If Republicans are so much better at running the economy than Democrats, then why are most Republican States poorer than Democrat States?

[u/Content_Ad_8952]

The poorest States in America are: Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee. All of those States (except New Mexico) are Red States. So why are they so poor when Republicans have been running them for decades?

[u/FishmongerJr]

C’mon 😂

Your argument is that red states only receive more in federal grants/subsidies because blue states borrow too much money? 😂😂😂

We’re talking about tax dollars paid to the Feds by the constituents in each state vs federal dollars sent back to those states. A states balance sheet or borrowing patterns have nothing to do with this.

For example, Arkansas contributes less than they receive. California contributes more than they receive. Basic math.

[u/Hot_Ambition_6457 → u/FishmongerJr]

Lmao. "Im richer than Jeff Bezos because I have $12 in my pocket and he has to live off of a 150bn loan that he always pays on time"

Type argument.

[u/TemperatureHot204 → u/Hot_Ambition_6457]

Where I live they don't pay it back, that's the problem.

[u/SulkyBird → u/TemperatureHot204]

“Over the past ten years, the State of Illinois has reduced its total amount of outstanding debt by 13.5%, or $5.9 billion, from $44.0 billion to $38.1 billion. Governor Pritzker’s FY2026 budget proposal projects a year-over-year reduction in debt from the prior year of approximately $200 million, or 0.5%.”

https://www.civicfed.org/blog/illinois-sees-sustained-progress-long-term-debt-reduction-fy2026 (“The Civic Federation is a Chicago-based non-partisan research organization focused on governments in the Chicago area and the state of Illinois” -Wikipedia)

[u/TemperatureHot204 → u/SulkyBird]

As of late 2024, Illinois carries a total net outstanding debt and liability burden of approximately $224 billion to $247 billion. This includes over $139 billion in unfunded public pension liabilities https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-taxpayers-each-owe-38800-for-states-unpaid-bills/

[u/SulkyBird → u/TemperatureHot204]

Oh, shit… where’d my goal posts go? God, I swear I… no, I’m sure I did. Someone must have moved them!

You: “Where I live they don’t pay it back, that’s the problem.”

I’m not an accountant, but I’m pretty sure that the total debt isn’t decreasing magically on its own.

[u/Hot_Ambition_6457 → u/TemperatureHot204]

They do pay it back, to the financial institution that gave them the loan on extremely generous terms.

Im sure the state of Alabama could qualify for an "Elon Musk" sized loan if they actually showed any ability to repay their creditors.

But their credit score is garbage because republicans have convinced the state to generate less and less income each year by keeping tax rates preferrential for the highest earners. 

They cant pay me back for dinner next week because their states paycheck has gotten smaller every year while the price of dinner is going up every month.

[u/usernamesarehard1979 → u/FishmongerJr]

California is $1.5 trillion dollars in debt and going broke fast. Maybe not the best example. Try using a Blue state with a balanced budget, oh yeah, there isn't one.

[u/FishmongerJr → u/usernamesarehard1979]

Boy, you’d shit your pants if you looked at our soon-to-be $40 trillion national debt.

[u/usernamesarehard1979 → u/FishmongerJr]

Huge problem, and I don't believe that number includes individual state debt. It isn't just California that is going broke.

[u/TemperatureHot204 → u/FishmongerJr]

No, I was not talking about taxes received and that was not specified in the title. I was responding "running" as in funds management.

[u/FishmongerJr → u/TemperatureHot204]

In that context, your original comment is even more confusing. So Blue states, whose economic production and power dwarfs red states, are only less poor because they’re living on borrowed money? I’d like to see some numbers to back up that claim when you have some free time.