The Divided States Of America...A Nation Of Two...Embrace it

[Slash]

The middle class loves the insanely high taxes in California...oh wait they don't and are leaving the state.

Actually the US average in population growth is 4.66%. California is above average at 5.36%. I don't blame them for not wanting to be in a state that the Federal Government doesn't give welfare to. The easy way is to take the way of the South and have low tax rates and let the Federal Government just cut you a check.

West Virginia is the state with the highest % of the vote for Trump. It's also ranks 50th in population growth (-1.18%).

But if your point is that rather than take Federal Handouts from other states to fund their state, Calfornians use Californian taxes to support California, I think you've made it.

 

[BluesLegend]

The middle class loves the insanely high taxes in California...oh wait they don't and are leaving the state.

Actually the US average in population growth is 4.66%. California is above average at 5.36%. I don't blame them for not wanting to be in a state that the Federal Government doesn't give welfare to. The easy way is to take the way of the South and have low tax rates and let the Federal Government just cut you a check.

West Virginia is the state with the highest % of the vote for Trump. It's also ranks 50th in population growth (-1.18%).

But if your point is that rather than take Federal Handouts from other states to fund their state, Calfornians use Californian taxes to support California, I think you've made it.

High taxes are popular? You libs are losing your minds

 

[Slash]

By the way, my point isn't to bash states and who they vote for. It's just to point out the obvious fallacy in the OP's post. I'm in no way saying that I'd rather live in a blue state than my red state. I'm just not going to let politics cause me to ignore fact.

And the fact is, I don't like either the extreme left or right. Taking a side against other American's is the dumbest fucking thing I think we can do. We've got enough enemies in this world and people wanting America to fail to do their work for them. I'm a Republican. That doesn't mean I just drop to my knees and take anything someone with an R after their name tells me as the word of God. The last thing I want to do is let our politicians tell me how to think. If you think Trump wants to tell the truth, I've got a pile of beachfront property out here in Kansas to sell you as well. If you think Obama did I've got that same plot for you. If you want to debate who did more, well good luck with that but we've moved onto subjectivity rather than objectivity.

 

[Slash]

High taxes are popular? You libs are losing your minds

No, First off I am not a liberal. I'm just not willing to ignore fact even if it disagrees with others that are in my same political leanings.

my point was that what you said was actually false according to facts, I'm not debating your belief paying more taxes is a good thing. I am sure Californians would love to get back what they put in the Federal Government and have lower state taxes instead of being a state that hands out welfare.

The Fact is that California is growing more than the average state because even with high taxes, their income after taxes is higher.

Tell me which financial situation would you rather be in? Making a median income in Mississippi of $40,000 with a median tax of 5% giving you $38,000 after taxes?

Or in California with a median income of $66,000 with a median tax of 13% leaving you with almost $51,000 after taxes?

 

[BrokeLoser]

How does your question correlate?

I think his point was more about how you have the sides all intertwined for some reason. I'd start to believe the top one was right wing, and the bottom left wing, but about half your talk is about handouts. And the #1 recipient of welfare are blue collar white Americans. And the most heavily dependent states on Federal welfare are red, while the least are mostly blue.

So I guess I'm kinda confused. You've come up with a false definition to begin with there.

I guess for me, I'd rather not let politicians decide for me what I believe in. I'd rather not just stick with an idea because someone with an R behind their name tells me I should. I lean right on most topics. But have no problem accepting facts as evidence from either side. I don't think picking a side and dividing the US is good for this country either. I think coming together as a country does so much more for us.

But that's just me.

Today's your lucky day...I aim to enlighten the confused, uninformed and self manipulated. You're welcome in advance.
21.3% of US Participates in Government Assistance Programs Each Month
Who Participated in Welfare?
The black population: At 41.6 percent, blacks were more likely to participate in government assistance programs in an average month.
The black participation rate was followed by Hispanics at 36.4 percent, Asians or Pacific Islanders at 17.8 percent, and non-Hispanic whites at 13.2 percent.
Help me here....Are Blacks and Hispanics Republicans in "Red States"?

California - 12% of the nations population, 33% of the nations welfare recipients.
Note that Hawaii and New York are fighting CA for that number one spot....also note all three are blue states. Here you go:
It Looks Like Red States Take Most in Federal 'Welfare' from this Map. But Looks Can Be Deceiving.
California’s Welfare Benefits: Boom or Bust?
"There has been much discussion about immigrants in the United States from everywhere around the world. Yet, why is it that California seems to attract the most immigrants of any state? Indeed, while the state is only 12% of the nation’s population, it is home to 33% of welfare residents. According to a report published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) on January 26, 2015, there is a correlation between generous welfare benefits and an increase in immigration.

