posted November 23, 2004 04:13 PM            

America's freest state: Kansas, followed by fellow low-cost Republican states Colorado, Virginia, Idaho and Utah.
America's least economically free state: New York, followed by fellow expensive Democrat states California, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Illinois.

Pacific Research Institute’s “U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2004 Report,” published in association with Forbes magazine, figures in more than 100 variables, including regulatory and fiscal burdens imposed on residents.

The report, written by Ying Huang and Robert E. McCormick of Clemson University and Lawrence J. McQuillan of PRI, shows how more economic freedom leads to more economic security. Such findings are a wake-up call to old-fashioned politicians who still want voters to believe that more government and less liberty means more economic security.

“If all states ranked as free as Kansas, the annual income of an average working American would rise 4.42 percent, or $1,161, putting an additional $87,541 into his or her pocket over a 40-year working life. This would be a sizable addition to individuals’ private retirement accounts,” PRI stated.

“The best places to start businesses and find jobs are in states with the fewest regulatory and fiscal roadblocks, everything else considered. The report confirms that the most economically free states are experiencing population growth, as Americans are moving to states that have the most business- and job-friendly climates.”

McQuillan said: “The index is an important tool for policymakers and for improving public understanding of the link between economic freedom and financial prosperity. It is our hope that this index will contribute to future policy reforms that will strengthen and preserve economic freedom for all Americans.”

The index shows that the 25 states with above-average freedom include only two “blue” states, New Hampshire (which Kerry barely won and Bush won in 2000) and Delaware. The 25 subpar states included 17 Kerry states.

Such findings should not surprise readers of NewsMax.com, which pointed out last week how the “liberal” elitists of 49th-ranked California were declaring war on the undesirables: i.e., the middle class and poor.

U.S. Economic Freedom Index

1. Kansas, 18.18
2. Colorado, 18.81
3. Virginia, 18.86
4. Idaho, 19.02
5. Utah, 19.35
6. Oklahoma, 19.56
7. New Hampshire, 20.19
8. Delaware, 20.90
9. Wyoming, 21.24
10. Missouri, 21.82

11. Arizona, 21.89
12. Nevada, 22.10
13. South Carolina, 22.41
14. Indiana, 22.69
15. South Dakota, 23.34
16. Iowa, 23.43
17. Texas, 23.52
18. North Dakota, 24.00
19. Georgia, 24.06
20. Nebraska, 24.23

21. Montana, 24.63
22. Florida, 25. 12
23. Arkansas, 25.14
24. North Carolina, 25.58
25. Alabama, 25.87
26. Tennessee, 26.16
27. Maryland, 26.54
28. Mississippi 26.54
29. Oregon, 26.86
30. Maine, 26.93

31. Washington, 27.28
32. West Virginia, 27.73
33. Alaska, 27.82
34. Michigan, 27.90
35. Hawaii, 27.95
36. Vermont, 28.04
37. New Mexico, 28.37
38. Wisconsin, 28.75
39. Kentucky, 29.13
40. Louisiana, 29.16

41. Massachusetts, 29.41
42. New Jersey, 30.19
43. Ohio, 30.91
44. Minnesota, 31.13
45. Pennsylvania, 31.58
46. Illinois, 32.77
47. Rhode Island, 33.21
48. Connecticut, 35.21
49. California, 38.79
50. New York, 39.50

posted November 23, 2004 04:18 PM            

Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004 1:27 p.m. EST
'Liberal' California Wages War on Middle Class and Poor

California's high taxes and obsession with elitist political correctness have made the state so expensive that a fourth of residents are thinking about moving to a more reasonable state.

As greedy cities, counties and other governmental bodies restrict property rights and development in the name of environmentalism, housing has become prohibitively overpriced.

The young are especially hard hit. A study released today by Public Policy Institute of California found that:

60 percent of respondents worry that their children will not be able to buy homes nearby.

Only one in five who want someday to buy a house think they will be able to.

Nearly half of respondents under 35 say they are considering leaving.
Instead of being optimistic about life in the former Golden State, the new generation "coming into the owning stages of their lives ... are exactly the people who are talking about moving elsewhere," warned Mark Baldassare, author of the statewide study. "You're talking about your work force. You're talking about your future."

The median price of a house nationwide is $186,600. In California it's $465,000.

Naturally, the most unaffordable areas are those most heavily Democrat. "The survey, the most comprehensive of its kind in years in California, reveals the moving-out sentiment is highest in coastal areas, and many are acting on it. Since 1995, according to the institute, more than 350,000 residents have moved from the coast to the less expensive Central Valley," the Associated Press reported today.

