Thread: mississippi conservatives be a puzzlin' lot...

ahoy me hearties!

a recent poll by the buccaneers o'er at Gallup had the most conservative state in the country bein' Mississippi.

bein' conservatives, naturally folks in Mississippi frown at the idear 'o big taxes and heavy federal spendin', aye? 'cept thar be a contradiction here, somethin' thats hard to figure;

Yet despite the state’s conservatism — a conservatism embraced most fervently of late by an emerging group of almost libertarian voters calling for smaller government, less taxes and less government regulation — there is the matter of Mississippi’s gnawing, unrelenting poverty that ranks the state as the poorest in the union.

Mississippi’s poverty dictates — at least under current federal law — that federal per capita spending in this state is heavy and that it offsets a substantial state taxpayer burden borne in more affluent states for government services.

That also means Mississippians in FY 2008 received just over $2.37 per capita in federal spending for every dollar paid in federal taxes.

That disparity is a key component in explaining another seeming anomaly in state government finance. While Mississippians chafe as much as anyone else in the country over taxes, the facts are that in FY 2009 Mississippi taxpayers ranked 50th in the country in terms of their per capita state and local tax burden.

Sid Salter: Contradictions in Mississippi - enterprise-journal.com: Opinion

*takes off his pirate hat and slips into his Morgan Freeman storytellin' voice*

so here we have it, then.

a conservative state...the most conservative state in the country, as a matter of fact.

being a conservative state, they've kept their state taxes low, low, low.

yet, it seems you cannot keep your state taxes low, low, low...and still live in the 21st century, so the conservative solution is to make up the difference by taking money from other states in the form of federal taxes, and then howl in outrage at big government spending and the horrific infestation of socialism.

*puts his pirate hat back on*

be thar anyone ondeck that can explain this to me?

its confusin'...

- MeadHallPirate

Originally Posted by MeadHallPirate

*puts his pirate hat back on*

be thar anyone ondeck that can explain this to me?

its confusin'...

- MeadHallPirate

Easy, the Gov. is Republican. While he shacks his finger in anger his other hand is behind his back.

Originally Posted by wooyarn

Easy, the Gov. is Republican. While he shacks his finger in anger his other hand is behind his back.

ahoy Wooyarn,

that would mean that the conservative mantra in the most conservative state in our country essentially be this;

"lower our own taxes here and home and take money from people in other states to maintain our standard of living, but scream about big government spending because it sounds righteous".

does that sound about right, me friend?

- MeadHallPirate

I think it may be because a lot of people will adhere to a political ideology, but won't actually live their life accordingly. Like people advocating saving the environment, but not actually doing any sort of recycling or other 'inconvenient' things that would actually help the environment. This is the same sort of thing. They're mostly conservative, so they certainly preach that ideology, but when it comes to reality things are very much different. It's similar here in Virginia where the majority of the state is conservative and the northern part of the state is rather liberal. Yet, the north pretty much bankrolls the entire state.

Of course, I'm sure a lot of the responses will be "But their governor is a Democrat!!"

Originally Posted by Speakeasy

They're mostly conservative, so they certainly preach that ideology, but when it comes to reality things are very much different.

aye Speakeasy,

i understand whats goin' on, sorta...but the thing that puzzles me be this; "what is it, exactly, that conservatives in Mississippi want"?

i mean, look at the current reality, matey -

a) they voted themselves incredibly low state taxes.
b) they end up soakin' up huge amounts 'o federal money, because thar revenue be too low.
c) thar state ends up bein' heavily dependent on federal spendin'.
d) they then scream about big government spendin' at election time.

surely even folks from a place like Mississippi grasp the peculiar nature 'o thar position, aye?

perhaps they want big government spendin' cut, but not in Mississippi?

i can't fer the life 'o me understand whats goin' on in that state's political mindset, but what do ye think this says about the most conservative state in our country?

