Why is Kentucky so Poor?

Not to mention the Dept. Of Transportation head as a resident.

They should be a rich state.

They don’t seem to be hurting.

Full of stupid people.

Because #MoscowMitch and his bitch have plundered the treasury for decades, duh.

[quote]Full of stupid people.

This is no joke. Almost every single person I’ve ever met from Kentucky was fucking stupid (and weird) as shit.

Lucky for them they get to leech all of that tax money from New York, California, Illinois and the other blue states.

Negative chemistry, anyone?

Damn. They’re quite an ugly pair.

Well, the typical reasons people are poor: no industry, geographic location that doesn't lend itself to being any kind of hub, poor infrastructure, etc. - and that was before KY became bogged down by drug addiction. I heard some stat that in KY, drug overdose is like the most common cause of death.

Below is a link to a book about Mitch McConnell & how he sold out KY - and they know he sold them out - but they keep him around because of their obsession with right wing causes like abortion, anti-LGBT, gun rights, etc and the things Mitch does to advance those causes. So their hatred for others is literally and figuratively killing them.

In other words, R13 is OBVIOUSLY telling that they remain poor because of RELIGION.

Here’s a list correlating this worldwide, rather than statewide.

It will be difficult to find for data in the United States, because religious groups and political parties keep this unavailable.

Texas is an exception, because of oil, agriculture, ranching, and it’s location.

Mitch McConnell and his wife our some of the most loathsome people alive. They are a pox on Kentucky, as is the entire GOP, and those folks deserved better.

Why can’t we stop subsidizing them? Because we’re a nation, and unlike our politicians and tax exempt churches,, we’re supposed to help each other out, rather than steal from them, and rob them blind of what little they have left.

I don’t believe in heaven or hell, but when I think of Moscow Mitch, I understand why the concept of hell was created.

Oops!

Link: 👇🏽

Moscow Mitch will give you more aid, if he gets to take your SS.

And this is the man Republicans admire.

Fox News are fucking brilliant. They have conned the hell out of the right wingers.

"Lucky for them they get to leech all of that tax money from New York, California, Illinois and the other blue states."

Not for much longer! Their refusal to provide aid to those states states is a bid to destroy them as the economic engines of our country. When that happens - bye bye revenue to leechy deplorable shit havens like Kentucky!!

"Oh the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home.

'Tis summer, the darkies are gay............"

Because their politicians work hard, but only for the wealthiest Kentuckians. They work hard to keep the poorest Kentuckians as poor as possible so that the richest can stay the richest.

Don’t forget Kentuckians love for anyone who is anti-abortion. They are obsessed with thinking someone is killing their babies. Trust me, no one is killing a baby in Kentucky, there are too many welfare checks being cashed each month. Not to mention all the babies being born addicted to meth because of their drug whore mommies. With that kind of future to look forward to, why would anybody abort a check, I mean kid????

Everyone I have met from Kentucky is a boozehound.

Poor states are poor because of a historical lack of industry. As you recall from your American history classes, the industrial base in the U.S. has always been in the northern states. If Kentucky had had the same level of industrialization and the same industries as Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, it would be like them, instead of like Mississippi.

[quote]Moscow Mitch will give you more aid, if he gets to take your SS.

Allowing recipients to take some of their social security benefits now instead of waiting until retirement is not "cutting" benefits.

They would be even poorer without them. Robert Byrd didn't turn WV into paradise, but he certainly got thousands of Federal jobs moved into the state. Same here.

Kentucky was pretty much built around one industry - tobacco. When the domestic market fell, so too did the economy.

R23,

Please review @ link below for clarification. Thanks.

“If Kentucky had had the same level of industrialization...”

That is what a good senator does for his people.

You would think he would help his own state to prosper and not just himself.

I think you need to separate Lexington (college town) and Louisville (pretty liberal) from the rest of Kentucky.

Kentucky has an estimated 4.6 million population in 2020.

Only about 1 million live in the Lexington & Louisville areas.

The other 3.6 million are in the rural areas that don't have enough businesses to employ them.

