Reply #5: I don't know, but I've been told

[union_maid]

Haven't read it yet, but have been told a bit about it by someone who has a pretty good understanding of these things. According to her, it outlines the way the divide mitigates against states that do have, or try to have, decent social welfare policies. The Retro states do better, get more federal aid per capita and pay less out in taxes vs. what they get back as compared with the Metro states.