Recently a video of Mitt Romney at a political fundraiser speaking on the upcoming election was leaked. The video has caused an uproar in some and a faint wisp in others. The quote going around is
There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax.
Now the thing about the quote that is the most troubling to some is that the feeling is that he is writing off half of America. Me personally I think the more telling thing is that if you take a look at the map below of the states with the most nonpayers. Three states had more than 40 percent nonpayers — Mississippi (44.5 percent), followed by Georgia (42.5 percent), and Alabama (40.3 percent) — all three are red states. The remaining top ten were largely in the Sunbelt: Florida (39.0 percent), Arkansas (38.8 percent), South Carolina (38.8 percent), New Mexico (38.7 percent), Idaho (38.6 percent), Texas (38.5 percent), and Utah (38.3 percent). All but two of the top ten — Florida and New Mexico — are red states.