In total, California outspends every other state in public welfare spending – in 2014, it spent $22.4 billion. In contrast, the next closest state, New York, spent $11.9 billion. That being said, does this make California a magnet for immigrants? Not necessarily. It is more of an anchor – a reason why residents stay for long periods of time in the state. However, to deny that there is no magnet would be incorrect. According to George J. Borjas, the Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and the author of the aforementioned report, the reason as to why people decide to relocate is due to “income-maximizing behavior.” Immigrants have already accepted that there are certain fixed costs that are inevitable because of migration, so it is natural that they will flock towards the places with the highest benefits. Empirical evidence suggests that it is because of these differences that there are an increasingly disproportionate number of immigrants among states. While there is the possibility of alternative explanations for this phenomenon, the conclusion that Borjas draws using the wealth-maximization hypothesis is one such testable method.
However, upon closer examination, on a per-capita basis, California’s seemingly generous benefits pale in data comparison to other states. For example, it spends approximately $179 for every resident, behind $233 in Hawaii and $256 in New York. Furthermore, approximately 8.9% of California residents live in poverty, the highest of any state.

What else can I teach you?

Of course California Hawaii and NY have high returns. I bet Maryland is up there too. You are looking at states with the highest average earnings, thus a lot more in the higher tax brackets paying out that are getting it back.

Unfortunately California pays in more taxes than it receives from the Federal Government. The states that take that excess of what they pay in in taxes to support themselves are predominantly Republican Voting States.

And welfare comes in more ways than just the payment for not working. Remember food stamps (Mississippi leads nation in food stamp use), insurance relief, college funding, subsidized public transportation, medicaid, rural energy credits, farm credits, etc are all forms of welfare... When you open it to all forms you have your blue collar white's as the top group.

So while you might like to make that statement, it is only true when you ignore the majority of where tax money goes.

While California does spend more per resident. They also make much more per resident. That is why for every dollar of federal tax that Californians pay, they only receive back only about 80-90 cents. Where does that excess tax go that they don't use for themselves? South Carolina would be a good one. For every dollar in federal taxes someone pays, they get back nearly 8 dollars in government support. Be that federally funded jobs, retirement benefits, welfare programs, etc... That's a welfare state. The only way they remain financially viable is other states give them money to survive. If NY only gets back 80 cents on the dollar for every tax dollar it gives to the federal government, and Alabama gets $3.50 back for every dollar, Alabama is the welfare state. They get handouts in excess of what they pay in.

And while you may like using geographically adjusted poverty rates (IE. Californians on average make 20k more than someone from Arkansas, so someone not at the poverty level in Arkansas can make less than someone below the poverty level in California), I think saying earning $25,000 isn't poor in Alabama but earning $27,000 is in California is bunk just because Californian's tend to be a lot more financially successful on average. Especially when you consider that person from Alabama gets a lot more handouts from the Federal Government to get to that number.


lets go with what the US Census says the poverty rate is... Mississippi is #1. quickly followed by Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, and South Carolina.

That's why they get such a big handout from the government. States like Louisiana and Mississippi have over 40% of their revenue coming from Federal funds.

You're back peddling and talking in circles now...that's a horrible attempt to divert and "steer" the talking point to fit. I'll play along anyhoo.
You boast about California's grand success....This is so confusing to me...what exactly does this mean?
Does it mean that so long as Silicon Valley and Hollywood is kicking ass no one really cares that the rest of the state is living like filthy human cockroaches? I mean, I thought "you people" hated inequality....no? But, but, but....this is different...right?
Allow this to sink in:
CA=12% of the national population..33% of the nations welfare recipients
CA=8.9% of residents live in poverty, the highest rate in the nation
CA=Home to more illegals than any other state..coincidence?
CA=Home to more incarcerated than any other state
Any questions?

 

[BrokeLoser]

There's been a good bit of talk about "common ground" and bipartisanship....is their ANYONE who honestly believes there's any middle ground to be shared these days?

 

[BrokeLoser]

Conservitives continue to post threads here begging the Left for forgiveness with the “LET’S STOP THE DIVISIVENESS….LETS UNITE” bullshit.
How many Leftists post similiar threads or make the same request?
How can the Right continue to believe they can unite with the Left?

 

[dblack]

Where is my side at? :/

Exactly.

Fuck "sides".

 

[JWBooth]

The Divided States Of America...A Nation Of Two...Embrace it​

There would be Texas and then the failed union It leaves behind.

 

[BrokeLoser]

Exactly.

Fuck "sides".

Of the two….Your “side” is the one you most closely align with…Third graders and everybody sane and trying to make a difference knows this. Simple shit.

