A lot of that is military spending because military bases and plants were built in the South because it was cheaper and part of the political compromises involved in funding WWII.
The bigger issue is the currency and entitlements like Social Security, Medicare, etc. On the one hand, Texas could always offer a currency backed by fossil fuels. On the other, Ft. Knox is located in Tennessee. Another big issue is the US debt: abandoned? Parceled out to the states?
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Ft. Knox is firmly in central Kentucky!!!!!