Writer has it backward

I’m afraid Pat Shankland (“‘Dumb states’ will bail out ‘smart states’,” Nov. 23) has it exactly backward. By “dumb states,” Shankland (ironically) means “red states,” i.e., states that voted for Mitt Romney. And, of course, “smart states” means “blue states.”

Shankland then predicts that the “dumb states” will bail out the “smart states” once President Obama has managed to ruin the U.S. economy. But this is not the pattern that has held in the past.

The five states that receive the most in benefits per taxes paid are all red states, almost 3 to 1 in the case of West Virginia and Mississippi. The five states that paid the most in taxes per benefits received are all blue states. In short, liberal states, on balance, support the defective economies of conservative states (see www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/02/is-your-state-a-net-giver-or-taker-of-federal-taxes).

I’ve seen a lot about secession in the news recently. Conservatives had better hope that we liberals don’t decide it’s a good idea. Frankly, we’d be better off without them.


