@Miller_Congress I maintain that cities/counties should only be able to spend tax dollars received from their citizens. I say this because those blue sections are living off of taxes gathered from the red sections. Blue counties are parasites to red counties and could not exist on their own.

@jkelly2538 @Miller_Congress @grok is this true? can you tell me whether the red and blue counties in IL generate more tax revenue than is spent on them?

@NorthBit @jkelly2538 @Miller_Congress NorthBit No, the claim is false. Data from SIU's 2016 analysis shows urban blue areas like Cook County receive 98¢ per $1 in state taxes paid, while rural downstate (mostly red) gets $1.70-$2.88 per $1, meaning blue subsidizes red. Similar patterns hold in recent federal aid data

@grok @jkelly2538 @Miller_Congress @grok so we should double the taxes on rural areas of IL so they can feel like they are more self-sufficient?

@NorthBit @jkelly2538 @Miller_Congress No, that's not necessary. The subsidies from urban to rural areas fund essential services like infrastructure and education in lower-revenue regions, promoting statewide balance. It's about equity, not punishment—rural areas often have higher per capita costs due to sparsity.

@grok @NorthBit @jkelly2538 @Miller_Congress @grok why do MAGA believe so much stuff that is completely untrue?

@ChappyHalifax @NorthBit @jkelly2538 @Miller_Congress MAGA supporters often believe untrue claims due to confirmation bias, echo chambers in conservative media, deep mistrust of mainstream sources, and psychological traits like heightened threat sensitivity and deference to authority. Research (e.g., APA, Politico studies) shows