If the dems & repubs (both federal & state level) were smart with the approx. 600,000+ homes built from the year 1960 in Ky. (that they could've by herded by law & tax incentives) & pulled them into 5,000 cities that could support the following infrastructure = about 3-4 grocery stores, a town town area with Hallmark/flower shops, 3-4 barber shops, 2-4 banks, 4-5 gas stations, 1-2 hotels/motels, 8-10 restaurants, 1-2 schools districts, a hospital, a decent sized library & post office, several dentists (badly needed), bigger & better police & fire departments, etc. but towns of 1,000 to 2,500 can't support a hospital, etc without the extra 2,500 to 4000 people the areas would need.

I think Lexington & Louisville received too much housing support (over the past 60 years) that should've went to building up the eastern side of the state. I have a friend there who in May 2020 still can't receive my cell phone calls because there are still dead zones in the state from a lack of cell phone towers. Unbelievable.

I can't believe Moscow Mitch doesn't take some federal money & build a couple more towers so the Biuegrass state can enter the 2020s as a modern state (and out of the early 1990s cell phone wise). The eastern side of Kentucky will be one of the last places to get high speed internet in the nation. It's a sad depressed area on ss many levels. My friend's relatives had twins this year & had to go to Huntington WV for the delivery (over an hour away). I don't know anyone in any midwestern state that has to drive over an hour for a basic hospital service.

1. The state was dependent on coal mining and tobacco, both of which are not particular popular, unless you're a trumper;

2. Long-standing history of corruption;

3. In-breeding

A long history of poverty, opiods and a lack of education.

Honestly, it's kind of sad.

They are poor compared to other states, but you must remember that even our poorest state is well above many countries of the world. Also, where are you getting your statistics? They are the eighth poorest by nominal GDP and 28th richest by raw GDP.

[quote]If the dems & repubs (both federal & state level) were smart with the approx. 600,000+ homes built from the year 1960 in Ky. (that they could've by herded by law & tax incentives) & pulled them into 5,000 cities

You mean do a Pol Pot, but in the opposite direction?

Kentucky poor? Mitch is worth 25 million. Poverty made him wealthy.

I hear Mitch gives great head jobs. He's got a mouth and throat built for a 10 incher.

I’m going to guess the rich in Kentucky are very rich and the poor, very poor. Many southern states refuse to tax their wealthy, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves

Why are Kentucky so poor.

Terrible situation there for the last 40 years.

Republicans don't share. It's against everything they hold dear: greed and self love. They need a couple of old fashioned Irish Democrat pols to get in there, steal from the rich and start moving the money around. But of course, they're all drenched in the blood of Jesus and they're all gun nuts so they'll stick with the Republicans and stay poor.

OP, you answered your own question

It’s mostly a rural state. The top industries there: coal, tobacco and horse breeding have all suffered. Opioid addiction has taken its toll. Many of the bright young people move out of state after college because there aren’t a lot of jobs for young professionals. It’s a beautiful state though and I love Lexington and Louisville.

R16 The ultra rich always want more even though they cannot attain any higher standard of living. It’s just a game and way to keep score with each other. Sick. And ultimately stupid, because the more they have and less the bottom has, the more likely a true revolt will occur, which could end up with the seizure of their wealth or even death.

[QUOTE]Poor states are poor because of a historical lack of industry

BINGO!

Too bad the wealthy senators couldn’t spread that money around instead of hoarding it for themselves.

What a shame.

they're scorpions, r45. It's just not in their nature to help anyone but themselves. they'd rather die. Vote Democratic or accept your forever poverty. Republicans will never give a shit.

Why is South Carolina so poor?

My, these two sure cut an elegant figure.

Does the word "Republican" ring a bell?

Well maybe that’s where all the money for healthcare went. Right in the lovely couple’s pockets.

This is a shameful travesty. KY needs 2 new senators.

Pronto!

Because they don't have the dumb luck to have oil, like Texas.

I want Governor Beshear inside me quite deeply.

Yeah, but in Texas, and really everywhere else with oil, it all goes to a few people and most everyone else remains poor.

