Let me be the first to inform all the Louisiana citizens out there — you’re all on welfare.
I’m not talking about formal welfare. Obviously not all of you are on TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), but Louisiana as a state is at the mercy of Washington.
For every dollar Louisiana citizens send to the federal government, the state receives around $1.78 in return, according to the most recent report by the Tax Foundation based on data collected in 2005.
This makes Louisiana the fourth-highest state in federal dollars received, behind New Mexico, Mississippi and Alaska.
But that’s not welfare, right? The federal government is generous when it comes to grants. This probably happens in every state.
It doesn’t.
The principle of welfare is the recipient gets more than they contributed, but that money comes out of someone else’s pocket.
In this case, Louisiana, along with many other states, receives more money at the expense of other, wealthier states. Basically, richer states are paying for this one to remain functional.
There’s a word for this — welfare.
So if 78 cents out of every $1.78 is coming from another state, that means 43.8 percent of the money this state receives from the federal government came from somebody who may have never been to Louisiana.
The richer states are not happy about this. Why would they be? They’re financially supporting predominately conservative states who typically vote against any sort of social legislation.
The wealthier liberal states seem to be the ones supporting the poorer conservative ones. New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Illinois, California and New York all receive anywhere from 60 to 80 percent in return for every dollar they pay in federal taxes.
Even my home state of Texas, as conservative as it may be, receives 94 cents back for every dollar, making it a donor state.
Many will argue these numbers are skewed because of federal aid sent to Louisiana after Katrina. FEMA gave nearly $600 million to the victims of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
President Bush also persuaded Congress to approve $16.7 billion for housing recovery, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The study didn’t clarify whether or not these numbers were included in the analysis, but frankly it doesn’t matter. New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast wouldn’t be here without that money. 
We need a better welfare system in this country, and Katrina only reinforces that statement. Some of us will likely endure a period in our lives where we cannot make it on our own.
Obviously there are imperfections with the current welfare system in America, and individuals abuse this privilege by spending tax payer dollars irresponsibly.
This group of welfare recipients have manufactured a stigma against all of America’s financially unfortunate.
Not everyone on welfare is lazy, unemployed or addicted to drugs. Many are hard-working individuals who just need a little help getting by.
Many Louisiana residents would have left in search of greener pastures long ago if it wasn’t for the generosity of richer states and the federal government keeping the state’s infrastructure financially intact.
For those of you who don’t support state welfare programs, check your driver’s license. If it says Louisiana at the top, you don’t have much room to talk.
Parker Cramer is a 20-year-old political science major from Houston. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_pcramer.
 
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Contact Parker Cramer at [email protected]