Red vs. Blue, what does that mean to gas prices and you?

South Carolina, red state, average cost of a gallon of gas? $3.332
Connecticut, blue state, average cost of a gallon of gas? $3.959
       Wait, $0.627 difference between a gallon of gas? Suspicious and yes of course this is a listing of extremes. But it did get me to thinking how does living in a "Blue", or Democratic state compare on gas prices with living in a "Red" or Republican state. Is there a difference?
       Utilizing the prices listed at www.gasbuddy.com I compiled a list and compared it to the current listing of a states known color coding, including those crazy "Purple" states, you know the ones who can't seem to decide which side of the fence they are on (more on fence wars later).
        Of the top ten cheapest averages for gas only one "Blue" state rated, New Mexico at $3.453. There were however three "Purple" states in the ten, Ohio $3.410, Arkansas $3.426, and Missouri $3.444. Notably Ohio and Missouri tend to lean slightly blue and Arkansas slightly red.
        On the bottom ten states the trend reverses; only Alaska, bastion of Palinism, elk hunting and shootin' and a Red state, the average cost of gas is $4.070, every other state in the bottom ten is a blue as the sky, including my Dick Durbin represented state.
        So what does this mean you ask me? What's up with those crazy purple states? Why don't we have yellow and teal states too? Great questions! Here are the numbers I have come up with.
Red states (22 states) average price of gas $3.547
Blue states (21 states) average price of gas $3.726
Purple states (7 states) average price of gas $3.524
         Wait, you mean it's actually cheaper to buy gas in those crazy purple states? Actually yes, however both Red and Blue states are saddled with Alaska and Hawaii where everything costs more. If you factor out Alaska for the red side the average drops to $3.522. I think this begs a question to be asked to the leaders of this country, why are states where welfare and entitlement programs a firm part of the economy also so high on gas prices?
          Ooooh Oooooh I know the answer! Gas is taxed at a much higher rate in those blue states than in the red states to generate income for those programs. "But if we don't help those people who need it they will all die or something right?" Well, every state has some type of assistance program to people who need it, yes, and they should, people sometimes get down on their luck and need to be helped back on their feet. It should be noted that the absolute bottom of the gas price list states, factoring out Alaska and Hawaii, are all states known for their out of control spending and mismanagement of welfare and government budgets. New York, Illinois, and the left coast states. It also should be stated that in those hard core Red states there are people on welfare, that are recieving aid, and there are not reports of people dropping dead in biblical proportions because they aren't getting an extra 18.1 cents a gallon in gas sales. They are surviving, so could the people in Illinois and New York.

          American people are known for their charity, in just about every instance where called upon to be charitable the American people bent over backwards to chip in. This is a fact, yes even people on welfare and aid have chipped in on those times of need too. This is why our government needs to scale back their programs of aid, they are too big and bloated and out of control. Scale them back and subsidize other private outreach programs, programs where individuals can choose to donate their money to help others. End the generations of families on welfare, the program was never meant to work like that and it can not sustain its current expenditures. Let those people who need help, get help and get back to work, yes work! Believe it or not there is work out there, it may not be the ideal job at the moment but it will still bring you in money until you can work your way up. I went straight to work after high school and have not spent one day without a job since, sure some of them didn't pay well but I needed the work and didn't expect the government to pay me for not working so I took the jobs that were open until others were open to me.

Gas prices are but one example of how failed programs this country funds effect each and every one of your pocketbooks, wouldn't it just be easier to pay less in taxes to the government and write a check to a charity instead?