Okay, let’s have a little statistical honesty here. The chart is in terms of dollars received and sent. If it were in terms of absolute dollars then Puget Sound and Spokane would dominate the map. A little money spent in a small rural county looks really huge.

And unless you plan to flap your arms and fly from Seattle to Spokane, you need roads. And they cross pretty empty country. So maintaining them will mean more dollars spent in those areas than taken in. Also, urban folks like state parks, which are likely to be out in the wide open spaces.

Washington does not have an individual income tax but has a business tax. How does that affect tax distributions?

Finally, let’s see what the money is spent on. How much is spent on infrastructure that is enduring and broadly beneficial, versus regulatory and private benefits that are not?