The Treasuret of California has a point

California State Treasurer Slams State Bankruptcies And Demands The Rest Of America "Thank California"

California has a $25 billion budget deficit, but Mr. Lockyer said residents of the state paid much more in federal income taxes than California ever got back in federal transfers.

“People ought to thank California,” he said.

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By and large, the "Red States" that are seen as paragons of fiscal sustainability are among the most dependent on Federal aid, while the blue states generall (not always) pay in mroe than they take out. This is a fundamental difference between the US and Europe, where the poor peripheral states who are in the most fiscal trouble don't tend to bail out the richer states in any way.