Another odd American tradition. Red staters vote against their best interests.

Study Finds Families in Rural South Earn Lower Incomes

By MARY DALRYMPLE

Families in the rural South are more likely to earn low incomes than families in any other part of the nation, according to a study released Tuesday by the Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy.

In rural communities stretching from Maryland to Texas, 30 percent or more of all families claimed the earned income tax credit, which is designed to lift working poor families out of poverty by refunding some federal payroll taxes. The study charted earned income tax credits claimed on 2001 tax returns.

The researchers concluded that the evidence should prompt politicians and policy-makers to reevaluate their assumptions that the working poor are confined to distressed inner-city neighborhoods.

"I think we're trying to offer a reality check about where the working poor live," said Alan Berube, senior researcher at the Brookings Institution. "If you're under the impression that they live in somebody else's community, you're probably wrong."

The Internal Revenue Service runs a nationwide campaign to publicize the credit and educate families who might qualify. It has neighborhood offices in some places and partners with community organizations in other areas, particularly rural regions.

In the nation as a whole, a higher percentage of families living in urban areas claimed the earned income tax credit, but they were followed very closely by families in rural areas. "The most remote rural areas closely resemble large cities in their incidence of working poverty," the study concluded. Much more at link.

I guess that voting may come down to "god, guns and gays" after all. The Red staters certainly don't vote for their best financial interests. Another thing. The Blue states are net losers of capital to the federal government while Red states are net gainers. Of course this varies from state to state, but taken as whole, the statement holds water.