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PrintFebruary 20, 2024
Go red, blue man
Like they tell us about relationships in Facebook, the U.S. economy is a bit complicated.
Yes, the Biden administration is pushing the idea that happy days are here again.
On the other hand, the growth is happening in some places and not in others. Some places are happier than others.
It goes like this:
Nearly every week, a fresh round of strong economic data elicits a celebratory statement from the Biden administration. Most of the best-performing states, however, voted in favor of former President Donald Trump, a new ABC News analysis found.An examination of key economic measures -- including job and income growth -- found an overwhelming majority of red states among 18 top performers.The disparity between red and blue states has little to do with anything Biden has done, experts interviewed by ABC News said, noting that federal policy typically holds minimal influence over state-by-state economic trends.Instead, they added, the dynamic owes in large part to the appeal of warm weather states for workers and businesses, as well as the combination of company-friendly state policies and Democrat-leaning cities that attract young, educated workers."The climates are better in red states, and Americans like good climates," Mark Partridge, a professor of economics at Ohio State University, told ABC News.
Nice try, professor, but I am not sure that people move to Texas or Florida because they love our climate.
It gets bloody hot here and humid in Florida.
It's mosquitoes in Tallahassee and dehydration in Ft. Worth.
Professor Partridge must be talking about our business climate or an environment where you can do business without so much government pushing you down.
Now we are talking, professor!
Like others, I've met new neighbors from California. They tell me that they moved here because the Golden State is golden no more. One couple with small kids told me that they were born and raised in suburban Los Angeles and no longer recognize the place. Another young man who was recently transferred here told me that he would have moved here anyway because the air smells different here. He was not talking about pollution, but rather freedom.
It is true that young educated workers are moving here. Yes, they love paying less taxes and living in a home rather than a shoebox or their parents' extra room.
Last, but not least, I hope that former President Trump makes this red-blue divide a major theme of his campaign. It's real and something that people understand because they are living it.
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Image: Monica Showalter, with use of a public domain image
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