2013 list of best and worst-run states in the country.

[MillCreek]

http://247wallst.com/special-report/2013/11/21/the-best-and-worst-run-states-in-america-a-survey-of-all-50-2/

The 2013 list of the best and worst-run states in the country.  Where does yours rate?  Washington is number 12.

[Jamisjockey]

Texas sits at 10. I'll take it.

[AZRedhawk44]

Go AZ!  #45 with a bullet!  (0.45?)

Damned snowbirds, coupled with illegals, creates a lot of social spending and welfare.  Financial problems compounded by afore-mentioned snowbirds and illegals that come and play in AZ but don't conform to residency standards for vehicle registration, income tax, and even sales tax!  Oregonians waltzing around demanding to be exempt from sales tax, for instance.

[TechMan]

Ohio #26 right in the middle.

[charby]

#3 Bitches! Actually thanks to our Governor Terry Branstad and a strong AG economy for the situation we are in.

[Tallpine]

Fark that website 

[Ben]

Ha! We're number one (er, 50)! CA will never take the hint about over-reliance on wealthy taxpayers.

50. California
> Debt per capita: $3,990 (20th highest)
> Budget deficit: 27.8% (3rd largest)
> Unemployment: 10.5% (2nd highest)
> Median household income: $58,328 (11th highest)
> Pct. below poverty line: 17.0% (18th highest)

For the third year in a row, California is the worst-run state in America. California faced a nearly $24 billion in budget shortfall in fiscal 2012, including a mid-year shortfall of $930 million and $8.2 billion carried over from the year before. California carries an A credit rating from Standard & Poor’s, and an A1 from Moody’s — both worse than any other state except for Illinois. Explaining its rating, Moody’s pointed to the state’s history of one-time solutions to resolve its budgetary gaps. It also noted the state’s “highly volatile revenue structure,” due to its over reliance on wealthy taxpayers. The Golden State was also among the worst states in the nation for educational attainment, health coverage, and unemployment.

Read more: The Best and Worst Run States in America: A Survey of All 50 - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2013/11/21/the-best-and-worst-run-states-in-america-a-survey-of-all-50-2/#ixzz2lORVdQUA
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[roo_ster]

Daniel Patrick Moynihan was right: A definite correlation with good social metrics and distance from the Canadian border.

[drewtam]

I don't think their ranking is very good. It doesn't have good balance. Schools, roads, emergency services, good economic environment, and financial management seem to be the core functions of a State. This ranking only seems to focus on the public financial management and economic side. Doesn't seem to weight for tax burden either.

The states ranked as the best managed are ranked elsewhere as some of the worst school systems in the country. No weighting for infrastructure or corruption issues either.

A combination of policies and luck could yield 0 debt, a good economic enviroment yielding a #1 ranking, but could be a place with high taxes, terrible schools, terrible roads and high corruption.

[RocketMan]

Very soon I will be moving from the #17 ranked state to a 'posedly worserer one at #29, Oregon to North Carolina.  Yet, reading the description of the #29 state gives me the warm fuzzies when compared against the actual experience of living in the #17 state.

[Sergeant Bob]

My state, Michigun is #35. However, if we could just get rid of Detroit and suburbs, Ann Arbor (especially), Lansing and to a lesser extent, Benton Harlem, it would greatly improve, politically at least.

[Perd Hapley]

28. Missouri
> Debt per capita: $3,445 (24th highest)
> Budget deficit: 8.8% (30th largest)
> Unemployment: 6.9% (tied-19th lowest)
> Median household income: $45,321 (14th lowest)
> Pct. below poverty line: 16.2% (21st highest)

Missouri’s finances appear to be in decent shape. The state faced a relatively small deficit in fiscal 2012, and its pension obligations were more than three-quarters funded. The Show-Me State is also one of 13 states with a perfect credit rating from both Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. Missouri’s GDP growth, however, has lagged that of the U.S. in each of the last four years. The state’s exports were also among the lowest in 2012, at just $2,310 per resident. Possibly as a result of the state’s stagnant economy, Missouri’s revenue per capita was just $6,423, more than $800 per resident less than the national average. The state does well by some economic measures, however. Unemployment rate last year was just 6.9%, versus 8.1% nationally. Just one in every 113 Missouri homes was in foreclosure last year, compared to one of every 72 nationwide.

http://247wallst.com/special-report/2013/11/21/the-best-and-worst-run-states-in-america-a-survey-of-all-50-2/#ixzz2lQ7uhm8r

[BryanP]

Hmmm.  Low debt, fast developing economy, but violent. I'll take it.

