Shitholes Closer to Home

By Stephen P. Pizzo

This past week President Donald Trump wondered, out loud, “why do we have to let all these people from shithole countries into the US?”

Trump says he wants to only let people into the country who bring value to the US.

If that’s Trump’s goal then he needs to look closer to home and expand his definition of a “shithole country.” Of course he didn’t do that, because the folks from these shitholes are his own supporters.

What’s Trump criteria for a shithole country? First the people are poor, uneducated or poorly educated, steeped in racial/religious prejudices, and take more from government than they contribute.

So let’s add to Trump’s foreign list of alleged shitholes to domestic ones that fit his definition perfectly.

Mississippi, for example, where citizens receive $2.34 in return for every dollar paid in federal income tax, which ranks fourth highest in America. 43.68% of Mississippi’s state revenue is comprised of federal funding, the highes rate in the country. (Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-states-the-most-and-least-dependent-on-the-federal-government-2015-7 )

Kentucky, where residents get $2.18 for every dollar they pay in federal income tax, the sixth highest rate in the country. And 35.26% of Kentucky’s state revenue is contributed by federal funds.

Alabama, where residents get $2.46 for every dollar they paid in federal income tax, which ranks third highest in the US. 36.64% of Alabama’s state revenue is comprised of federal funds, which is 11th highest in the country.

Montana, residents get $1.24 in return for every dollar they pay in federal income tax, the 18th highest rate in the country. 37.49% of Montana’s state revenue is comprised of federal funds, which ranks tenth highest in the country.

Other Trump-loving states also rank high on the federal handouts scale. The chart below shows what precentage each state contributes to the US Treasury:

And, if Trump is worried that folks from shitholes will drain the US treasury, he should refer to this chart:

Trump says he wants more folks in the US who are useful, and who will contribute to our economy because they would have 21st century skills.

Then why does he cater to the exact opposite kind of people, folks who constitute his hardcore base?

Sure, I know that’s a generalization, but then so was Trump’s remark this week about Africans and Haitians. But there’s no argument that a healthy chunk of Trump’s hardcore base is in fact made up largely of folks like those pictured.

So, Donald, what are these kind of people going to contribute to America? Are any of them about to discover a cure for cancer, or send rockets into space or find solutions to problems facing us like climate change? Not likely. Hell, they don’t even believe in climate change, or much other science for that matter.

So Mr. Trump, you don’t need to look outside our borders to find folks who drain our economy, bring crime and hatred and are just generally more trouble than they are worth. Start by cleaning up your own shitholes.