Red State Generosity
November 10, 2004
Don't look now but another Civil War is brewing. The nation just re-elected George W. Bush and it's not sitting well with portions of the country, namely the now-famous blue states. There are 19 of them, total. They make up primarily the Northeast, the Rust Belt in the Mid-West and the Left Coast. They boast some of the nation's largest population centers – New York, Chicago, Los Angeles. They don't think it's fair that someone from “fly-over country” is in charge so instead of doing the honorable thing and moving to France with Johnny Depp, they want to take their states and start a new country.
Where does all this talk come from?
It's coming from the very same people who have spewed the same old liberal rhetoric during recent elections in order to play on our innate sense of class envy. The ‘haves' are made to feel guilty by those purportedly speaking on behalf of the ‘have-nots.' We're taught, first, that we should feel guilty for any success we achieve and, second, that the liberal, compassionate thing to do is to give away that ill-gotten booty.
After George W. Bush won re-election (I love to keep repeating that ‘cause it burns those disgruntled liberals up), prominent Democrats advanced the possibility of secession. Democratic activist Bob Beckel told “Fox & Friends” the morning after the election, “I think now that slavery is taken care of, I'm for letting the South form its own nation.” MSNBC political analyst Lawrence O'Donnell concurred. “The segment of the country that pays for the federal government is now being governed by the people who don't pay for the federal government,” O'Donnell whined. In his effort to whip up discontent among the blue states using class warfare, O'Donnell forgot something. The facts.
Indeed, the blue states pay roughly 20 percent more than the red states in federal income tax yet the blue states have an average of sixty-one percent more citizens on government welfare. The raw numbers paint an even uglier picture. Despite the fact that there are more people in the red states, the number of people on welfare in the Kerry states is almost three times the number in the Bush states.
The liberals will also have you believe they give more than conservatives to charity. Here are the facts. According to the Massachusetts-based Catalogue of Philanthropy's Generosity Index, millionaire-concentrated California is not the most charitable state. The most giving state in the union is – are you ready for this? – Mississippi. That's right, a red state. Their “Having Rank,” according to the index, is 50th out of the 50 states. Their “Giving Rank,” despite their relatively meager means, is 5th . That translates into a generosity index of first place. California, by contrast, is 6th in “Having Rank” and a dismal 17th in “Giving Rank” leaving them in 29th place. New York, by the way, is in 26th place.
Here's another interesting tidbit. Of the top 10 most giving states, every single one is a red state. Of the top 25 giving states, every one is a red state. All of the blue states rank 26 or below in generosity. So much for compassionate, giving liberals, eh? The bottom line is this; liberals are for higher taxes but when it comes to helping the less fortunate, without the threat of jail time, conservatives are the ones who step up to the plate.
As for secession? I say let ‘em go. With so many people riding the wagon compared to those pulling, it won't be long before they tire of it. Then maybe they'll see red, too.
Catalogue for Philanthropy
Generosity Index 2004
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