 

[dblack]

Of the two….Your “side” is the one you most closely align with…Third graders and everybody sane and trying to make a difference knows this. Simple shit.

Some of us have grown since third grade.

 

[Chillicothe]

I read the OP's binarism for viewing today's America.
Seems simplistic, jingoistic, and naive'.
But that's just me. YMMV.

I also saw other binary approaches one could adopt for viewing today's politics. I've seen one that states:

• Today's political divide is a rural/ethnic-white identity vs. an urban/diversity identity.

OK, that's another way to look at it.
And then yet another:

• Today's political schism is best explained as college-degreed Democrats vs. High school or GED MAGA's.

OK, so that's another way too.

And then in today's New York Times I saw a suggestion that the Republican party itself is teetering on this binary divide.

• Meaning, within the GOP there are the college educated Republicans who are trying to distance themselves from Trump/MAGA-world vs. the less educated Republicans who think MAGAworld is the only world.

In the end, if one is comforatable in simplifying one's world into right/left, up/down, black/white, and other such binarisms, well, you go girl.
Simplicity can make it easier.
But, it also makes it narrower, and less interesting.

IMHO

 

[BrokeLoser]

Today's political divide is a rural/ethnic-white identity vs. an urban/diversity identity.

I agree, multiculturalism has ruined America and it’s identity. The framers vision has been lost.

Today's political schism is best explained as college-degreed Democrats vs. High school or GED MAGA's.

I agree, the powerful indoctrination within academia works at the polls.

Meaning, within the GOP there are the college educated Republicans who are trying to distance themselves from Trump/MAGA-world vs. the less educated Republicans who think MAGAworld is the only world.

I disagree…good real core Americans don’t factor education level when coming together to HATE the Change America Hate America Democrats.

 

[Tumblin Tumbleweed]

I agree, multiculturalism has ruined America and it’s identity. The framers vision has been lost.

Nah, that's horseshit. Multiculturalism makes America great.

I agree, the powerful indoctrination within academia works at the polls

Dummies don't vote for dummies. That's really gotta suck for your future.

good real core Americans

No such thing.

 

[Tumblin Tumbleweed]

Which part was inaccurate?

Pretty much all of it.

 

[toobfreak]

The Divided States Of America...A Nation Of Two...Embrace it​

Well let's be clear, we didn't divide anything. America was humming along minding its own business being America then a bunch of democrats began to radicalize, starting as far back as Wilson, then the New Deal, right up to when the Socialist Left began to unrobe in public during the Clinton Years. And it has just gone downhill with every democrat president since. Each one a magnitude worse than the last one. They made a hard turn and left Americaland decades ago. No wonder they hate Trump so-- -- -- Trump is the unabashed embodiment of America.

It's officially time to pick your side people.

They already picked their communist side, so that just leaves everyone else still being Americans.

 

[BrokeLoser]

Nah, that's horseshit. Multiculturalism makes America great.

Because your feelings make you believe that to be so or because you can point us to all the clean, safe , productive diverse communities, cities, states or nations for proof?

Dummies don't vote for dummies. That's really gotta suck for your future.

Dummies vote for free shit while disregarding meaningful politics. Half of the Dem electorate votes solely on free shit.

No such thing.

There is, acknowledging it just hurts your feelings because they’re too white, too Christian, too heterosexual, too patriotic, too productive…Don’t worry, all unAmerican pieces of worthless dogshit HATE that good, real, core Americans exist.

 

[j-mac]

No, they are folks who believe in pragmatism and understand that you can't always get what you want. Sometimes resolving problems require compromise. Failure to compromise often leads to problems not being solved and no resolution to the issue at hand. Failure means kicking the can up the road for the next folks to deal with. Extremism on both or all sides leads to failure and exacerbation of problems. Non-extremist American voters understand this. Most Americans, whether Conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat appreciate pragmatism. They want to do what works and don't care whether it is Republican or Democrat inspired.

Conservatives can be very pragmatic as you define it. Problem is when the opposition isn’t…It takes two.

in my observation over the years, Democrats tend to negotiate from a position of ‘give us everything we want’, and Republicans tried that for a long time, until they started waking up to the weakness of their approach.

Those days are over. And, seeing on display the Democrat “vision” for America, a majority of Americans reject it. So, going along to get along is over too, that is if we wish to continue as America.

 

[Mac1958]

All of it.

By the way, America has always been a divided nation.

There was a time in which our differences were an advantage. That's back when we knew how to direct them in a positive way. Such as the creation of our Constitution, for example.

We no longer have that capacity.

 

[LeftofLeft]

We are so divided we have two medias.