Red-Blue Biases and Misinformation

Salon.com posted an article by Alex Henderson, titled: States That Mooch Off The Federal Government Partner. The article listed ten so-called red states that receive more federal dollars than paid out. This argument has often been used to prove that Republican economics don't work. I take offense that free market practices are attached only to republicans, but that's another argument.

Let's first ask where red and blue labels originated. The red label is less simpler as it's the color used for the enemy on a military strategy map, at least according to the New York times. Some think it might have been an attempt to associate republicans with communists. Attaching colors and symbolism to movements is a common tactic. That make sense if we use history's reference to the red menace, the Soviet Union. The blue state monicker came about because of geographic location. Most blue states are located along the coast, especially Pacific blue states. It was during the 2000 election that states got an official color designation because of how they voted in the presidential election.

When we look deep into these states, we can easily see politics is often more diverse. In states like South Carolina, there is the upstate region that typically votes Democratic in local elections, but more Republican in national elections. There are central and coastal streaks that are clearly blue in both local and national elections. I find in South Carolina, most tend to be conservative, whether they're democrat or republican.

From Salon article:

7. South Carolina: The fact that South Carolina hasn’t gone Democrat in a presidential election since 1976 is a badge of honor to the state’s GOP. And Republican Gov. Nikki Haley once boasted, “I love that we are one of the least unionized states in the country.” But that is nothing to be proud of, especially in light of the fact that non-union workers tend to have lower wages and therefore, contribute less tax revenue. The Tax Foundation found that South Carolina was receiving $1.92 from the federal government for every federal tax dollar it was contributing.

Haley doesn’t think much of liberals, but considering that Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, Minnesota and New York State—all of which Obama won in both 2008 and 2012—are giving more tax dollars to the federal government than they are receiving, she might want to reconsider and start thanking them for their help.

Because time is precious, I decided to take one state, my own, South Carolina, and break it down to see why it receives so many dollars from the federal government and if it is really a red state. Although South Carolina's economic policies aren't always something about which to brag, this doesn't give us a true indicator as to why the state receives so many federal dollars. A large portion of those dollars are mandated by the federal government.

Highway funds seem to stand out above everything else. A simple look at the state's location gives some indication. Although most people never stop in the state except to visit one of the most popular beaches in the nation – Myrtle Beach. South Carolina is a major route along the east coast. Also because the state lies in the hurricane zone, coastal evacuation requires an expensive highways system. The federal government has placed standards on roads for that reason alone, and it's willing to pay to maintain those standards.

Another huge reason for federal dollars is the major sea port in Charleston, SC. In 2003, Charleston Harbor was the fifth busiest international port in the USA. This port handles a large segment of the country's container imports, as well as tankers bringing in oil and its many byproducts. The port is currently being deepened to handle the new larger tanker and cargo ships. The deepening project is expected to cost $500 million dollars.

A lot of federal dollars go toward military spending within South Carolina. The state has the largest army training facility in the nation. To move soldiers in a time of war, you need airplanes and roads. This is another reason many traveling through the state are impressed by the well maintained roads.

Also located in South Carolina, is Shaw Air Force Base that sent the first F-16s to Desert Storm in Iraq. There is also the Joint Base in Charleston, that maintains an Air Force as well as Naval forces. Below is an excerpt from the base website:

The Joint Base Charleston community encompasses more than 20,000 active-duty, Reserve and civilian personnel, spanning across its Air Base and Weapons Station.

The Air Base, Weapons Station, the local community and their representatives, and the Department of Defense believe Joint Basing is the stepping stone to making Charleston a Joint Logistics, Transportation and Engineering Hub and the worldwide leader in moving people, vehicles, munitions, and supplies via air, land, sea, and rail.

Unique with over 53 tenants, Joint Team Charleston is comprised of Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Homeland Security, and other DoD missions - all working together in the global fight against terrorism and for the spread of world peace.

The host unit of the Joint Base is the 628th Air Base Wing. The wing has two operational groups consisting of 13 squadrons and one wing staff directorate. The air base wing's primary duties are to provide base support for approximately 80,000 personnel, including active-duty and Reserve military members, civilian government employees and contractors, military family members and retirees.

If that isn't enough, the state has the Barnwell Nuclear Waste Site and the Savannah River Plant breeder reactor that for most of the nuclear bomb history was only one of two Tritium plants in the nation. All states that have hospitals and nuclear power plants, you can be thankful there are safe roads on which to carry your nuclear waste to South Carolina.

At this point, I was going to list all the lands held and controlled by the federal government in South Carolina, but the numbers are too great for this limited space, especially because of all the federally controlled wetlands. The state was forced to pay for reentry into the United States after the civil war. The state refused to pay, and realistically wasn't financially able, so the US took land. I am personally bordered by three of those lands, Kings Mountain National Park, Sumter National forest, and Woods Ferry Recreational Area. There are states where the federal government holds much more land area, but those states are much larger and more sparsely populated.

It's often pointed out how South Carolina is a poor state. As previously stated, our economic practices haven't always been the best. You must also know that South Carolina has been run by mostly democrats. Even with the rise of republicans in the state, there are many counties like my own where they couldn't get elected dog catcher. The next time you hear red/blue state, do some research on your own state to find if that label holds true. I dare say, you will find it applies more to counties than states.