Third World Mississippi Shows the Failure of Conservative Policies

[RyanPsych]

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Republicans around the country proclaim that conservative remedies, such as repealing "Obamacare," or enacting Paul Ryan's Medicare-warping, tax-slashing budget plan, will solve the nation's health care and economic disparities. However, evidence from Mississippi suggests otherwise.

Mississippi is, by many metrics, an extremely conservative state. In fact, according to Gallup, it is the most conservative state in the union. The governor's and lieutenant governor's offices, as well as both chambers of the state legislature, are controlled by the GOP. Mississippi, according to a report in the Jackson Progressive, has a very regressive income tax, and has one of the lowest tax burdens in the nation.

The state ranks dead last economically, with the lowest per capita income in the country - $26,0 according to the Census Bureau figures for 2008. Compare that to the national per capita income of $40,208. Additionally, as of 2010, 21.9 percent of Mississippi residents lived below the poverty level, and 10.9 percent were unemployed - much worse than the national rates of about 14 percent and 9 percent respectively.In terms of per capita income, the nations of Ireland ($38,550), Taiwan ($35,227), among others, all have higher income rates than Mississippi according to 2010 calculations by the International Monetary Fund.

As the poorest region of the poorest state, the Mississippi Delta illustrates the huge income disparity in the world's richest nation. The Delta is a rural region composed of 17 agricultural counties in the alluvial flood plain of the Mississippi River. The region is historically considered to be one of the most economically and educationally deprived areas of the nation.

keep reading at: http://www.peoplesworld.org/third-world-mississippi-shows-failure-of-conservative-policies/

[KansDem]

1. Mississippi got back $2.02 in federal spending for every dollar of federal tax paid (2005)

http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/266.html

No. 2 in the nation...

Wonder how the GOP governor, the GOP lieutenant governor, the GOP house and GOP senate feel about leeching off the federal government?

[RyanPsych]

4. embracing the GOP's other value: hypocrisy

such as conservative states being the biggest mooches of federal money
proposing cap and trade and then opposing it once the Dems agree to it
opposing federal spending while promoting spending hundreds of billions in pointless wars
and on and on and on and on and on

:crazy:

[izquierdista]

2. They need more bootstraps!

I'm sure the Repubs would be glad to give them a tax credit for buying a case of bootstraps.

[Angry Dragon]

3. Could some of the reasons that barbour did not run

for president........
he would have had to answer for the sorry state of his state

[RyanPsych]

13. and the fact that he is a former tobacco lobbyist

who killed a popular anti-tobacco campaign in his state

[KamaAina]

5. Mississippi used to fund itself largely through revenues from casino gambling

almost all of which was along its Gulf Coast, right up until Katrina. Like nearby NOLA, it never has quite made it back to what it once was.

[RyanPsych]

6. It also has the lowest tax burden in the nation

and a very regressive tax code. Can't really fund the state if they refuse to take in any revenue.

Perhaps its extreme social conservatism (trust me, I live here) and shitty education system is why no one wants to move their jobs there- and why no one wants to stay there.

[KamaAina]

7. Precisely.

They relied on the casino gravy train to keep themselves from having to, you know, tax people -- especially the rich ones who could actually afford it. :eyes:

[indepat]

9. Things also ain't too pretty in many respects in near-by arch-conservative Texas

:patriot:

Edited for proper context

[RyanPsych]

11. Texas is basically Mississippi, but with oil and gas.

Same policies- Texas just happens to be resource-rich and populous.

[fascisthunter]

8. "Failure of Conservative Policies"... there's been plenty of that

yet they continue on that same path to nowhere. Time to psychologically screen conservatives when they run for office.

[RyanPsych]

12. And Mississippians keep voting them in

I'm not sure which is more stupid. The policies- or the people who keep embracing them.

Honestly- if it wasn't for abortion and gaaaaayyys, then Republicans might actually have to campaign in the state.

although- there is little difference between Dems and Repubs here.

[fascisthunter]

16. and therein is the problem

I hear too often that a conservative dem has to run down there to be elected, I don't believe that to be true.

[RyanPsych]

17. This past election

the Republican was practically a mirror image of the Dem who lost.

[Doctor_J]

10. I'd say their policies have been a thundering success

If we don't revolt soon, the entire country will be like MS - a complete victory for the cons.

[RyanPsych]

14. I sure hope not.

If it takes a revolt to stave off spreading Mississippi-ness...let me go wash my revolt pants!

[xchrom]

15. recommend

[yurbud]

18. kick

[RyanPsych]

19. What is "kick"

I always see that- but never understood what it is?
(im still fairly new here)

[Archae]

21. It's a way of giving the thread a "kick" back up to the top.

[RyanPsych]

22. ah ok

Thanks :)

[provis99]

20. and that's why I got the hell out of there.

The culture is so warped that the white people could care less if they were near the starvation level, as long as the black Mississippians are poorer and more oppressed than they are.

[Overseas]

23. Kick.