UltraConk-Governed Arizona Fourth Worst-Run State in US?

[Cap'n Cat]

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/best-wo ... -1C7332327" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Arizona

•Debt per capita: $2,188 (12th lowest)

•Budget deficit: 39.0 percent (3rd largest)

•Unemployment: 9.5 percent (tied-13th highest)

•Median household income: $46,709 (21st lowest)

•Percent below poverty line: 19.0 percent (tied-8th highest)

Between 2006 and 2011, the value of homes in Arizona tumbled by 35 percent, more than every state except for Nevada. The state also had the nation’s second-highest foreclosure rate in 2011, with one in every 24 homes in foreclosure. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, Arizona had some of the nation’s largest budget shortfalls. In fiscal 2010, the state had a shortfall of $5.1 billion, equal to 65 percent of its general fund. In fiscal 2011, Arizona’s budget deficit was 39.0 percent of its general fund, the third-highest in the nation. In the recent state elections, residents voted on several measures intended to shore up the state’s finances. Voters rejected the continuation of a sales tax hike, while approving the restructuring of the state’s property tax assessment system.

*****


That khundt Brewer's probably just cleaning up a Democrat mess, right?

[HI54UNI]

Conk run ND is the best.

Donk run California and Illinois are the worst.

[89Hen]

UltraConk-Governed Arizona Fourth Worst-Run State in US

Donk run California and Illinois are the worst.

Illegal immigrants per capita...

# 1 California: 6.114 per 100 people
# 2 Arizona: 4.765 per 100 people
# 3 Texas: 4.554 per 100 people
# 4 Nevada: 4.183 per 100 people
# 5 Illinois: 3.385 per 100 people

Hmmmm

[SuperHornet]

Conk run ND is the best.

Donk run California and Illinois are the worst.

I don't know about ND and IL, but I was thinking the same thing as HI5 here for Cali. The Political Zen Master is a mess, and we're hip-deep in it right now. Raising taxes during a recession?!? What a nincompoop!

[dbackjon]

CA is well on the way to recovery.

Meanwhile, the Libertarian wet dream of Arizona keeps getting worse.

Hopefully, the newly moderated State legis will be able to undo some of the Conk damage here.

[SuperHornet]

I have yet to see that, Jon. Other than gas prices dropping to $3.23 (though only at one ARCO in town; some of the other dealers are still hovering at $3.50/$3.60), the job market here is as bad as it's been at any other time during this recession.

[GannonFan]

CA is well on the way to recovery.

By what measure?

[Rob Iola]

CA is well on the way to recovery.

By what measure?

Per capita number of gay marriages, no?

[dbackjon]

CA is well on the way to recovery.

By what measure?

Budget will be in surplus by 2014-15.

[dbackjon]

I have yet to see that, Jon. Other than gas prices dropping to $3.23 (though only at one ARCO in town; some of the other dealers are still hovering at $3.50/$3.60), the job market here is as bad as it's been at any other time during this recession.

Move from the Central Valley - Stockton/Lodi are going to take decades to recover.

[GannonFan]

By what measure?

Budget will be in surplus by 2014-15.

Maybe. As long as tax revenues come in from recent tax hikes, as long as the economy really rebounds, and as long as spending doesn't increase. Sounds like a sure thing.

[UNI88]

CA is well on the way to recovery.

Meanwhile, the Libertarian wet dream of Arizona keeps getting worse.

Hopefully, the newly moderated State legis will be able to undo some of the Conk damage here.

And what's the status of #3, The Hellenic Republic of Illinois?

Donk governor, senate & house. Gerrymandering to the extreme to make sure it stays that way for 10+ years. What I believe is the worst pension debt in the nation ($96 billion in unfunded pension liability). Raised income taxes 50% several years ago to begin to take care of pension debt but unfortunately it's not even enough to pay the interest on said debt. Despite a horrible credit rating, the Governor wants to borrow more money to pay for operating expenses ($8 billion in unpaid bills - and it's the household equivalent of getting a bank loan to buy groceries and pay the electric bill). State General Assembly (including Conks) voted against closing several empty or near-empty prisons to save money because AFSCME was against it. The Donks are in charge of a sinking ship but the Conks aren't bailing either.

A couple of weeks ago my wife talked about moving to another neighborhood and I told her the only way we were selling our house and moving was if it was to another state. There is no way that I would buy in Illinois in this environment and I'm damned scared about the state going down the tubes and us being stuck with a house that we can't sell. I don't want to be one of those Jack Azzes that threatens to leave if so-and-so wins the election but I am very concerned about where this is going and wondering whether it is time to move.

[SDHornet]

CA is well on the way to recovery.

[Ibanez]

I have yet to see that, Jon. Other than gas prices dropping to $3.23 (though only at one ARCO in town; some of the other dealers are still hovering at $3.50/$3.60), the job market here is as bad as it's been at any other time during this recession.

Move from the Central Valley - Stockton/Lodi are going to take decades to recover.

He can't afford cable TV. What makes you think he can afford to move?

[Ibanez]

CA is well on the way to recovery.

Meanwhile, the Libertarian wet dream of Arizona keeps getting worse.

Hopefully, the newly moderated State legis will be able to undo some of the Conk damage here.

I'm not savvy to what you are, but there are plenty of people hurting in Ca. San Beranardino is in deep trouble, i.e.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

CA is well on the way to recovery.

Meanwhile, the Libertarian wet dream of Arizona keeps getting worse.

Hopefully, the newly moderated State legis will be able to undo some of the Conk damage here.

Really?

I thought CA was in debt something like 133 billion....

They have retired public employees making 500-600K / year.....well on their way??

[HI54UNI]

CA is well on the way to recovery.

