# When will the Republicans cut funds to their constituents? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 5, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799 "2014-11-05T20:37:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/1 "2014-11-05T20:37:44Z")
Given that [Red states receive more Federal dollars than Blue states](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_reckoning/2012/10/25/blue_state_red_face_guess_who_benefits_more_from_your_taxes.html), and ‘“tax and spend” liberals actually subsidize the individualistic, pure, and hard-working lifestyle of our conservative countrymen,’ how long until Republicans stop giving free money to those leeches? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/2 "2014-11-05T20:49:33Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Given that [Red states receive more Federal dollars than Blue states](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_reckoning/2012/10/25/blue_state_red_face_guess_who_benefits_more_from_your_taxes.html), and ‘“tax and spend” liberals actually subsidize the individualistic, pure, and hard-working lifestyle of our conservative countrymen,’ how long until Republicans stop giving free money to those leeches? When hell freezes over, one would assume. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/3 "2014-11-05T20:59:50Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Given that [Red states receive more Federal dollars than Blue states](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_reckoning/2012/10/25/blue_state_red_face_guess_who_benefits_more_from_your_taxes.html), and ‘“tax and spend” liberals actually subsidize the individualistic, pure, and hard-working lifestyle of our conservative countrymen,’ how long until Republicans stop giving free money to those leeches? Are you counting, as “receive Federal dollars,” spending for military bases? I mean, I certainly agree that to make this statement, you should count things like Head Start, Low Income Home Energy Assistance, Food Stamp and nutrition programs for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and school-lunch-style benefits. Those types of things are manifestly the sort of tax-and-spend liberal programs that are typically decried. But I don’t agree with counting Indian reservations, military bases, federal research labs, or veterans’ spending. So what were you counting? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/4 "2014-11-05T21:05:28Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Are you counting, as “receive Federal dollars,” spending for military bases? > > I mean, I certainly agree that to make this statement, you should count things like Head Start, Low Income Home Energy Assistance, Food Stamp and nutrition programs for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and school-lunch-style benefits. Those types of things are manifestly the sort of tax-and-spend liberal programs that are typically decried. > > But I don’t agree with counting Indian reservations, military bases, federal research labs, or veterans’ spending. > > So what were you counting? Most GOP voters are Christian, would most Christians count things like food stamps and low income energy assistance as wasteful, while military bases aren’t? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/5 "2014-11-05T21:12:07Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Most GOP voters are Christian, would most Christians count things like food stamps and low income energy assistance as wasteful, while military bases aren’t? Oh, please. Do you really think Jesus would have supported feeding people? :rolleyes: [Oh, wait…](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feeding_the_multitude) Well, Jesus wasn’t a _real_ Christian anyway. Total CINO. (By the way, [90-year-old Florida man charged for feeding homeless people](http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/04/justice/florida-feeding-homeless-charges/).] ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/6 "2014-11-05T21:15:05Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Most GOP voters are Christian, would most Christians count things like food stamps and low income energy assistance as wasteful, while military bases aren’t? In my experience? Yes. But don’t even fucking _think_ of laying a hand on their soash suh-cure-it-_tah_. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/7 "2014-11-05T21:17:41Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Most GOP voters are Christian, would most Christians count things like food stamps and low income energy assistance as wasteful, while military bases aren’t? I’m sure it’s absolutely inappropriate to try to craft social policy on the basis of religion. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/8 "2014-11-05T21:19:27Z")
So… you WERE counting military bases? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/9 "2014-11-05T21:20:28Z")
Well, I only had time to look at WIC right now (it had the most accessible spreadsheet), but the highest percentage of population enrolled is California. That is followed by: Texas, Alaska, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, Georgia, Alabama, and Arizona. The lowest percentage of population enrolled was in: New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Maine, Colorado, New Jersey (from lowest to highest). So you have one “blue” state at the top, followed by a bunch of “red” states. At the “good end” you blue states and oil-booming ND. I also found one cite that Mississippi has the highest federal per-capita Head Start spending ([http://nieer.org/publications/mississippi-develop-experimental-preschool-education-program](http://nieer.org/publications/mississippi-develop-experimental-preschool-education-program)). ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/10 "2014-11-05T21:24:57Z")
