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Gimme states: The proud hypocrites taking billions in federal dollars while opposing aid [1]

['Ellsworth Toohey']

Date: 2025-06-24

Republican-led states that often champion fiscal conservatism and small government are the biggest beneficiaries of federal spending, according to a new MoneyGeek analysis of Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis data.

Seven of the ten states most dependent on federal dollars voted Republican in recent presidential elections. West Virginia, Alaska, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Arizona, and Montana all rank near the top in receiving more federal money than they pay in taxes. West Virginia, for instance, gets $2.91 back for every tax dollar sent to Washington, while using federal funds to cover 27% of its state budget.

This is no problem for a party that embraces hypocrisy as a virtue: the states whose political leaders most vocally oppose government spending and "handouts" are often the ones most reliant on federal aid. While Democratic-led New Mexico tops the list with a $3.42 return on federal tax dollars, the pattern of Republican state dependency is evident throughout the data.

By contrast, states that consistently vote Democratic like New Jersey, Washington, California, and New York are "donor states" – paying far more in federal taxes than they receive back. New Jersey and Washington get back only about 50 cents for each tax dollar their residents send to DC.

As MoneyGeek notes, economic factors like "energy extraction, military installations, and a high share of retirees often correlate with greater federal inflows" – characteristics common in red states that champion small government while benefiting most from federal spending.

Previously:

• West Virginia lawmakers want declare Bible 'inerrant' and 'accurate historical record'

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[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2025/06/24/gimme-states-the-proud-hypocrites-taking-billions-in-federal-dollars-while-opposing-aid.html

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