> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2004 09:05:26 -0500
> From: "Marvin Gandall" <marvgandall at rogers.com>
> Subject: [lbo-talk] Why New Yorkers are flocking to Kansas
> To: "LBO-Talk" <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
> Message-ID: <005801c4d2f7$d0c91290$6401a8c0 at LAPTOP>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
>
> Kansas as No. 1
> Wall Street Journal
> November 24, 2004;
> Page A12
>
> Retiring to the sofa after turkey dinner tomorrow, most Americans may feel
> they have little in common with the Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock. But one
> defining feature of 17th-century Americans remains: We still migrate for
> freedom.
>
> American mobility is legendary and the notion that it is driven by a
desire
> for liberty is the basis for the methodology behind the Pacific Research
> Institute's U.S. Economic Freedom Index released last week. Kansas is
> America's freest state while New York -- home of the Statue of Liberty --
> ranks at the bottom.
>
> The Index uses five categories -- fiscal, regulatory, judicial, government
> size and welfare -- to measure and compare economic freedom in the 50
> states. Among the variables are tax rates, state spending, occupation
> licensing, environmental regulations, income redistribution, right-to-work
> laws, minimum wage and tort law. Co-author Lawrence McQuillian writes that
> Kansas won the top spot "largely due to its respect for property rights:
It
> engages in less income redistribution and attracts less tort litigation
than
> most states."
>
> Along with the Heritage Foundation, we publish a world-wide index that
over
> the years has underscored the essential link between economic freedom and
> prosperity. And sure enough, the Pacific Research Institute study finds
that
> a 10% improvement in a state's economic freedom score yields, on average,
> about a half-percent increase in annual per-capita income. If all states
> were as free as Kansas, the annual income of the average American worker
> would increase 4.42%, or $1,161. Over a 40-year period, that would add
> $87,541 to a lifetime income.
>
> U.S. ECONOMIC FREEDOM INDEX
>
> Pacific Research Institute ranks the 50 States.
>
> 1. Kan. 11. Ariz. 21. Mont. 31. Wash. 41. Mass.
> 2. Colo. 12. Nev. 22. Fla. 32. W. Va. 42. N.J.
> 3. Va. 13. S.C. 23. Ark. 33. Alaska 43. Ohio
> 4. Idaho 14. Ind. 24. N.C. 34. Mich. 44. Minn.
> 5. Utah 15. S.D. 25. Ala 35. Hawaii 45. Penn.
> 6. Okla. 16. Iowa 26. Tenn 36. Vt. 46. Ill.
> 7. N.H. 17. Texas 27. Md. 37. N.M. 47. R.I.
> 8. Del. 18. N.D. 28. Miss. 38. Wisc. 48. Conn.
> 9. Wy. 19. Ga. 29. Ore. 39. Ky. 49. Calif.
> 10. Mo. 20. Neb. 30. Maine 40. La. 50. N.Y.
>
>
>
Curiously there's a "Red" state pattern here...