Meanwhile, the Libertarian wet dream of Arizona keeps getting worse.

Hopefully, the newly moderated State legis will be able to undo some of the Conk damage here.

And what's the status of #3, The Hellenic Republic of Illinois?

Donk governor, senate & house. Gerrymandering to the extreme to make sure it stays that way for 10+ years. What I believe is the worst pension debt in the nation ($96 billion in unfunded pension liability). Raised income taxes 50% several years ago to begin to take care of pension debt but unfortunately it's not even enough to pay the interest on said debt. Despite a horrible credit rating, the Governor wants to borrow more money to pay for operating expenses ($8 billion in unpaid bills - and it's the household equivalent of getting a bank loan to buy groceries and pay the electric bill). State General Assembly (including Conks) voted against closing several empty or near-empty prisons to save money because AFSCME was against it. The Donks are in charge of a sinking ship but the Conks aren't bailing either.

A couple of weeks ago my wife talked about moving to another neighborhood and I told her the only way we were selling our house and moving was if it was to another state. There is no way that I would buy in Illinois in this environment and I'm damned scared about the state going down the tubes and us being stuck with a house that we can't sell. I don't want to be one of those Jack Azzes that threatens to leave if so-and-so wins the election but I am very concerned about where this is going and wondering whether it is time to move.

Everyone in Iowa thanks your wonderful state for their situation.

Bye-bye, jobs
Corruption, pension debt and tax fears cost Illinois a big investment

If anyone in Chicago or Springfield still denies that this state's sorry record of corruption and taxpayer debt is costing Illinois excellent jobs, take it from billionaire Nassef Sawiris.

The University of Chicago grad heads a global firm, Orascom Construction Industries, the biggest company in Egypt. He has set out to build a giant new plant to make fertilizer from natural gas in America's agricultural heartland.

Illinois and Iowa competed aggressively for the $1.4 billion project, which will create hundreds of precious, stable, good-paying jobs. Both states offered lavish incentives.

In the end, Illinois came up with the better package, according to Sawiris. Its tax code, tax rebates and the other breaks it offered were "financially superior" to the package proposed by Iowa, he said. Besides, Sawiris confided, he feels a sentimental attachment to Illinois, thanks to the education he received at Chicago.

Nevertheless, he chose Iowa for his investment, at a site just four miles from the Illinois border.

Why? Regular readers of this page already know the answer. Illinois is broke, with some $200 billion in debts and unfunded obligations. Any employer who locates here essentially volunteers to help pay for yesterday's excessive spending and reckless promises. What's more, many public officials have besmirched Illinois' reputation with their criminal activity. So convincing a shrewd and sophisticated multinational firm to invest long term in Illinois is a tough sell.

It's not just us talking. Sawiris explained his decision at a celebratory news conference last week with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad gloating beside him:

"The promises we got in Illinois were extremely attractive," Sawiris noted. But Illinois' promised benefits, he went on to say, "are not sustainable in our view given the balance sheet of the state of Illinois."

"Whatever tax regime exists today we have to take with a grain of salt," Sawiris said. "The unfunded pension liabilities of the state of Illinois were a big concern to us, let alone the hypothetical situations that exist in doing business in Illinois and Chicago."

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012 ... corruption

[Baldy]

Budget will be in surplus by 2014-15.

Maybe. As long as tax revenues come in from recent tax hikes, as long as the economy really rebounds, and as long as spending doesn't increase. Sounds like a sure thing.

Cali is going to be the first government in recorded history to tax itself into prosperity.

[Grizalltheway]

Maybe. As long as tax revenues come in from recent tax hikes, as long as the economy really rebounds, and as long as spending doesn't increase. Sounds like a sure thing.

Cali is going to be the first government in recorded history to tax itself into prosperity.

California is the sixth-largest economy in the world. What exactly does AZ have going for it, again?

[SeattleGriz]

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/best-wo ... -1C7332327" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Arizona

•Debt per capita: $2,188 (12th lowest)

•Budget deficit: 39.0 percent (3rd largest)

•Unemployment: 9.5 percent (tied-13th highest)

•Median household income: $46,709 (21st lowest)

•Percent below poverty line: 19.0 percent (tied-8th highest)

Between 2006 and 2011, the value of homes in Arizona tumbled by 35 percent, more than every state except for Nevada. The state also had the nation’s second-highest foreclosure rate in 2011, with one in every 24 homes in foreclosure. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, Arizona had some of the nation’s largest budget shortfalls. In fiscal 2010, the state had a shortfall of $5.1 billion, equal to 65 percent of its general fund. In fiscal 2011, Arizona’s budget deficit was 39.0 percent of its general fund, the third-highest in the nation. In the recent state elections, residents voted on several measures intended to shore up the state’s finances. Voters rejected the continuation of a sales tax hike, while approving the restructuring of the state’s property tax assessment system.

*****


That khundt Brewer's probably just cleaning up a Democrat mess, right?

Worked for crybaby Obama didn't it? He blamed Bush for everything.

[clenz]

Conk run ND is the best.

Donk run California and Illinois are the worst.

Every single one of the top 5 have conk governors...

[UNI88]

Cali is going to be the first government in recorded history to tax itself into prosperity.

California is the sixth-largest economy in the world. What exactly does AZ have going for it, again?

It's not Cali ...

[Baldy]

Cali is going to be the first government in recorded history to tax itself into prosperity.

California is the sixth-largest economy in the world. What exactly does AZ have going for it, again?

Jerry Brown isn't it's governor.

[SuperHornet]

California is the sixth-largest economy in the world. What exactly does AZ have going for it, again?

Jerry Brown isn't it's governor.