This goes out to Chris who was wondering.

Yes, from what I can tell quickly on the internet, rural areas pay less in taxes and receive more in state funding by and large. So, the paradigm of Thurston County paying the largest portion of property taxes into the Timberland Library System and getting less of that back in services is, if its true, a common one.

That of course ignores the historic contribution of timber revenue from the rural areas that had supported library services.

Here’s an interesting transportation report that generally supports that.

And a Dkos diary that has a neat map.

I fully understand the facts of donor vs. beggar communities. What I reject is the assumption that it is somehow wrong and that donor communities should flex their muscles.

We aren’t in this alone, not the rural areas, and certainly not us. I don’t care if I don’t receive any money from the people in Lewis County and all I care about is that they spend their money on good books. And, since we elect the governor together and are part of the same library system, I can be pretty sure they do.