AP Analysis: Billions in federal spending shifted to GOP districts after 1994 House takeover

Associated Press ^ | 8-5-02 | DAVID PACE

[Oldeconomybuyer]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The 1994 revolution that gave Republicans control of the House of Representatives produced a seismic shift in federal spending, moving tens of billions of dollars from Democratic to GOP districts, an Associated Press analysis shows.

Rather than pork barrel projects for new GOP districts, the change was driven mostly by Republican policies that moved spending from poor rural and urban areas to the more affluent suburbs and GOP-leaning farm country, the computer analysis showed.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Enterprising journalist, or hack for James Carville and Paul Begalla?

[Corin Stormhands]

Rather than pork barrel projects for new GOP districts, the change was driven mostly by Republican policies that moved spending from poor rural and urban areas to the more affluent suburbs and GOP-leaning farm country, the computer analysis showed.

What a load of crap! Of course, this goober wants us to believe that everything was distributed equitably before the GOP took control...

[sailor4321]

Good heavens! Only a $600 million tilt toward the Republicans? That's peanuts considering the size of the budget. I guess that's the price of only controlling one house. If we controlled both, we'd get a more fitting and appropriate share of the budget,

I'll bet it was skewed a lot more than $600 million toward the Demos districts before 1994.

[3AngelaD]

AP, with a straight face, prints this propaganda as if it is objective news. Where were the "news" stories before 1994 that said, "Democrat-dominated Congress funnels money to urban parasites and every other non-productive sector of our society, winks at union corruption, panders to criminals, establishes socialist programs nationwide and decimates the military?"

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Damned good questions!

[tracer]

Go figure.....

[Uncle Hal]

If the money was shifted to Republican districts then previously the money had gone to Democratic districts. This is self evident and good politics. There is no story here

[newgeezer]

But, how do our esteemed, "conservative, limited-government" Republicans explain the so-called Transportation Bills passed between '95 and '00? Republicans had control of both houses, and pork-barrel projects were just as popular as they'd been under the Dems.

[freedomcrusader]

But that's the problem with the analysis - no money that previosuly went to demonRAT districts got 'shifted' to Republican ones. Both types of districts got hefty increases in spending - 52% increase for Republican-controlled districts and 34% for demonRAT-controlled districts. The increase in spending wasn't as much, but nothing was shifted out of demonRAT districts.

[Plutarch]

Okay, lets see an analysis of federal spending per capita in Blue Zones versus Red Zones. Of transfer payments to Republican constituents vs. Dem constituents. Of races. Of immigrant groups versus native born. Of married vs. single. If they want to start talking money for votes that will make our day.

[Free the USA]

I wonder why they didn't look at how much is taken in taxes from GOP districts verses how much is spent? Probably because it would show that GOP districts still heavily subsidize Democrat districts.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Damned good point, but that would require investigative journalism and not just cruising DNC.org.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Maybe the AP will run a story about how much money the Democrooks spent in the 40 years leading up to 1994.

[Zathras]

This reporter forgot to mention the "mystery phonecall" which suggested he write this story.

[aimhigh]

House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas. "To the victor goes the spoils."

Folks, that's their description of your hard earned dollars.

[Steve_Seattle]

"the food stamp program was cut by one third"

These and the other cuts described do not ring true. I'm seeing more people in grocery stores with food stamps now than I ever did ten years ago.

[StriperSniper]

their description of your hard earned dollars.

Yup.

(But I am going to miss that guy.)