Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
Mollie Hemingway, Ed. ·
Jun 14, 2011 at 4:12am
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is out with its ranking of the 50 states on their public policies that affect individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres.
Since the 2009 Freedom in the 50 States study, variables have been added for bans on trans fats and the audio recording of police, individual health-insurance mandates and mandated family leave.
My family fled Washington, D.C., for Virginia a few months ago and I'm happy to report we now make the top 10 list. I'm from Colorado which ranked even higher. But some of the results are surprising:
- 1. New Hampshire
- 2. South Dakota
- 3. Indiana
- 4. Idaho
- 5. Missouri
- 6. Nevada
- 7. Colorado
- 8. Oregon
- 9. Virginia
- 10. North Dakota
Were you surprised at where your state ranked? Or how about the last place entrant?
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Comments :
Jun '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
I was expecting Illinois to be a little lower than #41. Did you happen to catch the proposed gerrymander? Democrats guaranteed in perpetuity. I'm guessing we'll be working our way toward #50 before long.
May '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
I'm a little surprised that New Hampshire is still number one. I've been feeling the leftward drift there for years now.
Jun '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
I'm not surprised to see New Mexico near the bottom. This is a state where a teacher must endure the licensing process three times during his career. You can't be a cashier at a convenience store or an ordinary waiter without attending a government mandated class on alcohol awareness. And in Santa Fe we live under "living wage" legislation which has become effectively a cap on wages for anyone who gets paid by the hour. >Sigh!<
Feb '11
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
It seems that Texas is ranked too low and Oregon is ranked way too high. Reading the state descriptions on the website it seems that the Mercatus center is overly concerned with marijuana laws. This seems to be the one thing that puts high-tax anti-business Oregon ahead of low-tax, pro-business Texas in their opinion.
Jun '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
I am surprised that New Jersey is not dead last, but 49th.
Apr '11
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
I was surprised Vermont was number 30. We have pretty low economic freedom, especially with the new single payer health care system.
Jul '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
Huzzah for Virginia!
Mar '11
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
Excellent! Another validation of my goal to move from #41 Illinois to #5 Missouri.
May '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
How on earth is California not #50?
Mar '11
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
katievs: I'm a little surprised that New Hampshire is still number one. Agreed. My hometown, like the rest of southern NH, now seems to look to Boston for guidance. Sigh.
Dec '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
I'm surprised that Michigan is not lower. Maybe it is because we allow medical Marihuana (no I did not misspell that; this is how the state of Michigan spells it).
Dec '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
Huzzah for Missouri!
We're finally at the top of some list that doesn't include the word "methamphetamine"!
All toothless jokes aside, I am constantly reminded of how awesome my state is, when I visit any of the others (especially IL).
I wish the rest of you good luck, but I'm thinking that anyone in a state ranked below about #40 is pretty much hosed. Sorry.
May '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
I was surprised that Texas didn't make the top 10, but we have struggled with eminent domain laws in recent years.
Still, Oregon is higher than us? I thought Oregon was California with more rain and bear problems.
Jul '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
I would take libertarians more seriously if they weren't so obsessed with drugs.
But that is their marketing strategy for adolescents.
Dec '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
Michael Tee: I would take libertarians more seriously if they weren't so obsessed with drugs.
But that is their marketing strategy for adolescents. · Jun 14 at 9:52am
Massive law-efforcement costs, innocent people being caught in the crossfire, especially in Mexico. I guess you are right. We should not be concerned with something so trivial.
Dec '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
Aaron Miller: I was surprised that Texas didn't make the top 10, but we have struggled with eminent domain laws in recent years.
Still, Oregon is higher than us? I thought Oregon was California with more rain and bear problems. · Jun 14 at 9:48am
The libs in Oregon taught California how to BE liberal. These standings are messed up. I think MD Wenzel was onto something - if you're free to smoke pot and have your doctor help you commit suicide, you must be freer than Texas. Oh, and we don't have a sales tax - they rape and pillage you on state income and property taxes instead. So the tourist from Texas visiting our state would feel free, indeed - he doesn't get taxed at all.
I will say, however, that the state is pretty cool place - outside of Multnomah, Lane & Benton counties.
Jun '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
One area where I see a drastic difference between #49 NJ and the states where we have relatives scattered is in the freedom to improve one's property without the government sniffing around. The number of pointless and arbitrary building codes and varriance requirements has really discouraged us from putting on a much needed extension. I dread the hassle, while out-of-state relatives just go and do it! I need an army of inspectors checking my every move and sticking their noses into all the design decisionsif I don't want to be in violation and be forced to rip down what has been constructed.
I remember building a deck off our last house and having to wait a week for the inspector to come and measure the depth of the holes. My husband actually wound up hiding the lighting system to save the aggravation of waiting for another inspector. We've gone "undergorund" with indoor inprovements whenever possible.
Dec '10
Re: Hey Man, Is That Freedom Rock? Turn It Up!
Yes - that would explain Colorado's #7 position. I thought it might be our open carry laws, but that hardly seemed enough to counteract not being allowed to warm-up one's car in the driveway unattended or not being allowed to wash one's car in the driveway. Also, the attempt to undo TABOR by attacking the citizen initiative process, while leaving the spending initiatives intact, seems a little more than a leftward "drift", but what do I know?
If Colorado is #7, I'm in despair for the entire country.