Re: Welcome To Mamdani's Own Skid Row New York City

In article <[email protected]>, 
[email protected] says...
> 
> Red states are like third world countries, but they have more pollution, 
> gun violence and infant mortality.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Red States: Less Freedom, More Poverty, Shorter Lives
> Nothing better illustrates each parties vision than how they manage 
> statewide policy.
> Christopher Armitage
> Sep 05, 2025
> 
>  
> 
> After analyzing comprehensive federal data from 2023-2024 across states 
> with at least eight years of consistent party control,2 the conclusion is 
> inescapable: Democratic states crush Republican states on health outcomes, 
> education quality, and personal freedoms. Republican states have lower 
> taxes and cheaper housing. That's about it.
> 
> Let's start with the most basic metric: staying alive. Democratic states 
> own the top of the life expectancy rankings. Hawaii leads at 79.9 years, 
> followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York.1 Republican states 
> own the bottom. Mississippi's 70.9 years ranks dead last, followed by West 
> Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Kentucky.1
> 
> This isn't bad luck or geography. It's what the Repulican party wants for 
> it's constituents.
> 
> Texas has the highest uninsured rate in America at 18.8%.3 Massachusetts 
> has the lowest at 2.9%.3 Every single state that refused to expand Medicaid 
> has a Republican trifecta.4 The result? People die from treatable diseases.
> 
> Maternal mortality tells the same story. Louisiana kills mothers at 58.1 
> deaths per 100,000 births. Georgia follows at 48.4, then Indiana, Arkansas, 
> and Alabama, all Republican strongholds.5 Massachusetts loses just 17 
> mothers per 100,000 births. California loses even fewer.5
> 
> The Existential Republic is a reader-supported publication. To receive new 
> posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
> 
> For babies, Mississippi's infant mortality rate of 9.11 deaths per 1,000 
> births doubles that of Massachusetts at 3.94.6 If Mississippi had 
> Massachusetts' infant mortality rate, 250 Mississippi babies would live 
> each year instead of dying.
> 
> Republicans claim their states are economic powerhouses. The data says 
> otherwise. Maryland's median household income hits $108,200. Massachusetts 
> reaches $96,900. Connecticut follows close behind.7 Mississippi scrapes by 
> at $52,700, West Virginia at $55,200, Louisiana at $57,500.7
> 
> "But the cost of living! " Republicans counter. Fair enough, let's check 
> the numbers. After adjusting for costs, Mississippi's purchasing power 
> rises to $48,200.8 Still dead last. Still thousands below every blue state 
> average.
> 
> The poverty numbers are worse. Louisiana's poverty rate hits 18.9%. 
> Mississippi follows at 17.3%, Arkansas at 15.8%.9 New Hampshire sits at 
> 7.2%. Vermont at 8.8%. Massachusetts at 9.3%.9
> 
> Children, like any vulnerable group, suffer even more when Republicans are 
> given any power. Mississippi condemns 26.4% of its children to poverty.10 
> One in four kids. New Hampshire's child poverty rate? 6.9%.10 That's the 
> difference between a developed and undeveloped nation.
> 
> Education follows the same stark pattern. Massachusetts students score 225 
> on fourth-grade reading tests.11 The national average is 214. Mississippi 
> students score 208.11 By eighth grade, the gap widens further. The entire 
> top tier of education performance consists of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, 
> Vermont, Connecticut, and New Jersey, all blue states.11 The bottom tier 
> includes New Mexico, Alabama, Louisiana, and Nevada, all deep red states 
> except New Mexico.11
> 
> Money matters here. New York spends $29,284 per student. Connecticut spends 
> $25,000. Massachusetts spends $22,000.12 Now look at the states with the 
> worst educational outcomes: Mississippi spends $10,343. Alabama spends 
> $11,774. Louisiana spends $13,108. Oklahoma spends $9,893. Idaho barely 
> cracks $9,000.12 Mississippi spends literally one-third of what New York 
> spends per student. You get what you pay for, and Republican states don't 
> see children our future as a worthwhile investment.
> 
> The college graduation gap is enormous. In Massachusetts, 50.6% of adults 
> have bachelor's degrees.13 In West Virginia, 24.1% do.13 Every blue state 
> in our analysis exceeds 35% college graduation. Most red states can't crack 
> 30%.
> 
> Before you say "Mississippi is just poor, " let's talk about Texas and 
> Florida. Texas has the second largest economy in America. Florida has the 
> fourth. These aren't poor states, they're economic powerhouses that choose 
> to let their people suffer. Texas, despite its trillion-dollar economy, 
> maintains the highest uninsured rate in the nation at 18.8%. Florida, 
> despite massive budget surpluses, ranks 44th in healthcare access and has 
> the most regressive tax system in America. Meanwhile, Vermont, with an 
> economy smaller than Corpus Christi's, provides near-universal healthcare 
> coverage. Maine, with half of Florida's GDP per capita, achieves better 
> education outcomes. New Mexico, despite being one of the poorest blue 
> states, still manages lower maternal mortality than wealthy Texas. This 
> isn't about money. It's about choices. Red states with plenty of money 
> choose to spend it on corporate tax breaks instead of keeping mothers 
> alive. They choose to ban books instead of fund schools. They have the 
> resources to match Massachusetts' outcomes tomorrow. They simply choose not 
> to.
