- Nebraska - $1.10
- Vermont - $1.08
- North Carolina - $1.08
- Pennsylvania - $1.07
- Utah - $1.07
- Indiana - $1.05
- Ohio - $1.05
- Georgia - $1.01
- Rhode Island - $1.00
- Florida - $0.97
- Texas - $0.94
- Oregon - $0.93
- Michigan - $0.92
- Washington - $0.88
- Wisconsin - $0.86
- Massachusetts - $0.82
- Colorado - $0.81
- New York - $0.79
- California - $0.78
- Delaware - $0.77
- Illinois - $0.75
- Minnesota - $0.72
- New Hampshire - $0.71
- Connecticut - $0.69
- Nevada - $0.65
- New Jersey - $0.61
For those familiar with the electoral college map, please note that the top 10 are red states and the bottom 10 are blue states (with the exception of Colorado, which is battleground).
There is further breakdown of the spending on a state by state basis done by the Tax Foundation available at their site.
So yeah, in addition to being amongst the top 3 welfare states, Alaskans also get their cut from the oil companies and the Alaska Independence Party is a huge mover and shaker on their political scene to the point where (regardless of whether or not she was a member or not) the fucking GOVERNOR OF THE STATE feels it necessary to pander to them. And you don't see why I'm pissed off at the hypocrisy of such thinking?
PS It is arguable that Alaska slipped from the top 3 (but this is unverifiable until the Tax Foundation does another ranking) after Palin took over as governor as she apparently did veto some earmarks but do note that this ranking most likely takes into account the earmarks Palin got for Wasila through the lobbyist she hired for a small town of 6,000.