- MeadHallPirate

Originally Posted by Speakeasy

I think it may be because a lot of people will adhere to a political ideology, but won't actually live their life accordingly. Like people advocating saving the environment, but not actually doing any sort of recycling or other 'inconvenient' things that would actually help the environment. This is the same sort of thing. They're mostly conservative, so they certainly preach that ideology, but when it comes to reality things are very much different. It's similar here in Virginia where the majority of the state is conservative and the northern part of the state is rather liberal. Yet, the north pretty much bankrolls the entire state.

Of course, I'm sure a lot of the responses will be "But their governor is a Democrat!!"

The environmental analogy is a pretty good one imo. It sums up the hypocrasy sometimes of folks who advocate positions, but never for themselves.

But when it comes to Barbour and the southern states who do this a lot (Texas is reknown for it as well) its an intentional ploy. Unlike Crist, we don't welcome it with open arms and hug the President but the argument that is made is that if our taxes as a whole pay the debt and the federal tax rates stay as are, we should keep our own state taxes low and take advantage of the handouts from the feds.

For a long time i thought this policy was not the way to go...but looking at it from a "solutions" viewpoint, i don't see what else the States who carry the tax burden can do, as an alternative.

And as a general note, low taxes, low spending and a smaller government are choir practise to most Republicans. We are pretty much a party of low taxes, social engineering and nation building. Its just the way we roll.

Originally Posted by MeadHallPirate

aye Speakeasy,

i understand whats goin' on, sorta...but the thing that puzzles me be this; "what is it, exactly, that conservatives in Mississippi want"?

Redistribution of wealth is only bad when it goes from rich conservatives to poor liberals. If it goes from rich liberals to poor conservatives, then its not only ok, its their birthright.

Meh...a lot of that still harkens back to the Civil war and southern states feeling like you broke it, so now you own it.

Originally Posted by MeadHallPirate

aye Speakeasy,

i understand whats goin' on, sorta...but the thing that puzzles me be this; "what is it, exactly, that conservatives in Mississippi want"?

i mean, look at the current reality, matey -

a) they voted themselves incredibly low state taxes.
b) they end up soakin' up huge amounts 'o federal money, because thar revenue be too low.
c) thar state ends up bein' heavily dependent on federal spendin'.
d) they then scream about big government spendin' at election time.

surely even folks from a place like Mississippi grasp the peculiar nature 'o thar position, aye?

perhaps they want big government spendin' cut, but not in Mississippi?

i can't fer the life 'o me understand whats goin' on in that state's political mindset, but what do ye think this says about the most conservative state in our country?

- MeadHallPirate

Well, they also come in at 49th place on the "Best Educated" states index, so maybe that's a factor.

Best Educated Index statistics - States Compared - StateMaster



I can't speak for Mississippi conservatives, because I'm neither of those things. All I can guess is that despite how much people claim to adhere to a certain ideology, they're still human. And when a human is poor as dirt and living in a state with the second highest unemployment rate, they're going to want money and they're probably not going to give a crap where it comes from. No amount of conservatism is going to change the basic need for food and shelter. No conservative is going to sit there and watch themselves or their family waste away just to prove those darn liberals wrong.

Originally Posted by Traveler

And as a general note, low taxes, low spending and a smaller government are choir practise to most Republicans. We are pretty much a party of low taxes, social engineering and nation building. Its just the way we roll.

ahoy Traveler,

matey, that may be the way politicians from Mississippi roll when the cameras are on.

in reality, 'tis kind 'o another story.

the real tale goes more like this;

keep your own taxes low, scoop up as many handouts as possible, and then bitch about the entity that you went to fer all yer handouts when the cameras are rollin'.

thats Mississippi, the most conservative state in our land. i'd be most curious to see what happens when them handouts vanish, and the most poverty ridden (yet conservative) state 'o Mississippi finds itself awash in its sea 'o fiscal misery.

i wonder if the balm 'o low state taxes and small federal spendin' will feel so soothin' then, aye?

- MeadHallPirate