SNAP benefits are a bit more evenly spread red/blue from what I can tell from a quick glance - tilted a bit more towards red states on a per-capita basis. LIHEAP doesn’t seem to reporting requirements nearly as good as WIC/SNAP and Head Start. I’ll see what I can find on school lunches. ETA: More on SNAP here, [http://www.ballotlogic.com/2014/08/food-stamps-ranking-states-snap-assistance-per-capita/](http://www.ballotlogic.com/2014/08/food-stamps-ranking-states-snap-assistance-per-capita/) ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/11 "2014-11-05T21:25:34Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I’m sure it’s absolutely inappropriate to try to craft social policy on the basis of religion. Oh good. I’m glad you’re pro abortion rights now. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/12 "2014-11-05T21:35:13Z")
You are under the mistaken impression that the current GOP is fiscally conservative. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/13 "2014-11-05T21:41:30Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > So… you WERE counting military bases? [Some of them](http://www.kgw.com/story/news/politics/2014/07/25/12495128/), certainly. Sadly, one of the few issues that can still often get bipartisan support is wasteful military spending. Regrettably, **Johnny LA** ’s link doesn’t go into enough detail to differentiate essential military spending from “we should cut the budget as long as it doesn’t affect my district” horsecrap. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/14 "2014-11-05T21:49:54Z")
Personally I don’t think there’s anything wrong with opposing government handouts and taking them yourself. You have to play with the rules as they are, and not as you want them to be. If there was some way to opt out of both paying for and being eligilble for these benefits and you refused to do it while opposing them, then you might be a hypocrite. But if you’re paying for them you may as well get something back. To think otherwise is ridiculous IMO. If anything (more below) it should be seen as a principled stand, that people would vote in favor of politicians who propose to end something that they gain from. We need more of that from the electorate. But beyond that, the whole thing is just statistical jive. There’s no reason to believe that the same people who oppose these programs are benefiting from them. There are no states which don’t have enough people voting for Democratic candidates to account for all the people receiving social benefits. (Not that I think they actually do, obviously, but the point is that it’s not like “Red States” are 100% red, and vice versa.) ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/15 "2014-11-05T21:54:46Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Oh good. I’m glad you’re pro abortion rights now. I oppose abortion for non-religious reasons. See [here](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/03/11/yes-there-are-pro-life-atheists-out-there-heres-why-im-one-of-them/) and [here](http://www.secularprolife.org/) for details. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/16 "2014-11-05T22:05:49Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > There’s no reason to believe that the same people who oppose these programs are benefiting from them. There are no states which don’t have enough people voting for Democratic candidates to account for all the people receiving social benefits. (Not that I think they actually do, obviously, but the point is that it’s not like “Red States” are 100% red, and vice versa.) Agreed completely. The charge never made much sense to me. I just wanted to try to provide a factual answer to the request, since the data actually is available. I do find the Mississippi Head Start story a bit hypocritical, since part of the reason they take so much federal money per-capita is that they spend absolutely no state money on early-childhood education. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/17 "2014-11-06T01:59:30Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I oppose abortion for non-religious reasons. See [here](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/03/11/yes-there-are-pro-life-atheists-out-there-heres-why-im-one-of-them/) and [here](http://www.secularprolife.org/) for details. How very convenient for you. That you happen to believe for secular reasons what the church that guides your life wants you to think. Good luck, that. There are, of course atheist people who are _pro-forcing women to have unwanted children_. There are atheists who believe pretty much everything, including in magic and “spirituality.” By the way, are you anti-death penalty for secular reasons? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/18 "2014-11-06T02:10:29Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > How very convenient for you. That you happen to believe for secular reasons what the church that guides your life wants you to think. Good luck, that. > > There are, of course atheist people who are _pro-forcing women to have unwanted children_. There are atheists who believe pretty much everything, including in magic and “spirituality.” > > By the way, are you anti-death penalty for secular reasons? Yes. [321 secular reasons so far.](http://www.innocenceproject.org) ---
**Author:** ![Hellestal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hellestal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hellestal)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/19 "2014-11-06T02:32:38Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I oppose abortion for non-religious reasons. If a pro-choice atheist told you that they would continue to be pro-choice, even if inexplicably they converted to Catholicism, because they have non-religious reasons for being pro-choice, what would be your response to them? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799/20 "2014-11-06T02:40:28Z")
> [@Hellestal](#): > > If a pro-choice atheist told you that they would continue to be pro-choice, even if inexplicably they converted to Catholicism, because they have non-religious reasons for being pro-choice, what would be your response to them? I’d seek to explicate the reasons. In other words, I’d try to understand what aspects of Catholicism the pro-choicer believed were compatible with being pro-choice. And there are some, depending on what “pro-choice,” means. A faithful Catholic can certainly vote for a pro-choice politician, for example. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-republicans-cut-funds-to-their-constituents/703799.md?page=2)