The blue-state exodus gains momentum

[Cow Poke]

The blue-state exodus gains momentum

As is pointed out in the article, some of the people who are moving from the blue states to escape the idiotic governance and taxation are, oddly enough, bringing their same beliefs and support for that kind of crap to the red states.

[rogue06]

The blue-state exodus gains momentum

As is pointed out in the article, some of the people who are moving from the blue states to escape the idiotic governance and taxation are, oddly enough, bringing their same beliefs and support for that kind of crap to the red states.

Like plague bearers.

[DivineOb]

Once Texas turns blue in the next decade where will Cow Poke go? Or stay and keep fighting the losing fight?

[Cow Poke]

Once Texas turns blue in the next decade where will Cow Poke go? Or stay and keep fighting the losing fight?

Cow Poke will stay right here serving the Risen Lord.

[Teallaura]

The thing is, they are also leaving their bubble. The question is will they continue to vote that way over time - the answer is probably not.

Except the ones moving to Austin, obviously...

[Starlight]

You read the craziest fantasy articles.

Higher tax rates (aka 'big government') correlate with increased reported happiness on average, both among US states, and among OECD countries...

Happiness v Taxes for US States.gif

happiness plot3.jpg

(Note the axes are different in those two graphs - happiest and highest taxed is bottom-right on first, and top-right on second)

There are many things that contribute to happiness and success in a country or state, but overall, higher taxes appear to be among the things that make countries or states more successful and their citizens happier (note: because those taxes are spent on things that benefit people, I'm not suggesting that the act of paying taxes itself makes anyone happy). The happiest countries in the world are Finland Denmark and their taxes are the highest in the OECD at ~45% of GDP.

Research shows that even rich people are happier in those countries with higher taxes. I guess having governments that spend more on their people and help the needy makes for a nicer society where rich people actually enjoy their lives more and that this more than offsets the pain of higher taxes.

[Cow Poke]

You read the craziest fantasy articles.

I think that pretty much every time I read one of your posts.

[lilpixieofterror]

You read the craziest fantasy articles.

Higher tax rates (aka 'big government') correlate with increased reported happiness on average, both among US states, and among OECD countries...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]42062[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]42064[/ATTACH]

(Note the axes are different in those two graphs - happiest and highest taxed is bottom-right on first, and top-right on second)

There are many things that contribute to happiness and success in a country or state, but overall, higher taxes appear to be among the things that make countries or states more successful and their citizens happier (note: because those taxes are spent on things that benefit people, I'm not suggesting that the act of paying taxes itself makes anyone happy). The happiest countries in the world are Finland Denmark and their taxes are the highest in the OECD at ~45% of GDP.

Research shows that even rich people are happier in those countries with higher taxes. I guess having governments that spend more on their people and help the needy makes for a nicer society where rich people actually enjoy their lives more and that this more than offsets the pain of higher taxes.

[Starlight]

The correlation between higher taxes and happiness seems relatively linear in the range 20%-45% of GDP, but there is no OECD data above that and I presume that it begins to drop off in the higher ranges. I tend to presume the maximum probably occurs about 50% GDP, but it might be slightly higher than that, and it's possible it changes with time, technology, total wealth, and society.

Communist countries where one could loosely say they had 100% tax were pretty much uniformly very poor countries prior to the adoption of communism, so it's comparing apples and oranges to compare those with modern OECD nations, but the data on them suggests that happiness was pretty low among them, though its hard to know how much of that effect to attribute to the economic system as opposed to their authoritarian tendencies which we know impact happiness negatively.

Overall I would say the data currently points to something like 50% of GDP being taxed as optimal. Essentially that would make the economy an exact mix of public and private, with half the spending being private spending and half being public spending - a perfect middle ground between 100% government communism and 0% government libertarianism. In that sense, I advocate perfect centrism and am smack bang in the middle of an international political spectrum. Of course, as applied to the US (where taxes are currently ~24% of GDP) this would mean I suggest that the US should double its total tax revenues, and so am a leftist in a US content (note that doubling total tax revenues is not the same as doubling income tax rates, and I would suggest that the US raise those increased government revenues by taxing companies, wealth taxes on the rich, financial market taxes etc, not by taxing the average person more highly).

[rogue06]

You read the craziest fantasy articles.

Higher tax rates (aka 'big government') correlate with increased reported happiness on average, both among US states, and among OECD countries...

Which of course explains why they are fleeing "utopia" en masse and going to where they won't be happy.

[Starlight]

Which of course explains why they are fleeing "utopia" en masse and going to where they won't be happy.

It looks like the main effect is that boomers are retiring and moving to sunny states for their retirement. The OP admitted that people moving weren't changing their politics, and were maintaining their old voting behaviors in their new location, so it seems clear they weren't deliberately looking to 'flee' from a blue state to a red state.

[Cow Poke]

It looks like the main effect is that boomers are retiring and moving to sunny states for their retirement.

Oh, yes, that's why the BIGGEST gain (percentage) has actually been North Dakota - everybody knows North Dakota is a veritable land of "sunny beaches" and sunshine year round.

(they're moving there for jobs in the Baaken Shale oil & gas boom)

The OP admitted that people moving weren't changing their politics, and were maintaining their old voting behaviors in their new location, so it seems clear they weren't deliberately looking to 'flee' from a blue state to a red state.

Actually, it didn't say "they", it said "some".

But that trend also highlights a problem: Some of the people

[rogue06]

It looks like the main effect is that boomers are retiring and moving to sunny states for their retirement.

Which of course explains why they are fleeing Calfiornivania in droves.

[lilpixieofterror]

The correlation between higher taxes and happiness seems relatively linear in the range 20%-45% of GDP, but there is no OECD data above that and I presume that it begins to drop off in the higher ranges. I tend to presume the maximum probably occurs about 50% GDP, but it might be slightly higher than that, and it's possible it changes with time, technology, total wealth, and society.

Communist countries where one could loosely say they had 100% tax were pretty much uniformly very poor countries prior to the adoption of communism, so it's comparing apples and oranges to compare those with modern OECD nations, but the data on them suggests that happiness was pretty low among them, though its hard to know how much of that effect to attribute to the economic system as opposed to their authoritarian tendencies which we know impact happiness negatively.

So even when evidence suggests that tax rates alone, may not play into the happiness index, you ignore it and continue on your merry way.

Overall I would say the data currently points to something like 50% of GDP being taxed as optimal. Essentially that would make the economy an exact mix of public and private, with half the spending being private spending and half being public spending - a perfect middle ground between 100% government communism and 0% government libertarianism. In that sense, I advocate perfect centrism and am smack bang in the middle of an international political spectrum. Of course, as applied to the US (where taxes are currently ~24% of GDP) this would mean I suggest that the US should double its total tax revenues, and so am a leftist in a US content (note that doubling total tax revenues is not the same as doubling income tax rates, and I would suggest that the US raise those increased government revenues by taxing companies, wealth taxes on the rich, financial market taxes etc, not by taxing the average person more highly).

[lilpixieofterror]

It looks like the main effect is that boomers are retiring and moving to sunny states for their retirement. The OP admitted that people moving weren't changing their politics, and were maintaining their old voting behaviors in their new location, so it seems clear they weren't deliberately looking to 'flee' from a blue state to a red state.