Shutdown hits hardest in the West, which has high rate of federal employment

The Four Corners region of the U.S., where New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona meet, is home to some of the nation's most popular tourist attractions, drawing people from all over the world to the beauty of the desert, mountains, rivers, and the area's deep history of Native Americans and old west legends. But because many of the tourist spots are national parks, the region has been hit especially hard by the government shutdown, Jonathan Thompson reports for High Country News.

"Every Western state has a higher percentage of federal employees than the nation as a whole, many of whom have now been furloughed," Thompson writes."Like it or not, Westerners are dependent on the federal government, and our economies depend on federal spending. We’re also pretty lousy when it comes to getting health insurance—and oftentimes health care—to our citizenry. And we therefore stand to benefit the most from so-called Obamacare (neé Romneycare), the very law that the extremists are trying to kill." (Bureau of Labor Statistics graphic shows states with above average federal employment are all in the West)

That has led many current and former Republican senators from the West to actively support the health reform law, Thompson writes. "In addition to our dependence on the feds, and our dearth of health insurance, the West is also known for its pragmatism. It’s nice to see a few of our politicians transcending ideology and displaying that trait, even in small measures." (Read more) (Kaiser Family Foundation graphic shows most Western states above national rate of uninsured)