From the Pew Report “Beyond California”, comparing the worst state budgets and economies – 2008 vs. 2009.
Sometimes, statistics just speak for themselves:
There is a word to describe businesses that try to maintain revenue to expenditure gaps of 20%, 30%, 40% +. That word is: “bankrupt”. Somebody might want to pass this little gem of wisdom along to a few state legislators.
Also, with the exception of Arizona (I’m not counting Florida, although some might) aren’t these all blue states?
I’m just sayin…
Florida is traditionally a red state, this past election was an aberration. But these numbers illustrate the reality some people refuse to see, progressive policies destroy wealth.
We would still be a red state if it weren’t for all these fucking Californians moving to Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. They can’t drive worth shit, they’re partly to blame for the disastrous housing market here, and they all think that our taxes aren’t high enough and our sheriff’s a Nazi.
Jake,
This one is for you: Ingore the visuals, or maybe not. But listen to the words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6uVl6u93IU
Don’t tel me how you do it up north, because I don’t care.
Doesn’t surprise me with Wisconsin. Doyle is a complete joke.
My (adopted) state is #5! Woo hoo! Can’t wait ’til all the taxes hit to prop up the unsustainable policies of Salem!
WOW. I knew Illinois was in trouble, but I didn’t know it was basically neck-and-neck with California! Holy crap.
Jeff – I remember Ex-Sen. Steve Rauschenberger (who is running for State Senator again, up in my NW Burbs neck of the woods) explaining exactly what was going to happen when Blago and the Dems first started raiding the state’s pension funds back in 2004. Steve has been proven EXACTLY right, in every particular. We are so screwed. Will that be enough to put a fiscal conservative – or dare I hope a REAL conservative – in the Governor’s Mansion in 2010?
Nah – I don’t think so either…
Why do you think a conservative cannot win in Illinois?
Probably because Illinois is too full of corruption in the Dem party. Look how Daly rules Chicago for instance.
And what Steph said too – of course!
Kit – I think the entitlement culture is too entrenched here now, although I really hope I’m wrong. You’ll have a Dem. candidate saying that once Obama whips the economy into shape, we’ll be fine and – until then – he’ll just get some more “free” money out of D.C. to tide us over.
That, sadly, will sell to a lot of people in Illinois much better than the GOP message of “we’ve go to live within our means”. We are, in other words, turning into East California.
Rich – I remember liking Steve R., good to hear he’s running again. I read some good things about Dan Proft a couple of days ago too.
Yeah, I don’t know, Illinois is just such a corrupt cesspool, I don’t know if it can ever change.
Nevada also would still be a red state, for the same reasons Jake stated. But also Harry Reid’s incompetence in Washington has a lot to do with how rotten the economy is here. All the missed oportunities passed him by while he was trying to round up some invisible green energy jobs.
Did Jim Ryan throw his hat into the ring recently or at least put out feelers? He’s a republican, but i don’t know if he’s a conservative. And he had ties to Rezko, so that might make him radioactive…who knows.
Dooley – Ryan is in the race and would be an OK candidate. A little too tied into GOP old-timers here for my taste, but not horrible.
I live in Oregon, wrote to my assembly rep to protest his vote (Dem, natch) for higher taxes on productive people. He didn’t reply, but some state assembly wanker replied saying that without the taxes they would be forced to layoff police and fire, etc…I replied to her, why is it you never threaten us with reducing YOUR ranks? No reply.
I live in Oregon, too. I feel your pain, bro. Fortunately, down here, we’re mostly represented by Republicans.
LMAO,Kevin…yeah,that’s what they always threaten,isn’t it? Here in Tennessee we have a fiscally responsible governor named Phil Bredeson (GASP-a Democrat).