[Vision2020] The Best and Worst Run States in America: A Survey of All 50

[Kenneth Marcy]

The Best and Worst Run States in America: A Survey of All 50

*http://tinyurl.com/ln65lae *

How well run is your state? It can be difficult to objectively assess 
the quality of a state's management. The economy and standard of living 
can be affected by decisions made decades ago, forces outside the 
control of the state's government and administrators, as well as the 
government's own actions.

Every year, 24/7 Wall St. tries to answer this question by conducting an 
extensive survey of every state. To determine how well states are 
managed, we examined their financial data, as well as the services they 
provide and their residents' standard of living. This year, North Dakota 
is the best-run state in the country for the second year in a row, while 
California is the worst-run for the third year in a row.

*20. Idaho*
*> Debt per capita:* $2,489 (16th lowest)
*> Budget deficit:* 3.6% (39th largest)
*> Unemployment:* 7.1% (tied-23rd lowest)
*> Median household income:* $45,489 (15th lowest)
*> Pct. below poverty line:* 15.9% (tied-22nd highest)

Idaho's government has relatively conservative spending habits, if the 
last few years are any indication. The state spent just $5,510 per 
resident in fiscal 2011, putting it just outside of the 10 lowest 
spenders. Revenue was roughly $6,600 per resident that year. The state 
had just a 3.6% budget shortfall as of fiscal 2012, one of the smallest 
in the country. As of the end of that year, the state had funded nearly 
85% of its aggregate pension obligations. While Idaho may be doing a 
better-than-average job managing limited resources, the state's economy 
appears to be struggling. Idaho's GDP grew just 0.4% last year, worse 
than all but a handful of states. The state was one of the hardest hit 
in the region during the housing price collapse, the effects of which 
could be still seen in the high foreclosure rate last year.

The Methodology by which the survey was done:

http://247wallst.com/special-report/2013/11/21/the-best-and-worst-run-states-in-america-a-survey-of-all-50-2/7/ 



Ken
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