Has anyone noticed that the states refusing the stimulus $ have large black populations?

[CatWoman]

Could this be payback?

[Kalyke]

1. No.

It's ideological crap, pure and simple.

Besides, these states also have poor white people and unemployed white people who would also suffer.

It has nothing to do with racism, other than that fact that many Republicans also happen to be racists. This has to do with receiving pats on the head of the RusHanniBoortSavage crowd.

[TeamJordan23]

2. Partially correct, Republicans also don't care about urban neighborhoods

Many of which are filled with minorities.

I agree there are many poor rural whites in those states also and the GOP does not give a F about them either; yet many of them still vote Republican.

[Bad Thoughts]

3. They aren't accustomed to listening to Black constituents

Dyson argues that Republican politicians have become accustomed to responding instinctually to those whom they consider their interest group (white, conservative, Christian, etc.), but that the issues of minorities, especially blacks, barely register with them. It need not be pay back, if this is the case.

[uponit7771]

4. They don't listen to black folk anyway, they don't vote for them. Either way, they'll be takin every

...dime of the stim bill...

I don't believe these people for a second

[AspenRose]

5. Probably an added bonus for them

I doubt it occurred to them initially, but it's probably the icing on the cake. I suspect they just wanted to reject anything having to do with a federal administration represented by a democrat, who also happens to be a legally elected black man.

[Occam Bandage]

6. Southern states tend to have large black populations.

This is a result of their history of slavery. Also a result of this history of slavery (and many things that happened because of that history of slavery) is an ingrained conservative mindset among the white populations of those states, leading to a tendency to elect conservative politicians.

[onenote]

7. I've noticed that some do and some don't

The states that most often are said to be thinking about refusing stimulus $$ are Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alaska, South Carolina and Idaho. Mississippi and Louisiana have the largest percentage AA populations of any state, as South Carolina is in the top 5. But Idaho and Alaska are near the bottom in that regard, and other states that have signfiicant AA populations (including GA, NC, AL, and Virginia) thus far seem willing to use the money that's available to them.

I think it has less to do with the AA population of the state than whether the state has a hard core Repub governor.