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Mitch McConnell complained that states should go bankrupt rather than take federal bailout money. But his state, the state of Kentucky, takes billions of dollars’ worth of bailout money each year.
The Rockefeller Institute found that Kentucky received $148 billion more than it sent to the federal government over the course of four years. Meanwhile, New Jersey received $71.7 billion less than it sent. New York received $116.2 billion less than it sent.
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Columnist Allan Sloan wrote, “I call the likes of Kentucky ‘moocher states’ and the likes of New Jersey and New York ‘sucker states.’”
The Rockefeller report stated, “New York’s residents and businesses send more total revenue to the Federal government than any other state and continue to contribute more in taxes than the state receives back in Federal spending.”
One of the really dumb ideas of all time just came from Sen. Mitch McConnell.
His suggestion to let states go bankrupt makes no sense.
He says he doesn't want a "Blue State Bailout."
15,000 people died — this is not the time for politics.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 23, 2020
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Maryland and Virginia lead the list of states that receive more from the federal government than they give back, but Sloan said that those two cases were different than Kentucky’s.
Maryland and Virginia have many federal employees and facilities. These states generate tax revenue that is higher than average.
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McConnell said in a radio interview:
“I think this whole business of additional assistance for state and local governments needs to be thoroughly evaluated. There’s not going to be any desire on the Republican side to bail out state pensions by borrowing money from future generations.”
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There are multiple problems with this stance, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “Unlike the federal government, they can’t print their own money,” the paper said of the states.
Mitch McConnell's "blue state bailout" gambit is really sticking it to… firefighters, cops & teachers. https://t.co/wKeVzLnVb9
— Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) April 29, 2020
