>More of a business reality from my PO. To me the middle of the USA is an empty space which needs a lot of economic subsidies to keep afloat but likes to hold a voting whip hand. That can only end in tears.
>
>ROFL and LOL!!!! I think that you better get your facts straight.. For starters, take a look at this map:
>
>https://www.mercatus.org/statefiscalrankings
>

You might mention that the Mercatus Center is a free-market think tank, so they definitely have a POV. If you scroll a little, you see that this report is based on:

Cash solvency. Does a state have enough cash on hand to cover its short-term bills?
Budget solvency. Can a state cover its fiscal year spending with current revenues, or does it have a budget shortfall?
Long-run solvency. Can a state meet its long-term spending commitments? Will there be enough money to cushion it from economic shocks or other long-term fiscal risks?
Service-level solvency. How much “fiscal slack” does a state have to increase spending if citizens demand more services?
Trust fund solvency. How much debt does a state have? How large are its unfunded pen-sion and healthcare liabilities?

That's not a measure of a state's economy. It's a measure of the state government's solvency. Very different.

Tamar