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Duuuuuddde! Chill out! (there, is that better for ya?)
There is NO hypocrisy in my post. I was referring to the people, not the cities/state/government. South Dakota has one of the smallest per centages (even when you even the playing field re: population) of families on welfare. Why? Because we work hard and don't like/get offended by handouts. Relatively few people here make a career out of welfare. Can that be said for the city/state you live in? Pot, kettle.
Of course we have a high amount of Fed dollars - refer to the posts above mine - have you looked at a map of SD? In fact, have you looked at a map of *most* western states? We have A LOT of Federal land! Where does the money come from to support management of that land? Oh, the Feds, you say? Hmmm...you might be right! We have 5, count 'em, FIVE! National Park properties (Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Badlands National Park and Minuteman National Historic Site) that are *gasp* FEDERALLY (under)FUNDED. We have 1.2 MILLION acres of NATIONAL Forest. Not to mention Federal Grasslands, Bureau of Rec land, BLM and other USFS properties. Oh, and the Reservations. Yes, they are considered sovereign, BUT who supports them? Who gave them the land, and who helps support the residents on them? There's that sneaky Federal government again! Oh, and yes, the rest of the state is largely agricultural. Because that's what we do here. We help feed the rest of the country, and we work damn hard to do it. And last time I checked (and yes, I checked), those big corporate ag producers also receive an awful lot of Federal funds. We don't have so many of those here - but we do have lots of small farmers and ranchers out there busting their a$$es to make sure you have that organic produce and juicy angus steak on your city table. I dare you to talk to one of the ranchers from the northern Black Hills that lost 90% of their herds in winter storm Atlas in October 2013 and see how much difference the Federal funds they get make in the recovery of the herds they worked generations to build. Drop, bucket.
Don't make the mistake of thinking we are stupid. We know where the money comes from. But we EARN our own. I work for the Feds. I am not ashamed of that fact. That money feeds my family, provides a roof over our heads and supports the economy of my small mountain town. I also do the work of three employees because my park doesn't get enough of a budget to hire the two other people required to do the work I do were I employed in the private sector.
So before you point a finger about being dependent hypocrites, you might want to dig a little deeper and not try to compare apples to oranges.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosh01
The western states have always thought of themselves as being self-reliant, but they consistently rank highest in dependence on the federal government relative to the amount of tax dollars they provide. In other words, they are subsidized by the so called "blue states" they so despise. South Dakota ranks 43rd in the nation for it's dependence on federal handouts according to this list: States Most & Least Dependent on the Federal Government | WalletHub®
South Dakota is part of that whole central swath of the US that has never been able to support itself without massive federal support, particularly from water projects and farm subsidies.
I grew up in a small rural area where all I heard was talk of how independent and self-reliant everyone was when the reality there was no way any of these towns could pay their own way. The hypocrisy gets tiresome.
Duuuuuddde! Chill out! (there, is that better for ya?)
There is NO hypocrisy in my post. I was referring to the people, not the cities/state/government. South Dakota has one of the smallest per centages (even when you even the playing field re: population) of families on welfare. Why? Because we work hard and don't like/get offended by handouts. Relatively few people here make a career out of welfare. Can that be said for the city/state you live in? Pot, kettle.
Of course we have a high amount of Fed dollars - refer to the posts above mine - have you looked at a map of SD? In fact, have you looked at a map of *most* western states? We have A LOT of Federal land! Where does the money come from to support management of that land? Oh, the Feds, you say? Hmmm...you might be right! We have 5, count 'em, FIVE! National Park properties (Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Badlands National Park and Minuteman National Historic Site) that are *gasp* FEDERALLY (under)FUNDED. We have 1.2 MILLION acres of NATIONAL Forest. Not to mention Federal Grasslands, Bureau of Rec land, BLM and other USFS properties. Oh, and the Reservations. Yes, they are considered sovereign, BUT who supports them? Who gave them the land, and who helps support the residents on them? There's that sneaky Federal government again! Oh, and yes, the rest of the state is largely agricultural. Because that's what we do here. We help feed the rest of the country, and we work damn hard to do it. And last time I checked (and yes, I checked), those big corporate ag producers also receive an awful lot of Federal funds. We don't have so many of those here - but we do have lots of small farmers and ranchers out there busting their a$$es to make sure you have that organic produce and juicy angus steak on your city table. I dare you to talk to one of the ranchers from the northern Black Hills that lost 90% of their herds in winter storm Atlas in October 2013 and see how much difference the Federal funds they get make in the recovery of the herds they worked generations to build. Drop, bucket.
Don't make the mistake of thinking we are stupid. We know where the money comes from. But we EARN our own. I work for the Feds. I am not ashamed of that fact. That money feeds my family, provides a roof over our heads and supports the economy of my small mountain town. I also do the work of three employees because my park doesn't get enough of a budget to hire the two other people required to do the work I do were I employed in the private sector.
So before you point a finger about being dependent hypocrites, you might want to dig a little deeper and not try to compare apples to oranges.
I think the term the kids are using these days is "Boom!"
It is a spot on response. Never mind the fact that the government collects funds from grazing leases, use of recreational facilities and timber sales. With the exception of national monuments.
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