Colorado pays more in federal taxes than it draws in benefits

(Image: Flickr Creative Commons/David Beyer)

In a story that should make Colorado Tea Partiers proud, it was revealed by The Daily Beast today that Colorado ranks 43rd in return on the dollar for federal taxes paid compared with benefits received.

In the years 2007-2009, Colorado sent $44.05 billion in taxes to Washington and got back $39.6 billion in federal spending, for a return of 90 cents on the dollar.

Mississippi led the pack, paying $11.06 billion and getting $31.27 billion, for a return of $2.83 on every dollar in taxes paid. At the rear was Delaware, paying $17.38 billion and getting $6.95 billion, for a return of 40 cents on the dollar.

Perhaps ironically, the states making out like thieves tend to vote Republican and those at the other end, like Delaware, tend more toward the left.

Scot Kersgaard has been managing editor of a political newspaper, editor and co-owner of a ski town newspaper, executive editor of eight high-tech magazines (where he worked with current Apple CEO Tim Cook), deputy press secretary to a U.S. Senator, and an outdoors columnist at the Rocky Mountain News. He has an English degree from the University of Washington. He was awarded a fellowship to study internet journalism at the University of Maryland's Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. He was student body president in college. He spends his free time hiking and skiing.

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