Why are red states so poor while claiming to be fiscally conservative?

Question

They have a small percentage of concentrated wealth while the masses are living in squander.

This is their desire for the nation as a whole as well.

Answer 1

I just wish the Red States would secede from the union. They can have their Republican dream of a country:
No public school system, no minimum wage, no child labor laws, no healthcare, no social security, no medicare, no workmen's comp, or disability insurance.
Remember the old Chinese curse: May you get everything that you wish for.

Answer 2

"They have a small percentage of concentrated wealth..."

Do you even understand what this means? In NY, the population density is roughly 64,000 people per square mile, whereas timbuktoo Arkansas may only have 10. Naturally, their concentrated wealth is going to be far less, regardless of what city you use, especially when you compare it to a rural community, which make up the majority of "red states".

On top of that, name a city that isn't swimming in debt and corruption. You can't. No one can. I can just as easily say, "oh...well democrats are thieves and they just want to rob their citizens.", but that would be pretty lame and very old hat.

Consider as well, that most people in the Mid-West and the South aren't paying $2000/mo. to live in an apartment that borders squalor. Houses start at prices people in cities haven't seen in decades...i.e., a house in rural Georgia may cost $99,900 when the same thing just outside of Philadelphia would cost $299,900.

So, make your generalizations anyway, but this way you'll be prepared when you're called out again for being inaccurate.

EDIT:

WOW...this whole place in one huge generalization. It's disgusting, but thankfully, this site isn't a true representation of Americans and how they feel about eachother and American politics...we'd be doomed otherwise.

Answer 3

The red state cost of living is much lower than blue states. Income levels that you would consider far below you actually go farther here. The same people could not have the same economical benefits at the same level of income if they lived in a blue state. I happen to know many people who live quite well...the vast majority have an income (when compared to the cost of living difference from red to blue) that exceeds the blue states.

Answer 4

Red states spend less on public education, and thus, their schools do not produce as many liberals as you find in the blue states. In general, the less well-educated a population group is, the more conservative they are. Conversely, the more highly educated a populace becomes, the more liberal they become. I got this from Psychology Today magazine, link below. Scroll about two-thirds of the way down.

Answer 5

My theory is that the red states you describe are more socially conservative than fiscally so.

These are the people who vote for Republicans based on 'moral values', fight those dirty foreign terrorists, keep those dirty foreign Mexicans out of my country, don't let those dirty gays marry, etc. etc. They also vote for keeping their taxes low, but they don't seem to understand that the rich benefit the most from Republican tax cuts.

Answer 6

Because the Republicans get elected President by promising not to tax people. So the costs of government services are passed down to the states with no money following.
Then the Republicans get elected Governor by promising not to tax people. And the responsibilities are passed to the cites and towns with no money to follow.
And then the Republicans get elected Mayor by promising no taxes and...well.every level of government is bankrupted. So the government has no money and services are bare-boned.
And this is called being a poor state.

Answer 7

This is a good question. One which was answered in Thomas Frank's book "What's the matter with Kansas?". Also, for those who claim that it's going to liberals on welfare, may I remind you that most liberals are highly educated (something else conservative seems to hate about them) and very well off financially.

Answer 8

Most poor counties in red states are blue (democrat). This is because your economy is more controlled by the local government not the state or federal. In fact the largest concentration of blue counties in the country is the Mississippi delta region. All of those are in red states.

Answer 9

Peo ple in those culturally conservative places are easily swayed to vote against their own economic best interests.

When they vote for the Republicans who are pursuing policies that hurt working folk, they aren't thinking with their pocketbooks; they're being distracted by issues like gay marriage, flag burning, prayer in schools, gun control, etc.

As long as working-class Red Staters keep letting the GOP tell them that they stand for "morality" and "patriotism," those voters will give the corporate shills in the party free rein.

Answer 10

In know,right? A lot of them, as I have been told by other CONSERVATIVES, fit the "poor and ultraconseravtive" ignoramus stereotype.

1- They insolently hate "liberals" and "city folk" because thats what their masters/talk radio tells them to do.

2- They think if they "think rich" they'll get rich.Wrong!

3- "It aint wrong if the Lord let me do it", a scary justification that shows no respect for our "politically correct"(read:Mainstream) laws.

Just a good 'ol boys
Never meanin' no harm...
Beats all you ever saw
Been in trouble with the law
'Since the day they was born...

Only in America folks. Yee haw!
(eyes roll)