Pew Study on U.S. Governmental Performance

[helwen]

http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/gpp_report_card.aspx

Read some of the info available in one of the local papers today. At the above web site you can check out whatever state you're interested in. My state, Massachusetts, got a C; problems with infrastructure (roads, bridges, the Big Dig, state buildings, etc.), and of course our interesting health care situation, among other things. We got a higher grade than New Hampshire, but lower than many other states.

Only three got an A- (Washington, Utah, and Virginia), no straight A's. Some of the stuff that the various states need to work on are disturbing, like the huge amount of money New Jersey owes to pay for state pensions ($58 Billion) for instance -- mind you, they're not the only ones who have pensions to worry about covering, but with the economy the way it is these days, it's a definite worry.

But for states looking to improve, they can check out the other states that have higher grades and see if they can pick up any good ideas on how to achieve that improvement.

Comments

[ellid.livejournal.com]

I would question those ratings. Utah is a theocracy in all but name, which means that church doctrines that harm women are firmly entrenched, for instance, whereas Massachusetts, with all its Big Dig problems, is a leader in terms of personal freedoms such as gay rights and women's rights.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

I haven't looked at Utah, but if you look at each state, there's the overall "grade" and the grades for different things that they looked at.

Anyway, I suspect in the end that matters most to a person is going to be the deciding factor for whether it's a good state for him or her to be living in.

And as for harming women, as I said, I don't know much about Utah, but certainly my friend Rebecca had no fears about moving back there... are you talking about problems for women who want to stay single or not have a bunch of kids? They aren't all Mormons in that state, but I have heard about those problems. Something else?

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Reproductive rights and the general tone of the Mormon church toward women. The church hierarchy basically packed western legislatures with supporters who stopped the ERA in the 1970s and has purged feminists and liberals for decades. It may be a nice, clean, safe state, but it's not the place for me.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

No, not the place for me, either.

[embermwe.livejournal.com]

I also question those figures.
NH is also rated as the safest state
to live in in terms of crime.
Live Free or Die!
http://www.wmur.com/news/15620033/detail.html

[helwen.livejournal.com]

There are pluses and minuses to every state. Great scenery and people, and not too many of them -- which is probably one of the reasons for the good safety record -- the more people you have, the more problems you have, especially when they're stacked on top of each other in big cities like Boston, NYC, or Chicago.

If you look at the report, it isn't grading safety in particular, it's focused on government and how it handles things (building and road maintenance, training people, finances, etc.)

Which doesn't mean it isn't open to be questioned, just that it isn't about the same thing as you're talking about.

I always thought NH was a decent place to live myself, but my mother wouldn't live there even if it were in a warmer climate, because elder services aren't as good as in CA. I on the other hand don't want to live in CA, even though they have nice temperate weather and a lot of my family lives there, because of the highways and the high cost-of-living. Also, I'm used to a definite change in the seasons... much as winter can begin to wear on one at times, without it we wouldn't have all the beautiful spring flowers, or the gorgeous fall foliage.