DeSantis Comms Director Christina Pushaw set a former spokesperson for the Florida Democrats straight today when he attacked his own state for the number of federal dollars it receives.
The exchange started with Florida Democrat operative Ben Sharpe sharing a graphic that showed Florida receiving the third-highest amount of federal tax dollars in the United States.
Florida is the third biggest taker state in the nation. (Receiving more in federal aid than they give) pic.twitter.com/ER2qeTwiLq
— Ben Sharpe (@iamsharpe) May 17, 2022
His Tweet was a response to Pushaw criticizing an article by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that claimed Governor DeSantis ‘doles out millions but fails to mention it mostly comes from Uncle Sam.’
Sharpe’s response mimics a talking point commonly made by Democrats that Republican states receive far more in federal tax dollars than they give when compared to Democrat states. The argument seems damning for Republicans who often advocate for less federal government intervention and spending, but it lacks context and relies on cherry-picked data.
Pushaw pointed out one problem with Sharpe’s argument in response to his Tweet, saying that a large portion of Florida’s tax dollars are from Social Security, where payouts are reliant on how much someone puts into it.
Florida Democrats spokesman is upset about the amount of federal funding going to Florida, the #1 state for retirees. Florida has the highest proportion of residents aged 75 & older, many of whom receive Social Security & Medicare benefits. Do @FlaDems think this is a bad thing? https://t.co/392I1HrwBo
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) May 17, 2022
There are several other issues with Sharpe’s arguments as well. Sharpe’s study does not account for a state’s total revenue or population. A more comprehensive study that takes the above factors into account assigned all 50 states a ‘dependency’ score. The study found that Florida was one of the least dependent states in the country, ranking 39th out of 50.
The talking point Sharpe echoed from other prominent Democrats is also dishonest. It would make more sense to determine who receives more federal assistance on an individual basis rather than on a state-by-state basis since even states dominated by one party often have a significant minority of people supporting the other party.
When this is taken into account, it’s obvious why Democrats make their argument using states rather than on an individual basis. On an individual basis, Democrats are more likely to receive federal assistance or aid than Republicans.
A Pew study found that 60% of Democrats and 52% of Republicans have benefited from a major entitlement program at some point in their lives. Curious.
Those making less than $30,000 a year tend to have the lowest tax burden and be the most eligible for federal entitlement programs. Among those making less than $30,000 a year, 54% voted for Democrat Joe Biden, while 46% voted for President Trump, according to an ABC exit poll.
Will popular fact-checking sites like Politifact set Democrats straight on this issue? I wouldn’t count on it.
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