Federal Spending Totals $29 Billion In State In 1996 Washington Ranks 16th Among The States In U.S. Revenues Received

Washington state ranked 16th among the states last year in federal revenues, with Uncle Sam spending more than $29 billion in the state on everything from Native American education to salaries for soldiers and sailors, from crop subsidies to Social Security to the national forests.

Despite efforts by Congress to trim the federal budget, Washington state received almost $360 million more from the federal government in 1996 than it did the previous year, although the increase was less than the rate of inflation, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Since 1987, federal spending in the state has roughly doubled, the figures show.

Of the state’s $29 billion total in 1996, more than $14.8 billion was paid directly to individuals - in veterans benefits, Medicare, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Pell grants and the like.

Procurement contracts for various goods and services totaled $4.6 billion; salaries and wages, including military pay, amounted to $4.5 billion; and grants to local and state governments reached $4.1 billion.

On a county basis, Washington state’s largest county, King, received the most federal dollars - $7.8 billion. Boosted by military spending at Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, Pierce County was second at $3.5 billion. Kitsap County, with the growing presence of the U.S. Navy, was third at almost $2.2 billion, while Benton County, home of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, was fourth at $1.9 billion.

Rounding out the top 10 were Spokane County, $1.8 billion; Snohomish, $1.7 billion; Thurston, $1.4 billion; Clark, $957 million; Yakima, $851 million; and Whatcom, $762 million.

Federal spending in other Washington state counties included: Franklin, $168 million; Grant, $62 million; Walla Walla, $52 million; Adams, $15 million; and Columbia, $4 million.

While Washington state ranked 16th in federal revenues received, California was No. 1 at more than $158 billion. Other states in the top 10 included New York, $95 billion; Texas, $86 billion; Florida, $79 billion; Pennsylvania, $64 billion; Illinois, $51 billion; Virginia $50.3 billion; Ohio, $50.1 billion; Michigan, $39 billion; and New Jersey, $38 billion.

Also ranking ahead of Washington state were Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Georgia and North Carolina.

On a per capita basis, Washington ranked 19th among all states in federal spending at $5,285 for each resident. Virginia was No. 1 at $7,535, followed by Maryland, $7,302; Alaska, $7,150; New Mexico, $7,047; and Hawaii, $6,770.

Last was Wisconsin at $3,867. Federal spending in the District of Columbia totaled $41,390 per resident.

The Census Bureau also released figures Tuesday showing that of the 5,435,000 residents of Washington state, only 386,000 were foreign-born. Almost two-thirds of those foreign-born residents have not become citizens.

Almost 40 percent of the foreign-born residents of Washington state were from Asia, including 21,000 from the Philippines, 20,000 from India and 19,000 each from China and Vietnam.

About one-third of the foreign-born residents of the state came from Latin America, including 102,000 from Mexico.

An additional 66,000 came from European countries, including 17,000 from Germany and 9,000 from Great Britain.

About 45,000 of the state’s foreign-born residents were from Canada.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Scripps-McClatchy Western Service