Correction: A graphic with this story was incorrectly attributed. The information came from Pew Charitable Trusts. The graphic has been corrected.
Oklahomans may complain about federal spending, but a report from Pew Charitable Trusts indicates we’re as dependent on it as the rest of the country.
In fact, we’re almost exactly as dependent as the rest of the U.S.
On a per-capita basis, Oklahoma ranked 24th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in federal dollars received in fiscal year 2013. That works out to $9,830 per person, or $31 less than the national average.
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“There aren’t many things we show up about the midpoint and in line with the nation,” said Robert Dauffenbach, director of the Center for Economic and Management Research at the University of Oklahoma.
The Pew report shows federal spending totaled almost $38 billion in 2013, a figure equivalent to more than one-fifth of the state’s gross domestic product. That was a little higher than the nation as a whole, and tied Oklahoma for 22nd.
Dauffenbach applied some calculations of his own to the data, and found federal spending equaled 23.5 percent of individual income in Oklahoma. That still puts the state in the middle of the pack, slightly higher than the national share of 22.3 percent.
“This state benefits dramatically from federal defense spending,” said Dauffenbach. “Federal defense expenditures are very key to the state.”
Oklahoma has five military bases, four of them in the western half of the state, and has not lost a military installation since Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base at Burns Flat closed in 1969.
Federal expenditures on things like highways, aviation and ports, said Dauffenbach, provide a “base of support in the form of infrastructure” for private business.
For Dauffenbach, the report’s two most interesting figures dealt with federal expenditures for payroll and contracts.
Oklahoma ranked 11th in the share of personal income from federal payrolls, but 40th in contracts — its lowest ranking in any category.
“I would take those numbers and ask what it is that causes the contracts to be so low,” Dauffenbach said.
Dauffenbach also noted the relatively high share of personal income from federal retirement payments. This includes Social Security, federal pensions and disability, and suggests a high number of retirees.
“Oklahoma is at 9.1 percent. Florida is at 9.5. I think that’s telling us Oklahoma is good for retirement,” he said.
The Pew report is intended to replace the Consolidated Federal Funds Report, an annual review of federal spending produced by the Census Bureau until it was discontinued in 2010.
Pew breaks federal spending into five areas: retirement benefits, nonretirement benefits, grants, contracts, and salaries and wages.
Retirement benefits accounted for 34 percent of spending, followed by nonretirement benefits at 27 percent, followed by 16 percent for grants, 13 percent for contracts and 10 percent for salaries and wages.
In Oklahoma, retirement benefits accounted for a significantly higher share of federal spending — 39 percent. Nonretirement benefits, at 27 percent, matched the national average. Grants, at 17 percent, and salaries and wages, at 12 percent, were slightly above the national average.
Contracts, at just 5 percent, were substantially less than nationally.
Not surprisingly, the District of Columbia ranked first in federal spending at $73,920 per person. Because of the way the data are sorted, every federal employee in the nation’s capital is included in the D.C. totals, regardless of where the employee actually lives.
Utah received the least federal spending per capita, at $7,108, more than $1,600 per person less than the state just ahead of it, Minnesota.
Ingredients
Preparation
1. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add noodles; cook 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain.
2. Cut beef across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips; cut strips into 2-inch pieces.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove beef from pan. Add 1 cup onion, black pepper, salt, paprika, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium.
4. Combine 1/4 cup beef broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture, beef, remaining 3/4 cup broth, and remaining 1/2 cup water to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, green onions, and butter. Serve beef mixture over egg noodles; sprinkle with parsley.
