Hmmm - how does that break down in red and blue states...?
It doesn't surprise me, Nebraska's very low, abysmal, rating.
For years and years and years, we had a state senator, a professional politician who couldn't hold a real job (or remain married), make fun of the fact that Nebraska used to be the "great white spot" of the union, with the lowest state taxes in the nation, great for business.
Well, while he was in the state legislature (I think 1979-1999), he changed all of that in a hurry.
The "great white spot" was based upon a series of electrical utility advertisements appearing in popular periodicals of the time, the late 1930s.
This state senator (later a one-term mayor of Lincoln, before marital problems befuddled him.....for the third time, and he is not exactly old) used to equate "high taxes" with "progress."
Well, during the late 1930s, when Nebraska was the "white spot," Mississippi had the highest per-capita state taxes in the country.....and for various reasons, I don't think Mississippi was exactly flourishing and prospering during the late 1930s, even with all of those taxes for "progress."
nc ping: we're 40th, or just good enough to be not the very worst.
Not very promising, come to think of it.
7 on the first list went for Bush, only three on the second list.
Iowa should be number 50. This state chases out businesses at any chance it can get. We have no Fortune 500 companies based here, and zero venture capital. Iowa is the only state not to double in population in the last century. We have a backward state legislature that bows down to the 19th century hog and tractor lobby, and works very hard to keep this state in the dark ages. This state has had an incredible education system over the last few decades, only to serve the rest of the country, as Iowa's best and brightest vacate this state by the thousands every year. It's amazing how a state with such an educated population can be so mind-numbingly stupid about business and economics.