16. Tennessee
> Debt per capita: $925 (the lowest)
> Budget deficit: n/a
> Unemployment: 8.0% (tied-19th highest)
> Median household income: $42,764 (7th lowest)
> Pct. below poverty line: 17.9% (tied-11th highest)

The Tennessee economy grew roughly 3.3% last year, better than the nation’s 2.5% growth. About a third of the increase in GDP came from growth in durable goods manufacturing, which includes the state’s growing auto industry. The state is home to auto plants owned by Nissan, General Motors, and Volkswagen. Tennessee had the smallest debt in the country relative to its size, at just $925 per resident as of fiscal 2011. Several negative factors, however, lowered the state’s ranking. Tennessee was the most crime ridden in the country last year, with a violent crime rate of 643.6 incidents per every 100,000 people. In the city of Nashville, the state’s capital and second largest city by population, the rate was nearly double that.

[dm1333]

Hmmm.  Low debt, fast developing economy, but violent. I'll take it.

16. Tennessee
> Debt per capita: $925 (the lowest)
> Budget deficit: n/a
> Unemployment: 8.0% (tied-19th highest)
> Median household income: $42,764 (7th lowest)
> Pct. below poverty line: 17.9% (tied-11th highest)

The Tennessee economy grew roughly 3.3% last year, better than the nation’s 2.5% growth. About a third of the increase in GDP came from growth in durable goods manufacturing, which includes the state’s growing auto industry. The state is home to auto plants owned by Nissan, General Motors, and Volkswagen. Tennessee had the smallest debt in the country relative to its size, at just $925 per resident as of fiscal 2011. Several negative factors, however, lowered the state’s ranking. Tennessee was the most crime ridden in the country last year, with a violent crime rate of 643.6 incidents per every 100,000 people. In the city of Nashville, the state’s capital and second largest city by population, the rate was nearly double that.

If you take Memphis and Nashville out of the equation how violent is the state?  Having grown up right next to a really violent small city (according to National Geographic) I'm having a hard time being intimidated by Nashville.  Anyway, I'll take it too!

[AJ Dual]

At 21, the reforms, and simple real-world budgeting Walker and the GOP has really boosted WI's position.

Four things are still holding it back.

1. As a traditionally blue/purple state, no one is yet willing to believe the change is permanent. Instead of pressing the advantage, the WI GOP seems content to wait (or hope) the dissolution of the public unions continues to cause the Left to just "take their ball and go home" etc.

2. While there's no oil here, the state's remaining heavy industry revolves around mining, drilling, supporting fracking, all things which the larger Federal government is actively hostile towards, and new mines in Northern WI which the state's current democrat minority has still managed to hurt/stop, despite these being largely "union jobs". Superficial environmentalism as a cover for what is mainly a desire to try and keep "anything good" from happening under Walker or the GOP majority. 

3. Like a lot of states WI is more dependent on the health of the U.S. job economy as a whole, and not as able to drive job growth and a more independent internal economy like Texas has. To a degree, no matter how much the state government improves, we're at the mercy of the larger Obama/Democrat "jobless recovery".

4. High taxes. WI is still in the top 5-10 states for total tax burden. Despite the reforms, some individual municipalities school boards are still packed with liberals and union-friendly people aren't taking advantage of them. And as usual for the Right once it's in power, the GOP and even Walker seem to be turning timid and afraid to rock the boat after the whole reform fight and recall attempt.

What WI has accomplished over the past three years is amazing, by way of analogy, akin to the Moon Landings, but like the Moon Landings, there could have been more, and follow up. 

[K Frame]

Virginia is 14. Personally, it looks to me that it should be a bit better.

[BryanP]

If you take Memphis and Nashville out of the equation how violent is the state?  Having grown up right next to a really violent small city (according to National Geographic) I'm having a hard time being intimidated by Nashville.  Anyway, I'll take it too!

Well, I work in downtown Nashville and live one county out. I don't think it's all that bad, but then I don't live in the Bad Parts of Town.

[Monkeyleg]

Alabama doesn't fare too well at #40. A couple of things skew that. The median household income is lower, but so is the cost of living. Birmingham, like so many other large cities, skews the results for the rest of the state, too.

I'm happy being here. That's what counts for me.

[TommyGunn]

Ugh.  Don't mention Birmingham.   Be thankful for Malfunction Junction; it sends enough people off into Georgia or Mississippi that they never see Birmingham ... ...