The Massachusetts Miracle (the 'Texas Miracle' is bullchit)

[^_^ 5,021]

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011

The Massachusetts Miracle

With Rick Perry's entrance into the Republican Presidential race, there has already been a lot of debunking of the so-called Texas Miracle he allegedly presided over ... I want to point out how liberal “Taxachusetts” has outperformed Texas on a whole host of measures of economic and social well-being.

...

Texas has a significantly higher unemployment rate than Massachusetts (8.2% vs. 7.6% in June 2011) and the percentage of people without health insurance in Texas is the country's highest (26% of the total population) while Massachusetts has the lowest uninsured rate at 5%.

We can further note that Texas suffered worse unemployment from the recession than Massachusetts did: in 2008 it had a lower unemployment rate than Massachusetts, while today it is higher. Its full-year unemployment rate for 2008 was 4.9%, while that of Massachusetts was 5.3%.

In 2008, only 10.0% of Massachusetts residents lived in poverty, whereas for Texas the rate was 15.8%.

Median household income in 2008 was $65,401 for Massachusetts, but only $50,043 for Texas.

Similarly, personal per capita income in Massachusetts in 2008 was $51,254, but only $37,774 in Texas.

Despite Texas' low home prices, Massachusetts had a marginally higher homeownership rate in 2008, 65.7% vs. 65.5%.

The infant mortality rate for Massachusetts in 2008 was 4.8 per 1000 live births, compared to 6.2 in Texas.

Massachusetts had more than twice as many doctors per 100,000 population in 2007 than did Texas, 469.0 vs. 214.2.

Violent crimes per 100,000 population in 2009: 457.1 in Massachusetts, 490.9 in Texas.

Massachusetts led the country in 2008 on the percentage of people over 25 years of age with a bachelor's degree or better: 38.1% compared to Texas' 25.3%. This means in Texas you are slightly more likely to lack health insurance than to have a bachelor's degree.

9.6% of workers in Texas were paid at or below the minimum wage in 2010, compared to 3.0% in Massachusetts (h/t Patrick Brendel and Pat Garofolo).

For good measure, the divorce rate in Massachusetts in 2004 was 2.2 per 1,000 residents compared to 3.6 in Texas.

To sum up, in Texas you are five times more likely to be uninsured than in “Taxachusetts,” 50% more likely to live in poverty, three times as likely to make the minimum wage or below, 1/3 less likely to have a bachelor's degree, and household median income is $15,000 lower.

Sign me up!

http://middleclasspoliticaleconomist.blogspot.com/2011/08/massachusetts-miracle.html

[SMR 368]

So you're voting for Romney, right?

[^_^ 5,021]

So you're voting for Romney, right?

I can vote in either primary so that is a possibility.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

MA Population: 6.55 million

TX Population: 25.1 million

Any questions?

Oh and if that's not enough.

I calculated working/living in Boston to working/living in Dallas and Fort Worth.

Dallas: + $7,560 net change in disposable income

Fort Worth: + $11,814 net change in disposable income

I'll take TX over MA any day of the week.

Source

[sly_wolf 199]

MA Population: 6.55 million

TX Population: 25.1 million

Any questions?

Oh and if that's not enough.

I calculated working/living in Boston to working/living in Dallas and Fort Worth.

Dallas: + $7,560 net change in disposable income

Fort Worth: + $11,814 net change in disposable income

I'll take TX over MA any day of the week.

Source

It's hard to believe Texas is part of the US.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

MA Population: 6.55 million

TX Population: 25.1 million

Any questions?

Oh and if that's not enough.

I calculated working/living in Boston to working/living in Dallas and Fort Worth.

Dallas: + $7,560 net change in disposable income

Fort Worth: + $11,814 net change in disposable income

I'll take TX over MA any day of the week.

Source

I've got to agree with you here, its hard to compare the two...sort of like another northeastern state someone likes to throw out time and again.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

It's hard to believe Texas is part of the US.

El Paso sure isn't.

[The_Dude 1,142]

MA Population: 6.55 million

TX Population: 25.1 million

Any questions?

Oh and if that's not enough.

I calculated working/living in Boston to working/living in Dallas and Fort Worth.

Dallas: + $7,560 net change in disposable income

Fort Worth: + $11,814 net change in disposable income

I'll take TX over MA any day of the week.

Source

You can't quantify the value of not having to live in Texas.

[Zero Sum 305]

I'd take TX over MA on account of the weather alone, if I was forced to choose.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

I'd take TX over MA on account of the weather alone, if I was forced to choose.

:thumbs: Wait a second, they have Jay's chips in TX, don't they?

Edited August 22, 2011 by IR5FORMUMSIE

[Nina~ 431]

I'd take TX over MA on account of the weather alone, if I was forced to choose.

It has been 100+ F for 4 weeks in a row right now.. be careful of what you wish for

[Zero Sum 305]

It has been 100+ F for 4 weeks in a row right now.. be careful of what you wish for

I like the heat.

Plus all that sun... an excuse to have solar like you wouldn't imagine.

But I wouldn't move there. Too many crazies negating reality in schools (poor kids).

:thumbs: Wait a second, they have Jay's chips in TX, don't they?

OK I like Brisket.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

It has been 100+ F for 4 weeks in a row right now.. be careful of what you wish for

There's always El Paso, on second thought, it is El Paso.

[Zero Sum 305]

I was down there last week. Had a nice time. Ate Brisket. Temps did not go over 92. I must have brought the cool weather down from IL.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

I was down there last week. Had a nice time. Ate Brisket. Temps did not go over 92. I must have brought the cool weather down from IL.

Another plot by the Democrats! Global Warming is just a myth, it's cool in IL so there can't be any global warming. They have a hidden agenda to destroy the Texas economy.