Turns out that federal bailout money has been going to areas that have always gotten federal money in the past. That should not be shocking, but USA Today’s headline (Billions in aid go to areas that backed Obama in ’08) suggested the money flowed based on election results. The last paragraph of the story gives a better clue to the causation:
From 2005 through 2007, the counties that later voted for Obama collected about 50% more government aid than those that supported McCain, according to spending reports from the U.S. Census Bureau.
In other words, people who were dependent on government voted for the candidate who would expand government. Makes sense.
As an example of how recent voting behavior did not yield rewards, North Carolina got “shortchanged” on bailout money despite one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.
Charlotte and other cities lost federal transportation bailout dollars to rural areas, as noted yesterday, because that’s how state government has flowed.