Take a look at the red-blue maps of congressional districts and recent presidential elections to get an idea of how the left-wing elitists of San Francisco, Berkeley, Marin County, Mendocino County and so forth are trying to price out those awful middle-class and poor people so they can sip their $6 frappuccinos and juices with like-minded pseudointellectuals.

In another sign of California's drop-dead attitude toward the middle and lower classes, harsher new emissions regulations will make cars cost up to several thousand dollars more there than elsewhere in America, the Wall Street Journal reported recently.

Some of the blame, of course, goes to California's voters. Though he has tried to stop the exodus of jobs to lower-cost states, liberal Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger persuaded residents of his deficit-plagued state to burden themselves further with a $6 billion spending spree on unproven research that destroys human embryos, even as hospitals in slums such as Watts are being closed.

posted November 23, 2004 04:22 PM            

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2004 3:36 p.m. EST
California's Latest Nutty Attack on Poor People

The elitist eco-hypocrites of San Francisco have a new weapon in their never-ending attack on poor people: Now they want to tax grocery bags at 17 cents a pop.

"The measure is primarily being pushed by environmentalists who view plastic grocery bags as a menace, not as a modern marvel of convenience," USA Today reported today.

Of course, 17 cents a bag won't mean anything to the Lexus leftists, but it's just another slap in the face of those who already struggle to scrape by in the expensive city in the expensive state.

"Folks take the free plastic bag for granted," sniffed Mark Murray of Californians Against Waste, which supports the scheme.

However, the fee "is an incredible amount of money to a consumer," noted Paul Smith of California Grocers Association. "Before you know it, that's an extra dollar to your food bill every time you go shopping."

posted November 23, 2004 04:35 PM            

Yeah, I hear that you Floridians (along with them Cajuns) don't love the Blue Crab like they do in MD...too bad..BUT..just another reason for me to head out to FL

posted November 23, 2004 04:35 PM            

Yeah, I hear that you Floridians (along with them Cajuns) don't love the Blue Crab like they do in MD...too bad..BUT..just another reason for me to head out to FL

posted November 23, 2004 04:48 PM            

CA (and the rest of the states that ranked towards the bottom)

Unfortunately I can't get my husband to even consider moving out of State, so I'm relocating to NZ for the next three years to finish college (I'll be coming back to the US on breaks, etc). I've found that the hypocrisy in this state makes the bile rise in my throat, from the "Lexus Liberals" as that article put it, to the development restrictions (a friend is in RE Developing - apparently they only build condos and expensive houses ($500K+) anymore because there's more profit in them - no more starter homes, which means starter homes are priced at the cost of luxury homes in other states). Oh, that RE Dev. friend, is a Democrat. A Lexus Liberal, if you will. (I thought the Repubs supposedly cornered the market on being profiteers in America, guess not... )

posted November 23, 2004 05:03 PM            

I've always LOVED Ancient History and Archaeology, but in the US it seems a majority of the good programs are either back east or they're grad programs.

posted November 23, 2004 05:06 PM            

LOL...we're both Saggies..go figure.

posted November 23, 2004 07:04 PM            

I'm envious Isis, what a great place to be going. I've never heard a discouraging word about New Zealand.

posted November 26, 2004 11:30 AM            

quote:

---

Yeah, so the elections can be fixed over there to, to the neo-cons liking, might as well have a monarchy and just get it over with!

---

Well Pid, most people here just throw blue crabs in a big pot of boiling salted water, but if you prefer steaming, that can be arranged too.

I'll save you a good spot on the bridge. If you plan to catch blue crabs on a string....bring your net, they almost always turn loose when you pull them out of the water. Make that a net with a long handle. Some of our bridges are 20 feet or more above the water.

quote:

---

Ok I live In Minnesota which is 44 on the list, and while we did go blue for the presidential election, we almost always vote a republican governer. So what does that say?

---

posted November 26, 2004 07:22 PM            

Seriously though, what's the problem...too conservative, too liberal, an off the wall nutbar?

posted November 26, 2004 07:26 PM              

"The Body"?
"The Mind"?

posted November 27, 2004 06:24 PM              

Tim Pawlenty, if I have to pick from those three Id say the nutbar one. He will only try and pass laws that he thinks will make the Minnesotan government more money no matter the cost to the public.

I am not blaming you and I sure as heck didnt vote for him...lol

posted January 20, 2005 04:08 PM              

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