Instead the few poor souls who drank the most Kool-Aid moved to the ever-drifting-leftward state of New Hampshire.
All I can say is:
Posted on 06/30/2009 4:48:37 PM PDT by FromLori
As the country has tipped into a deep recession over the past two years, North Dakota, under the leadership of the nation's longest-serving governor, John Hoeven, has bucked every trend. In 2008, North Dakota's economy grew 7.3%, twice as fast as any other state except Wyoming, which grew 4.4%. By this point, many states in the industrial Midwest, and housing-bubble states like Arizona, Nevada and Florida, were already shrinking.
Unemployment in North Dakota is the lowest in the nation at 4.4%, less than half the national average. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says North Dakota and Montana are the only two states in the country that still have budget surpluses.
North Dakota benefits from natural resources: The state has abundant jobs in energy and agriculture--clearly better sectors to be in than, say, banking. But that only partially explains the state's success. In 2001, just after Hoeven took office, North Dakota was 40th in the country in GDP per capita; by 2008, it had leapfrogged 20 other states to 20th place. To find out more, Forbes interviewed the state's popular Republican governor (so popular, he was elected to his third term in 2008 with 74% of the vote).
Forbes: What's been the key to North Dakota's economic success?
Hoeven: Our No. 1 focus has been and continues to be economic development. When we came into office at the end of 2000, we started right then with a very aggressive economic development plan. We not only did a strategic plan where we brought people into the process from around the state, including higher education, the economic development community, obviously the private sector--we did a very comprehensive plan with goals and benchmarks.
We targeted five industries for growth, industries where we have natural advantages in North Dakota: value-added agriculture, advanced manufacturing,
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
I doubt there are many panhandlers in ND.
Here’s another Hoeven thread.
There ain’t any ACORN trees up thataway?
The cold kills anything that isn’t self reliant and responsible every winter. That and lots of oil, coal, and crops help too.
641,481 population.
ND’s secret: WINTER.
Keeps the socially dependent away.
They are pretty much the polar opposite of California.
Without being tied down by a bankrupt ideology(among other things), North Dakota grew their economy.
The Baakkan Oil formation might play a bit part.
Ah my home state. Well, most of the residents have a strong work ethic. The state has a right-to-work law. The crime rate is fairly low. There are some years in which there are very few murders (in absolute terms).
Taxes are low-in the early eighties with good tax revenues from the oil and gas industry; the legislature cut state personal income tax rates to very low rates.
And finally: THE STATE LEGISLATURE ONLY MEETS FOR 60 WORKING DAYS EVERY TWO YEARS. Most of the legislators have other careers.
Instead the few poor souls who drank the most Kool-Aid moved to the ever-drifting-leftward state of New Hampshire.
All I can say is:
“ND’s secret: WINTER.
Keeps the socially dependent away.”
Probably not too far from the truth. There are reasons why North Dakota’s schools rank among the best in the nation and the crime at the very bottom.
And it’s not their state’s high rate of taxation and generous welfare program...
Starting small helps.
Homogeneous culture might also be a factor.
In Montana when I was in HS some of the street people were know to cause themselves to be to be committed to Warm Springs (State Mental Hospital) for 90 days observation during the winter months so as to be able to better endure.
A politically incorrect, but probably very significant, factor! Don't let the federal government weenies find out about that!
Bingo.
Bingo. But homogenous is a positive way.
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