I believe that there is an increasing inability of voters to vote in their own best interests. The March 10, U.S. Senate bankruptcy "reform" bill vote seems to reinforce this argument:
1.) The 20 senators from the ten states with the highest numbers of bankruptcy filings per number of total households (!6 Repubs, 4 Dems) all voted to pass the bill which will financially harm their constituents.
2. Utah has the most bankruptcy filings, yet it's households average $12000 more income per year than in Maine, which is 48th on the bankruptcy filing frequency list. As in voting, avoiding bankruptcy seems more related to sound decision making than it does to your income amount.
3.) Seven senators from the ten states with the lowest bankruptcy filings
voted against the bill. All seven are democrats, and include John Kerry.
(9 Repubs, 10 Dems, 1 Ind.)
4.)The nine states with 2003 household income averages above $50,000 are represented in the U.S. Senate by 11 Democrats and 7 Republicans.
Seven of these highest income states voted for Kerry in 2004.
The nine states with 2003 household income averages under $37,200 are represented in the U.S. Senate by 7 Democrats and 11 Republicans.
Eight of these lowest income states voted for Bush in 2004.
<a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00044">http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00044</a>
Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Alaska: Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Arizona: Kyl (R-AZ), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea
Arkansas: Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea
California: Boxer (D-CA), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Colorado: Allard (R-CO), Yea Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Connecticut: Dodd (D-CT), Nay Lieberman (D-CT), Nay
Delaware: Biden (D-DE), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea
Florida: Martinez (R-FL), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Georgia: Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Hawaii: Akaka (D-HI), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Idaho: Craig (R-ID), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Illinois: Durbin (D-IL), Nay Obama (D-IL), Nay
Indiana: Bayh (D-IN), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Iowa: Grassley (R-IA), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Kansas: Brownback (R-KS), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Kentucky: Bunning (R-KY), Yea McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Maine: Collins (R-ME), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Maryland: Mikulski (D-MD), Nay Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Massachusetts: Kennedy (D-MA), Nay Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Michigan: Levin (D-MI), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Minnesota: Coleman (R-MN), Yea Dayton (D-MN), Nay
Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Yea Lott (R-MS), Yea
Missouri: Bond (R-MO), Yea Talent (R-MO), Yea
Montana: Baucus (D-MT), Yea Burns (R-MT), Yea
Nebraska: Hagel (R-NE), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Nevada: Ensign (R-NV), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea
New Hampshire: Gregg (R-NH), Yea Sununu (R-NH), Yea
New Jersey: Corzine (D-NJ), Nay Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
New Mexico: Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Domenici (R-NM), Yea
New York: Clinton (D-NY), Not Voting Schumer (D-NY), Nay
North Carolina: Burr (R-NC), Yea Dole (R-NC), Yea
North Dakota: Conrad (D-ND), Yea Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Ohio: DeWine (R-OH), Yea Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Oklahoma: Coburn (R-OK), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Oregon: Smith (R-OR), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Nay
Pennsylvania: Santorum (R-PA), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island: Chafee (R-RI), Yea Reed (D-RI), Nay
South Carolina: DeMint (R-SC), Yea Graham (R-SC), Yea
South Dakota: Johnson (D-SD), Yea Thune (R-SD), Yea
Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Yea Frist (R-TN), Yea
Texas: Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Utah: Bennett (R-UT), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Vermont: Jeffords (I-VT), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Virginia: Allen (R-VA), Yea Warner (R-VA), Yea
Washington: Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Murray (D-WA), Nay
West Virginia: Byrd (D-WV), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Wisconsin: Feingold (D-WI), Nay Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Wyoming: Enzi (R-WY), Yea Thomas (R-WY), Yea
<a href="http://www.abiworld.org/statcharts/HouseRank.htm">2004 Household Bankruptcy Rankings, by State</a> 2003 HH Income
1- Utah: Bennett (R-UT), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Yea $49276
2 -Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Yea Frist (R-TN), Yea $37523
3 - Georgia: Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea $42438
4 - Nevada: Ensign (R-NV), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea $45184
5 - Indiana: Bayh (D-IN), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea $42425
6 - Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Yea $37255
7 - Arkansas: Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea $32002
8 - Ohio: DeWine (R-OH), Yea Voinovich (R-OH), Yea $43520
9 - Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Yea Lott (R-MS), Yea $32728
10- Idaho: Craig (R-ID), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Yea $42372
11- Oklahoma: Coburn (R-OK), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Yea $35902
12- Illinois: Durbin (D-IL), Nay Obama (D-IL), Nay $45153
13- Oregon: Smith (R-OR), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Nay $41638
14- Kentucky: Bunning (R-KY), Yea McConnell (R-KY), Yea $36936
15- Washington: Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Murray (D-WA), Nay $47508
16- Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Yea $33507
17- Missouri: Bond (R-MO), Yea Talent (R-MO), Yea $43762
18- Maryland: Mikulski (D-MD), Nay Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay $52314
19- Michigan: Levin (D-MI), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Yea $45022
20- Virginia: Allen (R-VA), Yea Warner (R-VA), Yea $54783
41- South Dakota: Johnson (D-SD), Yea Thune (R-SD), Yea $39522
42- South Carolina: DeMint (R-SC), Yea Graham (R-SC), Yea $38479
43- Connecticut: Dodd (D-CT), Nay Lieberman (D-CT), Nay $54965
44- New Hampshire: Gregg (R-NH), Yea Sununu (R-NH), Yea $55567
45- DC (No Senators) $45044
46- North Dakota: Conrad (D-ND), Yea Dorgan (D- -ND), Nay $40410
47- Hawaii: Akaka (D-HI), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea $51834
48- Maine: Collins (R-ME), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea $37113
49- Massachusetts: Kennedy (D-MA), Nay Kerry (D-MA), Nay $50955
50- Vermont: Jeffords (I-VT), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Nay $43261
51- Alaska: Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Yea $51837
<a href="http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/h08.html">
http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/ </a>