American Indian Services Blog and News

SD on Federal Handouts — Blame the Indians?

December 15th, 2009

From Madville Times blog:

“Linda McIntyre asked an interesting question a couple weeks ago. In our discussion of fiscal policy, I reminded Linda that South Dakota is a welfare state, and that even if we make the drastic cuts to the federal budget that seem to be her prescription for fixing what ails America, we South Dakotans have an obligation to pay back the government for all the services and subsidies and deficit spending from which we have benefited for the last several decades.

Replied Linda,

How much of that extra money from the feds goes to the reservations? I’d like to see a breakdown in that regard.

That got me thinking and Googling. Linda’s question suggests (and the comment section is open for those who will upbraid me for trying to read Linda’s mind) that Linda will contend that the amount our Lakota neighbors get shouldn’t count against us, since those darned Indians aren’t real South Dakotans. They’re not representative of us honest white folks who work hard and pay our way and then some for every road and cop and hydroelectric dam.”

Continue reading “South Dakota Survives on Federal Handouts — Blame the Indians?” by Cory Heidelberger.