Tom Keane writes this morning in the Boston Globe comparing liberal (OK, he calls us "moderate") Massachusetts to the 5 most conservative states: Wyoming, Mississippi, Utah, Alabama, and South Dakota.
Not a great comparison. Also not surprising.
Even on taxes. The bogus Taxachusetts taunt of the self-hating Bay State GOP notwithstanding, we rank 37th in tax burden relative to income. Utah ranks 19th. Taxautah anyone?
OK. On a couple of things they aren't so bad. South Dakota has a 3.3 unemployment to our 6.8. Must be all those call centers. And Utah is about as healthy, all those non-drinking, non-smoking, non-whatever Mormons.
The rest of the story:
- Richer. $61k to $46k in median income
- 50% of our 4th and 8th graders are proficient in reading; 30% of theirs. Of course 68% of us anti-family heathens read to our kids once a day to 46% of them family values folks.
- Our kids do better on every other measure of school performance. And far more of our kids finish college.
- We're healthier, life expectancy is 80.1 to their 77.5 - even with Utah. We exercise more. Woot! Guinness is good for you.
- Crime rate is lower. And we have cities.
- Lowest divorce rate in the nation. And same sex marriage. Suck it Surgtorum.
- Teen pregnancy rate is 49/1000 there's is 64/1000. All those Catholic girls on birth control. Suck it Bishops.
- Child death rate is half the red staters.
- Suicide rate is less than half the red staters. Beer and sex.
Live long and prosper, we do.
So while we watch the conservatives blather and look all severe at CPAC. There is this:
Ideology notwithstanding, at some point results matter. The Bay State’s families are stronger, healthier, safer, richer, and smarter than those of conservative states. Given that, why would anyone want to be other than moderate Massachusetts?
That's right Mitty.
Results. You could be stealing credit for these results, calling out the GOP on how their ideologues have failed them and America. Like your nail spitting father did.
Instead you chose to be a "severe" asshole. Your father would kick your ass.
Go ahead. Romney back to being a Massachusetts moderate. I dare you.
It's not about government being evil, it's about making government better. And using government to do good. That's what progress is. That's what progressives do. Because we really do care and worry about the poor- and most other folks. You don't, and the results show.
If this is all you got GOOP'ers, bring it. See you in November. Bain bain you're dead.