{{evil cackle}} Democrats to Kansas: "I'll get you, my pretty...{{evil cackle}}"
Posted on 11/24/2004 4:57:51 AM PST by OESY
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.
The Index highlights one of the great attributes of America that we can all be thankful for. States have to compete for their human capital and when they fail Americans can vote with their feet.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Delaware is one of the corporate capitals of the world. It is a huge corporate law and corporation headquarter center. And most of DE is red. Just the innner city Wilmington, and parts of it's suburbs are blue. Many corporations have full fledged headquarters here (MBNA/Dupont/Astrazenica) and many many more have small office headquarters here as well. Not to mention all the PO Boxes!!!! And due to all of that, most of the corporate law cases take place here as well.
Not all that surprising. We do elect Republicans, but most are RINOs. Both Governors Voinovich and Taft loved big spending and big taxes. Blackwell is the only real Republican with a spine in a statewide office.
Blackwell for Governor in '06.
{{evil cackle}} Democrats to Kansas: "I'll get you, my pretty...{{evil cackle}}"
Take Lawrence out of the equation and they really have something to write about.
Of the freest 26 states, only NH and DE went for kerry.
Of the 10 least free states, only Ohio went for Bush.
Kansas as the freeest state out there? Did WSJ forget Governess Katy? And how about all the RINOs in the state house?
Semper Fi
Economically free? Yeah...that's why the vehicle property taxes are outrageous, and why "Uncle Ed" relocated y'all down to Texas...because the business climate was so great in Kansas!
OohRah! You said it Bryan! We're ex-pat Kansans, down here in the Big Free Lone Star State, now, and loving it!
Lived in Delaware 18 years and I can tell you it is not a low tax state. The corporate taxes are low and there is no sales tax except on cars, but the personal income tax is very high. When I moved to NJ I actually got a reduction in the total tax bill. Course since then NJ has doubled the income tax and Delaware has dropped theirs, but it is still high.
The state makes a lot of money from the corporate franchise tax which is due to the favorable law structure and long case history. Because of the small population this is a subsidy most corporations pay to the 800,000 citizens of the First State.
Too me Delaware is comparable in "freedom" to neighboring Maryland, and votes the same way. The measures used for freedom don't work in this case.
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