> 
> Another important factor to review is the Republican love of heavy 
> taxation. Poor and middle-class families actually pay more in red states. 
> Texas has no income tax, true. But its sales tax hits 8.25%, and the 
> poorest 20% of Texans pay 13% of their income in total state and local 
> taxes while the richest 1% pay just 4.6%.26 Tennessee? Same story. No 
> income tax, but the poor pay 10.5% of their income in taxes while the rich 
> pay 3.1%.26 Washington State, despite being blue, has this same regressive 
> problem, which is why Democrats there keep trying to fix it.
> 
> The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that in the 10 most 
> regressive tax states, mostly Republican-controlled, families earning under 
> $24,000 pay up to 17% of their income in state and local taxes. In the 10 
> least regressive states, mostly Democratic, those same families pay around 
> 7-10%.26 When Republicans brag about "no income tax, " they're really 
> saying "we tax the poor instead of the rich. " Blue states use graduated 
> income taxes that protect working families. Red states use sales taxes and 
> fees that hammer them. A family making $30,000 in Texas pays a higher 
> percentage of their income in taxes than a family making $30,000 in 
> California.26 So much for the low-tax paradise.
> 
> Republicans love talking about freedom. Let's examine what freedom actually 
> means in red states. In Texas, the government forces women to carry dead 
> fetuses to term.14 Women have died from this. In Florida, the state 
> investigates parents who support their trans children.15 In Tennessee, you 
> can be fired for being gay.16 In Alabama, librarians face prison for having 
> the wrong books.17
> 
> That's not freedom. That's authoritarian control.
> 
> Meanwhile, in blue states, consenting adults can marry, adopt, and live 
> without fear.16 Women make their own reproductive healthcare decisions.14 
> Trans people receive medical care.15 You can read any book you want.17 You 
> can smoke marijuana without becoming a felon.18 You can vote easily with 
> early voting and mail ballots, because that's what happens in free 
> democracies.19
> 
> The book banning numbers show a clear divide. Florida banned 4,561 books 
> last school year, nearly half the national total.20 Iowa banned 3,671.20 
> Meanwhile, California, New York, and Illinois banned zero. Zero.20
> 
> Here's the good news: people who want this lifestyle are moving to red 
> states. Texas gained 85,267 residents last year. North Carolina added 
> 82,288. South Carolina picked up 68,043.23 Meanwhile, California lost 
> 239,575 people, New York lost 120,917, Illinois lost 56,235.23
> 
> Why would people move to states with worse schools, worse healthcare, 
> shorter lives, and fewer freedoms?
> 
> One word: money. Not higher incomes, since we've established those are 
> lower in red states. But lower costs. The median home in California costs 
> $800,000. In Texas, it's $350,000.24 When you're a millennial software 
> engineer making $150,000 remotely, that Texas house looks awfully tempting, 
> even if your kids will attend worse schools.
> 
> The migration data reveals something else: it's slowing dramatically. 
> Florida's net migration dropped 80% from 2022 to 2024.23 As remote work 
> policies tighten and people experience the reality of life in these states, 
> the exodus is decelerating.
> 
> We now have two separate countries operating under one flag. In Blue 
> America, people live longer, earn more, learn more, and enjoy more personal 
> freedom. They also pay more for housing.25 In Red America, people die 
> younger, earn less, learn less, and face government intrusion into their 
> most personal decisions. But their houses are more affordable.
> 
> This isn't about cultural preferences or regional traditions. It's about 
> measurable outcomes. When your state has the highest maternal mortality in 
> the developed world, Louisiana, that's not a different philosophy.5 That's 
> failure. When 26% of your children live in poverty while another state 
> achieves 7%, you're not "choosing different values. "10 You're failing your 
> kids. When you ban 4,561 books while claiming to support freedom, you're 
> not protecting anyone.20 You're revealing your authoritarian impulses.
> 
> If you didn't know whether you'd be born rich or poor, black or white, 
> straight or gay, healthy or sick, which state would you choose? If you're 
> honest, you'd pick Massachusetts over Mississippi every time. You'd choose 
> life over death, education over ignorance, freedom over control.
> 
> The data doesn't lie. The gap between red and blue states isn't closing. 
> It's widening. Every year, the life expectancy gap grows. The education gap 
> expands. The freedom gap yawns wider.
> 
> Republicans will keep claiming their states are better. But their residents 
> keep dying younger, earning less, and learning less while having their most 
> fundamental freedoms stripped away. That's not partisan spin. That's what 
> the numbers show. This is a feature, not a bug for Republicans, they would 
> rather rule over hell than serve in heaven.
> 
> The American experiment was supposed to let states compete to provide the 
> best life for their citizens. That competition is over. Blue states won.
> 
> For more on why red states choose suffering over solutions, see my book 
> "Conservatism: America's Empathy Disorder" - available on Amazon.
