While the South has long been seen as something of a fiscal parasite on the rest of the country, hogging more federal tax dollars than states collect, it turns out Arkansas did pretty well in that regard over the past two decades. According to a new report by The Economist, we’re one of only three states in the South (the others being Georgia and Texas) that paid in more in federal taxes than we spent in federal funds between 1990 and 2009.
During that time, according to their report, Arkansas collected 333.3 billion in federal taxes, but only spent 316.3 billion of Uncle Sam’s money. Compare that to Mississippi — which took in 164.7 bn and spent 404.6 bn — and Louisiana, which took in 397.8 bn and spent 601.2 bn.
Also interesting is where some of the socially progressive states — often demonized by the Right for their social welfare programs that supposedly vacuum up tax dollars — land on the list. California came in 336.2 billion in the black, New York 956.2 billion ahead, and Massachusetts 147.6 billion in the plus column.