Freeloading by Republican States

We have been hearing a lot about "freeloading" from Republicans; but the data shows that most of the freeloading is done by the Republicans themselves.

There are states where the federal tax revenues gathered from the state are greater than federal government spending on the state; and there are states where the federal government spending on the state is greater than the federal tax revenues gathered from the state. The six states with the greatest positive difference between federal revenues and federal spending - Delaware, Minnesota, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and Illinois - are all solidly Democratic. Whereas of the six states with the greatest negative difference between federal revenues and federal spending - Alaska, New Mexico, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia and Alabama - only New Mexico and Virginia have voted Democratic in the last election; and Virginia has voted Republican in every previous election since 1964.

What this means is that the Democratic-voting states provide more revenue, and the Republican-voting states get more federal money. So if there is freeloading in America, it is done by the Republican states the most.

The greatest federal revenue per capita is found (in descending order) in Delaware, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Nebraska and Illinois. Excepting Nebraska, these are all solid Democratic states.

The greatest federal spending per capita is found (in descending order) in Virginia, Alaska, Maryland, New Mexico, Hawaii, North Dakota, Mississippi, South Dakota, Alabama, Wyoming and Louisiana. Most of these states (Maryland, New Mexico and Hawaii excepted) vote Republican.

Is there freeloading in America then? You bet there is.

But the people and places that do it the most are not the people and places that get accused of doing it the most. It is Republican states that do the bulk of freeloading in America; and it is time that more people understand this.