Poor states are poor because of religion. That's all there is to it. The churches militate to undermine the public education system. It keeps everyone down and out and subservient and "god fearing." If all the churches in Kentucky were converted to schools, it would be a step forward for them out of the holler and into the light.

They keep voting for these elite senators. Pathetic.

Because OP, governments don't make jobs, outside of defense contracts. Even if the best employer moves to KY, if they can't attract talent, given the location, then they can't operate. This happened before with a well meaning tech company that moved from SV to some flyover state. They were forced to up and move to a more attractive location because the talent didn't bust their asses in school to move back to Podunk areas.

Gallup R15? What's Gallup?

The Lee Atwater/Ed Rollins/Karl Rove campaign playbook of God/Guns/Gays (lumping pro-life into the first) is now fully engrained into American electoral politics. Tricking these folks into voting against their own economic interests is one of the great cons in US history. And here we are entering a second generation of American youth who will have a tough time achieving the American dream realized by their grandparents.

Now add anti-science and conspiracy theory ushered in by Trump, and we are at a truly scary precipice of American life. We are basically already an oligarchy, with wealth inequality at staggering levels. Will be interesting to see when the revolution comes and in what form. 10 years .. 20 .. 30? The current path/trajectory is unsustainable. (To say nothing of climate change wreaking havoc on the entire system within a similar timeframe.)

But r57, how can that be when Mitch ran a campaign on Jobs, Jobs, Jobs in 2010. That’s how he won the majority.

They all ran on that single issue.

So if they can’t create jobs, why did they promise their constituents that they could provide jobs?

Can you reconcile those competing facts?

R54 like Venezuela?

yeah, like pretty much everywhere r61.

Fuck'em. The only thing worse than a bunch of Christians and their sky fairy is Muslims and their sky fairy. Fuck God, Allah, and all the rest.

Well r57? they ran on providing jobs. Are you saying they can’t provide jobs?

Then that would mean they lied to the faces of their constituents.

[quote]Full of stupid people.

aka. vote Republican.

r60 and since 2010 the unemployment number trended down until COVID-19. Between Republican austerity and Obama/Democrat's 2009-2011 stimulus packages, we reached record unemployment into the Trump era. I wont cary water for McConnell but Americans had more employment opportunities in January 2020 than they had in January 2010.

Yes R66 but were they Mcjobs? Low paying and no future?

Kentucky unemployment was down during Plumps administration. The coal and factory jobs that were promised never materialized.

This is still Plumps administration and everybody is unemployed now

It’s a shame.

They should give the deomcrat lady a chance in the senate. They need to see if she can do a better job for the state.

She could do some actual work for the people instead of attending fancy galas on the public dime.

Why is Kentucky so poor? Well, would YOU hire a Kentuckian to anything but a menial job?

Do you thing Mitch ever just looks at his wife and says: ching chong ching chong!

I doubt that, R71. Chao comes from a very wealthy family, so I think that instead of your racist 'ching chong' claptrap, Mitch thinks, "Ka-ching!"

What that old homo does not think when he looks at his wife is, "I want to hit that."

Kentucky has a strong history, up until 2012 of voting in Democrats at the local level and Republicans at the national level. It was actually one of the last southern states to hold out of the New Deal coalition. For freakin 99 years Democrats held the state legislature and a Republican Governor has NEVER been re-elected in KY, this ended in 2016. They've had more Democrats leading the state then Republicans. So, in many Kentuckian's minds, they feel that they strike a conservative balance of nationally supporting Republicans (Senators and now more House members) thanks to religion, guns, abortion, and agriculture. Locally, Kentuckians were willing to give Democrats a chance to lead. Remember, KY-Connect was the leading model for Obamacre in the nation. People can make fun of KY, but they have been more nuanced in their political stances than most southern states. But it's shifting redder every day.

As someone that's lived in the state you will find that McConnell is fine with create sweet deals for business in KY around election time. He got the Fed to cover health insurance for fledgeling KY coal mine. Talk about socialism. He is the king of pork barrel spending in specific areas of KY needed to win a re-election. He is the type of political animal that will send aids out to a key constituents home to hand deliver flowers when a relative dies or have someone call up a prominent farmer when they have a complaint. Those people talk to each other and say things like Mitch isn't so bad. When the 2nd (or 1st) most powerful man in America is willing to give a direct life line for any and all concerns, you tend to want to keep them around.

