RED VERSUS BLUE
By Ken Kuchar
Republican Rule Has Created Taxpayer Dependent Red States
Red states are the most
dependent upon “big government.” The overwhelming majority of the
top state recipients of federal taxpayer money are Red states. In fact, the
overwhelming majority of Blue states pay more in federal tax dollars
than they get back and the overwhelming majority of Red states get more in
federal tax money than they pay.
Mitch McConnell’s
Kentucky is a prime example. For every $1 Kentucky pays in taxes, it gets
back $2.41 in federal taxpayer money. In fact, Kentucky, Mississippi,
and Louisiana rely on the federal government for more than 40% of their state
revenue. By contrast, Blue states like Connecticut, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York get the lowest percentage of federal
money and pay far more in federal taxes than they get back.
Red states are
responsible for much of our federal budget deficit. Red states are
consistently taking more in federal money than they pay in. Decades
of Republican dominance in Red states have left those states dependent on
our tax money.
Red States Have the Highest Percentage of People on Disability
The top 5 states with people on disability are Red states.
Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, and West Virginia have the
highest number of people on federal disability.
Red States Have the Lowest Labor Force Participation Rates
9 of the top 10 states with the lowest labor force participation rates
are Red states, including, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, West
Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
Red States Are the Poorest
Red states are the overwhelming poorest states in the country with the
highest poverty rates. Mississippi (19.8%), Louisiana (18.7%), West
Virginia (17.4%), Arkansas (16.8%), North Carolina 14.1%), Alabama (16.8%),
Kentucky (16.7%), Texas (14.9%), Florida (13.7%), South Carolina (15.2%),
Oklahoma (15.5%), and Tennessee (15.2%) all have incredibly high poverty rates.
With the exception of New Mexico with its impoverished Native American
population, all of the top 10 highest poverty rate states are Red states.
Red States Have the Least Educated Populations
Red states consistently rank at the bottom of education. Red states
make up the overwhelming majority of the worst states for education in our
country, including these states who rank at the bottom: Tennessee, South
Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, and
Mississippi. Red states also have the least number of college degrees.
What has decades of Republican dominance in those states done? Kept
them at the bottom.
By contrast the top 10 most educated states are overwhelmingly Blue
states, including, Massachusetts, Maryland, Colorado, Vermont,
Connecticut, Virginia, Washington New Jersey, and Minnesota.
Why is this important? Higher education levels mean jobs and higher
incomes. An educated population means that businesses are created,
entrepreneurs are born, and businesses will settle in your state to hire your
educated population. What happens if you don’t make sure your population
is educated? They end up dependent on federal taxpayer money.
Decades of Republican dominance and platforms based on low taxes, God,
guns, and patriotism has left Red states at the bottom.
Red States Have the Least Healthy Populations & Worst Healthcare
Systems
The overwhelming majority of states with the least healthy populations
are Red states. The states with the least healthy populations were
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The 14 of
the 15 top healthiest states are Blue states and at the top are:
Hawaii, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Washington, Rhode Island, New Jersey,
California, Maryland, Minnesota, Colorado, New York, Wisconsin,
Delaware, and Vermont. Utah was the only state to break into the top
15, which was likely due to its large Mormon population, many of whom do
not drink, smoke, or use caffeine. In terms of healthiest
regions, the Blue Northeast is the healthiest and the Red south is the least
healthy. They have high rates of obesity, smoking, mental and physical
distress, and low birthweight.
The bottom 10 states with the worst healthcare systems are all Red
states: Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas,
Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, and Alaska. Residents of Texas are six
times more likely to be without healthcare than residents of Massachusetts.
Georgia has the worst child immunization rate in the country.
4 of the top 5 highest average insurance monthly premiums are Red states:
Nebraska, Iowa, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The states with the highest
infant mortality rate are Red states: West Virginia, South Carolina, Arkansas,
Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Republican Rule Has Created Taxpayer Dependent Red States
Red states are the most
dependent upon “big government.” The overwhelming majority of the
top state recipients of federal taxpayer money are Red states. In fact,
the overwhelming majority of Blue states pay more in federal tax dollars
than they get back and the overwhelming majority of Red states get more in
federal tax money than they pay.
Mitch McConnell’s
Kentucky is a prime example. For every $1 Kentucky pays in taxes, it gets
back $2.41 in federal taxpayer money. In fact, Kentucky, Mississippi,
and Louisiana rely on the federal government for more than 40% of their state
revenue.
Red States Have the Highest Percentage of People on Disability
The top 5 states with people on disability are Red states.
Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, and West Virginia have the
highest number of people on federal disability.
Red States Have the Lowest Labor Force Participation Rates
9 of the top 10 states with the lowest labor force participation rates
are Red states, including, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, West
Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
Red States Are the Poorest
Red states are the overwhelming poorest
states in the country with the highest poverty rates. Mississippi
(19.8%), Louisiana (18.7%), West Virginia (17.4%), Arkansas (16.8%), North
Carolina 14.1%), Alabama (16.8%), Kentucky (16.7%), Texas (14.9%), Florida
(13.7%), South Carolina (15.2%), Oklahoma (15.5%), and Tennessee (15.2%)
all have incredibly high poverty rates.
Red States Have the Least Educated Populations
Red states consistently rank at the bottom
of education. Red states make up the overwhelming majority of the worst
states for education in our country, including these states who rank at the
bottom: Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, West
Virginia, and Mississippi. Red states also have the least number of college
degrees.
Red States Have the Least Healthy Populations & Worst Healthcare
Systems
The overwhelming majority of states with the
least healthy populations are Red states. The states with the least
healthy populations were Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, and
Arkansas.
