Freedom: How Does Your State Fare?

[MotF Bane]

Living in 46, just minutes from 1.

t

 

[JSt0rm]

cali "solutions"

"Policy Recommendations

Repeal some health-insurance mandated coverages, such as acupuncture, orthotics, IVF, home health care, dental anesthesia, and bone-mass measurement.
Cut state spending in the categories in which spending is well above national averages.
Relax labor laws to boost employment, such as repealing short-term disability and paid family leave mandates."

Sounds like more right wing garbage. When the bastions of right wing ideology (the southern states) are paying more in taxes then they consume they can make recommendations until then they can stfu.

OP dont you work for the government?

 

[soundforbjt]

cali "solutions"

"Policy Recommendations

Repeal some health-insurance mandated coverages, such as acupuncture, orthotics, IVF, home health care, dental anesthesia, and bone-mass measurement.
Cut state spending in the categories in which spending is well above national averages.
Relax labor laws to boost employment, such as repealing short-term disability and paid family leave mandates."

Sounds like more right wing garbage. When the bastions of right wing ideology (the southern states) are paying more in taxes then they consume they can make recommendations until then they can stfu.

OP dont you work for the government?

Guess your assumptions are correct:

The Mercatus Center was founded by Rich Fink, former president of the Koch Family Foundations, which funds a network of market-oriented think tanks and advocacy groups. Originally called the Center for Market Processes, it moved from Rutgers University to George Mason in the early 1980s before assuming its current name in 1999. The Mercatus Center is entirely funded through donations, including from energy company Koch Industries[2], individual donors and foundations.

And lol at Alaska, no wonder Palin quit and left.

 

[boomerang]

27 out of 57

Just about right in the middle.

 

[Craig234]

This. It's an EXCEPTIONALLY biased system, touting almost straight free marketeer ideals. Just look at Vermont. 8th highest in higher education achievement, second lowest violent crime rate, sixteenth best in unemployment, sixteenth highest in home ownership, 2nd highest quality of life, etc. No, not top 5 in all, but overall VERY high rankings in most categories that would indicate opportunity and freedom.

Without question one of THE freest states ever, and shat upon almost entirely for not buying into the 'wealth first' corrupted economic ideology.

Ding ding ding. Radical right-wingers try to twist the word freedom for propaganda.

 

[JSt0rm]

I always considered olds to be intelligent. I'm surprised he ate this up so easily.

 

[olds]

cali "solutions"

"Policy Recommendations

Repeal some health-insurance mandated coverages, such as acupuncture, orthotics, IVF, home health care, dental anesthesia, and bone-mass measurement.
Cut state spending in the categories in which spending is well above national averages.
Relax labor laws to boost employment, such as repealing short-term disability and paid family leave mandates."

Sounds like more right wing garbage. When the bastions of right wing ideology (the southern states) are paying more in taxes then they consume they can make recommendations until then they can stfu.

OP dont you work for the government?

Yes. I'll take my retirement funds to another state.

 

[JSt0rm]

you probably should, it isnt cheap to live here.

 

[JSt0rm]

oh and I hope you know TAXES payed for your retirement and your entire life of consumption including but not limited to that stupid fucking bike.

 

[olds]

oh and I hope you know TAXES payed for your retirement and your entire life of consumption including but not limited to that stupid fucking bike.

Uh, I pay taxes. In fact, I should get a rebate since I am paying myself.

 

[JSt0rm]

Uh, I pay taxes. In fact, I should get a rebate since I am paying myself.

So government employees shouldn't pay taxes at all? And people who pay taxes should have them lowered? Who will pay for your retirement? Maybe we should just vote that you dont get any retirement. Problem solved.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

One other nice thing about Vermont which I do not believe has changed. Virtually unlimited rights to carry. I went with my brother to a frozen lake with four semi auto and two revolvers under my coat to shoot some targets. There were four in our group so I we mush have had 25+ handguns. Leaving weapons in a car isn't something we do, so we brought them in to the diner when we were finished. Before removing our coats I explained what we had and why we had them to the waitress who was cool with it. In fact she had the "why are you bothering to explain this to me look"

 

[olds]

So government employees shouldn't pay taxes at all? And people who pay taxes should have them lowered? Who will pay for your retirement? Maybe we should just vote that you dont get any retirement. Problem solved.

