According to WalletHub, New Mexico residents are ranked the most federally dependent, and the state at large is ranked the second-most federally dependent state in the union, only beaten by Alaska.
New Mexico’s federal dependence score was 76.70 out of 100, while Alaska’s was 89.52.
WalletHub notes, “New Mexico is the second-most federally dependent state, in large part because it receives a huge amount of federal funding compared to the taxes that residents pay. For every $1 paid in taxes, New Mexico gets $3.26 in federal funding. Around half of the other states get less than $1 in federal funding for every tax dollar.”
“Federal funding makes up a large share of New Mexico’s revenue as well, at around 47%, and more than 3.5% of the Land of Enchantment’s workforce is employed by the federal government. Both of these rates are among the highest in the country, proving that New Mexico’s economy owes a lot to the federal government,” the study continued.
WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe noted, “Regardless of whether the distribution of federal funds is fair or not, living in one of the most federally dependent states can be beneficial for residents. For every dollar residents of the top states pay in taxes, they get several dollars back in federal funding, which often leads to higher-quality infrastructure, education, public health and more.”
However, Happe’s analysis shows that is not the case in New Mexico, which despite the incredible government subsidies, is ranked near the bottom of every economic, health care, well-being, and safety state ranking. New Mexico also had the 46th lowest gross domestic product in the entire country, per WalletHub.
And you ask why they keep voting the same way. There’s your answer.
I so agree with you.
Well, Los Alamos benefits mightily. The town looks good with hanging baskets of flowers during flower season and great Christmas decorations, a lovely pond, many hiking trails, and a good library. I don’t have children so I can’t attest to education quality. I think compared to other cities & counties in NM, it has a good reputation. The kids I’ve known personally from Los Alamos seem very disturbed. But that’s just an anecdotal observation. As always, federal distribution of funds is not fair.
Los Alamos works for their money. The Indians, illegals and poor suck us dry.
Sandia and Los Alamos Labs, White Sands and military bases certainly skew the numbers. Other than oil and gas, New Mexico produces very little that would improve the GDP. A higher government assistance by percentage to individuals in NM would certainly affect the results. But with New Mexico’s small population, most certainly other states and even cities receive a very high amount of federal funding. As a retiree receiving Social Security, guess I too contribute.
Federal distribution forces people to pay for other people’s misfortunes, instead of voluntarily choosing to assist them. This is against the laws of God. Each and everyone of us should be able to choose which persons and causes we wish to assist with our love, our time, and our funding. We base this choice on how much these persons and causes are willing to work to overcome their challenges.
I believe that it is a sin to receive funding from other people’s taxes when you can work for it yourself, but instead decide to sit back, and become passive like a little child. “As you sow you reap”, everything will return to you….good and bad.
And I am not talking about people that are devoted to God and live a ‘Job’ type of life because God is testing them severely. They need support…from individuals, not the government.
How is the data determined? I take it many folks are retired from the government and that is part of the high amount. If it is just people that are dependent on the government that is something different. NM does not ave a lot of industry which I do not understand other Thant the state does not give businesses a tax brake to start in NM
The communists socialists who are in the round house are greedy and want all the money they can get from the government to keep people under their thumb. They are destroying NM and do not care. Way too much control and corruption in the round house. They are stomping on our constitutional rights and doing their best to line their pockets.
We need our oil industry to be brought back 100% for it was our largest revenue for the state. And give businesses tax breaks.
Vote out the fools in the roundhouse and start to rebuild NM the right way. Get rid of the corruption.
As I always say, NM – last in the best & 1st in the worst. The demons running the state into the ground have surpluses from oil & gas that are never shared w/ the citizenry. At the same time they demonize & hyper regulate O&G in attempts to drive the industry into the ground & out of the state. Then what, you morons?
They want the state to fail, so they can rebuild New Mexico as a socialist state, when it will REALLY fail!
We’re 47th in most things here, but we’re 50th in spelling and 1st in running out of gas.
Correct a Mundo!
Dependency and idolatry of the State worked just great in 1930s Germany. Everyone had a gooood government job. Most had a snazzy new uniform, had been instilled with a great sense of superiority, and was promised a great future for the next thousand years.
The problem is, the State had to keep stealing from the producers living outside the State employment to maintain all those great benefits. They stole from the Jews, the free market businesses, the farmers, and eventually other nations. But it was really fun while it lasted until they lost the freedoms, rights, and millions of their lives.
Like they say folks do well spending other people’s money until they run out!