Screw negotiations, avoid the fiscal cliff by letting the red states secede

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:03 pm

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It turns out the answer to avoiding the fiscal was right under our noses. We don’t need partisan negotiations. If the tax dollar mooching red states want to leave, we should let them.

Republicans are trying to play hardball over the fiscal cliff, but angry Romney supporters have given President Obama a trump card to play. If Obama would let the top petitioning red states leave the union, the fiscal cliff would be avoided. Lots of angry Republicans have petitioned the White House to let their state secede, but in order to qualify for consideration the petition has to get 20,000 signatures in 30 days. So far, Louisiana (31,630), Florida (26,393), Alabama (24,898), Tennessee (24,636), and North Carolina (23,393) have all qualified for consideration. South Carolina (18,527), Arkansas (17,801), Colorado (17,006), Arizona (16,160), Indiana (15,939), Michigan (15,315), Missouri (15,138), Kentucky (14,702), Mississippi (14,508), and Oklahoma (14,181) are knocking on the door for consideration.

The dark red and blue states on the map below received $1 more of federal tax money back than every dollar they contributed.

As you can see, the top states that want to secede also received the most federal tax dollars. (The exception is petition leader Texas, but they have their own reasons besides Obama’s win for believing in their own independence.) By the 2010 numbers, Mississippi ($2.47) and Alabama ($2.03) both took in twice as much federal tax money as they paid. South Carolina was just eight cents behind at $1.92. According to a 2006 Tax Foundation study, Louisiana took in $1.45 for every dollar. Tennessee took in a $1.30. Arkansas took in a $1.47, and Oklahoma took in a $1.48 for every federal tax dollar they paid.

The fiscally conservative House Republicans should be jumping for joy at the prospect of cutting some of the most dependent victims who are mooching off federal dollars from the budget.

The problem is that the majority of the top petitioning states are the base of the Republican Party. If these freeloading red states were allowed to secede, not only would America’s deficit issues be resolved, but the Republican Party would never win another national election on their own.

The greatest irony of the 2012 campaign came when red state voters were defending Mitt Romney’s 47% comments. What these red state GOPers don’t get is that Romney was talking about them.

After failing to elect the candidate who would have cut off their economic lifeblood, red states are trying a different path to self destruction.

They are dreaming of world where Obama isn’t their president. A collection of states where their freedom will only be matched by their lack of economic self sufficiency.

Red state Republicans are dreaming of a Confederacy of Poverty, and I say President Obama should make their dreams come true.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association