> 
> https: //a. co/d/2dM43m5
> Works Cited
> 
> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Life Expectancy by State. " 
> 2023-2024. National Center for Health Statistics.
> 
> Ballotpedia. "State Government Trifectas. " Accessed January 2025. https: 
> //ballotpedia. org/State_government_trifectas
> 
> Cover Texas Now. "New Census Data: Texas Has Worst Uninsured Rate in US. " 
> September 12, 2024. https: //covertexasnow. org/posts/2024/9/12/new-census-
> data-texas-has-worst-uninsured-rate-in-us
> 
> Kaiser Family Foundation. "Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions. " 
> 2024.
> 
> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Maternal Mortality Rates by 
> State. " 2023-2024. National Vital Statistics Reports.
> 
> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Infant Mortality Statistics. 
> " 2023-2024. National Vital Statistics System.
> 
> U. S. Census Bureau. "Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 
> 2023. " September 2024. https: //www. census. 
> gov/library/publications/2024/acs/acsbr-023. html
> 
> World Population Review. "Cost of Living Index by State 2025. " 2025. 
> https: //worldpopulationreview. com/state-rankings/cost-of-living-index-by-
> state
> 
> U. S. Census Bureau. "Poverty in the United States: 2023. " Current 
> Population Survey.
> 
> Annie E. Casey Foundation. "2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book. " 2025. https: 
> //www. aecf. org/resources/2025-kids-count-data-book
> 
> National Assessment of Educational Progress. "State Performance Compared to 
> the Nation. " 2023-2024. National Center for Education Statistics.
> 
> National Center for Education Statistics. "Public Elementary and Secondary 
> School Expenditures. " Fiscal 2022. https: //nces. ed. 
> gov/whatsnew/press_releases/5_7_2024. asp
> 
> U. S. Census Bureau. "Educational Attainment in the United States. " 2023. 
> American Community Survey.
> 
> Guttmacher Institute. "State Bans on Abortion Throughout Pregnancy. " 2024. 
> https: //www. guttmacher. org/state-policy/explore/state-policies-abortion-
> bans
> 
> Movement Advancement Project. "Bans on Best Practice Medical Care for 
> Transgender Youth. " 2024. https: //www. lgbtmap. org/equality-
> maps/healthcare_youth_medical_care_bans
> 
> Movement Advancement Project. "Snapshot: LGBTQ Equality by State. " 2024. 
> https: //www. lgbtmap. org/equality-maps
> 
> PEN America. "Banned in the USA: Beyond the Shelves. " 2024. https: //pen. 
> org/report/beyond-the-shelves/
> 
> National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "State Laws. " 
> 2024.
> 
> Brennan Center for Justice. "Voting Laws Roundup: May 2024. " May 2024. 
> https: //www. brennancenter. org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-
> roundup-may-2024
> 
> PEN America. "Nearly 200 Percent Surge in School Book Bans During 2023-2024 
> School Year. " 2024. https: //pen. org/press-release/nearly-200-percent-
> surge-in-school-book-bans-during-2023-2024-school-year/
> 
> Kaiser Family Foundation. "Policy Tracker: Youth Access to Gender Affirming 
> Care and State Policy Restrictions. " 2024. https: //www. kff. 
> org/other/dashboard/gender-affirming-care-policy-tracker/
> 
> Guttmacher Institute. "Full-Year US Abortion Data for 2024. " January 2025. 
> https: //www. guttmacher. org/news-release/2025/guttmacher-institute-
> releases-full-year-us-abortion-data-2024
> 
> Resi Club Analytics. "Net Domestic Migration: Which States Are Gaining and 
> Losing Americans. " 2024. https: //www. resiclubanalytics. com/p/net-
> domestic-migration-which-states-are-gaining-and-losing-americans
> 
> National Association of Realtors. "Median Home Prices by State. " 2024.
> 
> Tax Foundation. "Americans Moved to Low-Tax States in 2024. " 2024. https: 
> //taxfoundation. org/data/all/state/americans-moving-to-states/
> 
> Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. "Who Pays? A Distributional 
> Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States. " 7th Edition, 2024. ]
> 
> U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. "Gross Domestic Product by State, 2023. 
> " Released June 2024. https: //www. bea. gov/data/gdp/gdp-state
> 
> Commonwealth Fund. "2024 Scorecard on State Health System Performance. " 
> June 2024. https: //www. commonwealthfund. 
> org/publications/scorecard/2024/jun/2024-scorecard-state-health-system-
> performance
> 
> Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. "Who Pays? 7th Edition. " 
> January 2024. https: //itep. org/whopays-7th-edition/
> 
> U. S. Census Bureau. "Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2023. 
> " September 2024.
> 
> U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. "Per Capita Real GDP by State. " 2023 
> Annual. https: //www. bea. gov/data/gdp/gdp-state
> 
> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Maternal Mortality Rates by 
> State, 2018-2021. " National Vital Statistics Reports, 2024.

Some WOKE bleeding heart has way to much time on their 
hands. Get a job.

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