The Census Tells The Story

As 2010 U.S. Census numbers are released on a state level, it’s hard not to note that public policy clearly plays a role in growth or lack there of in many regions.

Michael Barone, writing in Investor’s Business Daily notes that as state governments seek to cut spending and reduce the power of the public-employee unions that seek to raise spending and prevent accountability.

Here are just a few of the observations Barone makes:

• “The lesson is that high taxes and strong public-employee unions tend to stifle growth and produce a two-tier society like coastal California’s.
• “The eight states with no state income tax grew 18% in the last decade. The other states (including the District of Columbia) grew just 8%.
• “The 22 states with right-to-work laws grew 15% in the last decade. The other states grew just 6%.
• “The 16 states where collective bargaining with public employees is not required grew 15% in the last decade. The other states grew 7%.” ◆