Free Republic

CNBC recently released a remarkable ranking of “America’s 10 worst states to live and work in for 2023.”Unsurprisingly, considering the source, the list consists exclusively of red states. The rankings were purportedly based on crime rates, environmental quality, health care, quality and availability of childcare, and inclusiveness in state laws such as reproductive rights, protections against discrimination, and voting rights. Oh, got it. Guess we know how they weighted these factors. Access to unfettered abortion (“reproductive rights”), worship of the LGBTQ community (“Protection against discrimination”), and the “right” to vote sans identification, via mail, and early and often, obviously superseded...

The more things stay the same, the more they stay the same – at least if you’re the best and worst states in America for doing business. But if you’re somewhere in the middle of the rankings, there are real prospects for changing CEO perceptions, just not always for the better. According to the CEOs who were surveyed for the 2019 Best States & Worst States for business ranking by Chief Executive, Texas remained No. 1 this year, solidifying its long hold on the top spot. Florida once again was No. 2. Indiana remained No. 5. At least Tennessee leapt...

Far be it from us to throw shade on your home sweet home, but the data does not lie. The Quality of Life category in our annual America's Top States for Business study ranks all 50 states on overall livability based on metrics, including crime rate, attractions, air quality, health and health care and legal protections against discrimination. Quality of Life is worth a possible 300 out of 2,500 total points in the study, based on the Top States methodology and sources. Journey with us now through this year's Top States hall of shame — the 10 bottom states for...

A map of the U.S. shows the states where residents were the most and least likely to say they had recently donated to charity.Gallup There are only two U.S. states where at least 50 percent of residents say they've recently given either money or time to charity: Utah and Minnesota, according to a new Gallup poll. Nevada and Kentucky tied for the lowest rate of charitable giving.The poll was conducted in the last six months of 2013, when at least 600 residents of each state were asked whether they had donated money to a charity or volunteered at an...

If you’re looking to retire some place warm and sunny then Minnesota probably isn’t high on the list. Aside from experiencing some of the coldest weather in the country, Minnesota also has an above average cost of living and residents pay some of the highest property, sales and state income taxes nationwide. Seniors will find it easier to get access to quality medical care and the crime rate is relatively low but you could end up shelling out more for these perks.

Throughout the country, states are looking for ways to energize their economies and become more competitive. Each state confronts this task with a set of policy decisions unique to their own situation, but not all state policies lead to economic prosperity. Using years of economic data and empirical evidence from each state, the authors identify which policies can lead a state to economic prosperity. Rich States, Poor States not only identifies these policies but also makes sound research-based conclusions about which states are poised to achieve greater economic prosperity and those that are stuck on the path to a lackluster...

Since 2008, Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index has used the latest economic data to determine which states are doing well and which states are struggling. The past 50 years of data point to a clear connection between pro-growth policies of lower taxes, less regulations and competitive labor policies. The states that embrace free markets and limited government fare much better than their high-tax, big government counterparts. Utah, South Dakota, Indiana, North Dakota and Idaho—this year’s top five states—showcase how good economic policy can lead to economic prosperity, while New York, Vermont, Illinois, California and Minnesota—the bottom...

Top 10 States Americans Are Fleeing #1: New York New York has led the nation in domestic out-migration since the late 1990s. The New York Post reported in 2011 that "62 percent of New Yorkers planning to leave cited economic factors — including cost of living (30 percent), taxes (19 percent) and the job environment (10 percent) — as the main reasons." 2012-2013 state-to-state net domestic migration: -104,470 2. Illinois http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/out_migration_states/illinois.html 3. California http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/out_migration_states/california.html4. New Jersey http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/out_migration_states/new_jersey.html 5. Pennsylvania http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/out_migration_states/pennsylvania.html 6. Michigan http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/out_migration_states/michigan.html 7. Ohio http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/out_migration_states/ohio.html8. Connecticut http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/out_migration_states/connecticut.html9. Kansas http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/out_migration_states/kansas.html10. New Mexico http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/out_migration_states/new_mexico.html

With the current relatively generous federal estate tax exemption of $5.25 million for 2013 and $5.34 million for 2014, you surely don't have any estate tax worries. Right? Not necessarily! It turns out that 19 states and the District of Columbia impose their own estate and/or inheritance taxes, and most of them have exemptions well below the federal amount. If you live in one of these places, your estate might be exempt from the federal estate tax but still exposed to a significant state death tax hit. Yikes! Here's what you need to know.

How well run is your state? It can be difficult to objectively assess the quality of a state’s management. The economy and standard of living can be affected by decisions made decades ago, forces outside the control of the state’s government and administrators, as well as the government's own actions. Every year, 24/7 Wall St. tries to answer this question by conducting an extensive survey of every state. To determine how well states are managed, we examined their financial data, as well as the services they provide and their residents' standard of living. This year, North Dakota is the best-run...

Yesterday we published a set of maps that came from a survey about what Americans think of other states. Essentially, each respondent was asked to answer a question with a state that wasn't their own, like which state is the drunkest, the nicest, the most arrogant. We looked at the data and decided to compress the 22 maps into one map. (click to enlarge) On this map, every state that won a superlative — first place in any question — has its claims to fame in bolded print. For instance, Colorado was the top vote getter in the Most Beautiful scenery category. 

Source: Thinkstock As the nation continues to recover from the recession, not only is the unemployment rate down, but the underemployment rate — an important measure of the health of the job market — has been slowly declining as well.In 2012, 14.7% of all people in the workforce either had no job, were too discouraged to go looking, or were not working as much as they wanted. Through the 12 months ending mid-2013, this figure had fallen slightly to 14.3%. But in many states, underemployment remains persistently high. These are the states where it is hardest to find full-time work.Click...

In its ninth annual survey of CEO opinion about the best and worst states in which to do business, 736 CEOs—the highest response on record—rendered their verdict. Business leaders were asked to grade states with which they are familiar on a variety of competitive metrics that CEOs themselves regard as critical. These include: 1) taxation and regulation; 2) quality of workforce; and 3) living environment. The tax and regulatory grade includes a measure of how CEOs grade a state’s attitude toward business, a key indicator. In the minds of most leaders, a state’s friendliness is closely aligned with its tax...