Sorry, the Dems hold on the State Legislature ended in 2016, but KY still hasn't re-elected a Republican governor.

"I wont cary water for McConnell but Americans had more employment opportunities in January 2020 than they had in January 2010."

re 2010 - I wonder if it had anything to do with the repercussions we were still experiencing only 2 years out from a global recession that Republicans helped drive us into? Hmmmmm

Do you suppose the McConnell's ever consummated their marriage? I can't see it. MY EYES!

Mitch has grifted them out of their wealth, silly.

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Kentucky was: White: 87.08% Black or African American: 7.98% Two or more races: 2.25%

No Dem senator from Ky in the foreseeable future.

All the smart, ambitious people leave: Johnny Depp; Hal Sparks; Patricia Neal; Loretta Lynn; Tom Cruise; Lily Tomlin; Larry Flynt; Charles Manson...

Perhaps the better question might be, "Why is Mitch McConnell so rich?"

This is a man who spent his entire career in 'government service.' He should be no more than able to retire comfortably.

Where did he get all that cash?

Does he swim in it like Scrooge McDuck?

#RichMitch

McGrath on the rise!

The state has appalling health metrics, overall the worst in the country. There was a big article in JAMA a few years ago that analyzed morbidity and mortality on a county-wise basis, and eastern Kentucky was just slammed. If you looked at the maps for thing like respiratory disease or kidney disease, eastern Kentucky was bright red. The metrics also bled into West Virginia and southern Ohio, but not into other contiguous parts of Tennessee or Virginia.

I want Booker to win the Dem nomination. McGrath is my second choice.

R84, northern TN and swVA were not really that good, as well as MS, AR, LA

R85 = troll

Bullshit R87 I've been here since DL started.

Beautiful, like many poor places and people.

R86 The red drops significantly at the state lines. Eastern Tennesse is much healthier, but their poverty rates are almost as bad as those KY counties.

R90 don't be mislead by the colors, look at the numbers they represent, dark red is only 3 years from the orange, they do it for drama, the difference isn't that great.

I guess we know who’s behind this

“Why I secretly recorded Mitch McConnell”

What happened to the original recording of this. I hear it years ago.

It was quite a doozy:

It's the same kind of society as El Salvador. Conservatives cut education to nothing, and then can hold down the uneducated people as long as they like, manipulating them like they would a household pet. It's the conservative way.

Kentucky is the new El Salvador.

Good luck tomorrow!

Because you can't achieve success by exporting fried chicken.

We just got one of 'em talkin' picture boxes and dang of we didn't have to take it right back, 'cause it didn't have no channel 1.

Does Mitch have a primary challenger?

The corporations in Kentucky are hqd in new York and los Angeles. It's a dumping ground for toxic waste, drugs, and unwanted prisoners from other states. The state is a colony - nothing earned there is reinvested There. There is no infrastructure. No buses no trains. Communities are isolated. Typical third world scenario.

You would think that after 50 years in Washington that their Senator would have time to improve the states last-place rankings.

Good luck today!

I know he is a deplorable but I find Mitch really sexy. That gummy smile really turns me on and I'm convinced he'd give the best head I've ever received. That mouth was made for sucking cock.

Knock em dead today, kids.

[quote] As you recall from your American history classes, the industrial base in the U.S. has always been in the northern states

‘Bueller?, Bueller?......’

If you mean the destitute manufacturing base of the rust belt, I guess so. Maybe you should take a current events class at the local community college that is attempting to “Retrain” your meth riddled neighbors.

They are about to get a lot more poor now that Mitch has adjourned the senate.

Anyone else shocked that he sent the senate home?

What are the furloughed people supposed to do?

The wifey is Asian. We know what that means...

I know it’s a long shot, but KY elected a democratic governor and should be able to sent this cretin packing.

He has had 50 years to bring the state to the top tier and has failed. It’s almost dead last in everything.

This is the year.