Putting words in my mouth and playing devils advocate doesn't work on me. Troll someone else.

 

[hal2kilo]

We are 48/50
I can't wait to retire and move.

Freedom in the 50 States

Says a university with an increasingly conservative agenda.

Wouldn't be surprise is the study had major NRA funding.

 

[JSt0rm]

Putting words in my mouth and playing devils advocate doesn't work on me. Troll someone else.

Wel what ARE you saying then? Hmm? You have lived off others via taxes most of your life. You show up here with a article that says taxes are bad. If you want to sit on a high horse you should lead by example. Your just as bad as governmentworker777.

 

[Scotteq]

49 of 50


Pretty much what I expected to see

 

[IndyColtsFan]

#3.

 

[Zeze]

Seriously? I didn't, but I was asking about the OP's state... I don't know what that is.

Now you're backpedaling..

 

[shira]

So, if a state has very permissive abortion laws, will that state score higher, all things being equal? How about extremely permissive marriage law (same sex marriage, for example) - higher score?

 

[Thump553]

I'd love to see an honest nonbiased academic study on this subject, but this certainly isn't one.

My state got dunned for prohibiting lobbyists from giving campaign contributions in state races, and also for our elective state campaign funding (the candidate has the right to opt in once they raise a certain amount of money, but once they opt in and accept the state funding their spending cannot exceed a specified amount). Both of these were passed in a Republican administration and had broad bipartisan support.

Nothing is mentioned in the study of our broad anti-discrimination laws, decriminalization of pot, allowance of gay marriage and of gay adoption/foster parents.

 

[MotF Bane]

I'd love to see an honest nonbiased academic study on this subject, but this certainly isn't one.

My state got dunned for prohibiting lobbyists from giving campaign contributions in state races, and also for our elective state campaign funding (the candidate has the right to opt in once they raise a certain amount of money, but once they opt in and accept the state funding their spending cannot exceed a specified amount). Both of these were passed in a Republican administration and had broad bipartisan support.

Nothing is mentioned in the study of our broad anti-discrimination laws, decriminalization of pot, allowance of gay marriage and of gay adoption/foster parents.

Your state being...?

 

[werepossum]

Woohoo! Tennessee is #16! (Evidently number of meth labs is weighted quite heavily. )
While I love my state and I agree in general - educational prowess and crime rates have little to do with freedom - it's worth saying that this too is relative. If you are gay, you would perhaps not find Tennessee as free as some other states.

In this ranking scheme "freedom" seems to be freedom to exploit or freedom for the wealthy and powerful. A state that allows workers greater freedom to organize is ranked less free than a state that restricts workers' rights.

Please try not to be a total tool. Workers in right-to-work states have exactly the same freedom to organize as in forced unionization states, without being forced into a union against their will. Being forced into anything against your will is the antithesis of freedom.

It's sad that liberals, who once championed personal freedom, now wish to define freedom as being forced into doing what the elite feel is best for you.

 

[Perknose]

So, if a state has very permissive abortion laws, will that state score higher, all things being equal? How about extremely permissive marriage law (same sex marriage, for example) - higher score?

Here's a shock for you, they don't even CONSIDER abortion restrictions at all! This, even though they make uber frequent reference to the libertarian point of view when considering what does and does not restrict personal freedom and how much any one thing does!

Here's more, they rated merely ANY tax on alcohol worse than actual laws restricting gambling, but consider laws mandating seat belts or prohibiting cell phone use while driving worse than both! Of course, uninsured motorist insurance is evil incarnate!

Because of the more apparent ubiquity of alcohol consumption, we weighted regulations that make it more expensive to consume alcohol higher than those that restrict gambling.

Mandatory automotive personal-injury and underinsured driver insurance are paternalistic restrictions on individual choice.

But even WORSE than all this before in their eyes and therefore in a higher category of fweedom-grabbing with more weight given are:

...Blood-test requirements and marriage license waiting periods, which libertarians would deem unnecessary for consenting adults.

But the state intruding on the personal decision of woman? Oh my, these robust "libertarians" don't even consider that worth including or even mentioning at all!

 

[Craig234]

Please try not to be a total tool.

Irony of the week award, and it's only Monday.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

WOW! What a piece of right wing garbage disquised as a study