Florida Qualifies for List of Best-Run States in America for Simply Being a State in America

By Matthew Hendley Tue., Nov. 29 2011 at 2:46 PM

Categories: Economy

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Luckily for Florida, a new list of the best-run states in the U.S. of A. included all 50 states or it may not have made the cut.

Based on what 24/7 Wall Street calls "the 10 most important measurements of financial and government management," Florida ranked 40th.

In fact, a lot of those financial and governmental measures described by 24/7 sound like some of that Gov. Rick Scott talk:

"...states can do a great deal to control their fate," the news site says. "Well-run states have a great deal in common with well-run corporations. Books are kept balanced. Investment is prudent. Debt is sustainable. Innovation is prized. Workers are well-chosen and well-trained. Executives, including elected and appointed officials, are retained based on merit and not politics."

When it comes to Florida, 24/7 Wall Street basically explains that the government is financially OK but the people, not so much.

Florida was hit hard by the housing crisis. Home values declined the third most-in the country between 2006 and 2010. In October, one in every 423 homes was foreclosed upon. The state spends very little relative to its budget, and so it maintains a low debt per capita and a AAA credit rating. However, its lack of expenditure on public welfare has not helped the state's poor, unemployed and uninsured citizens. The state had the sixth highest unemployment rate in the country in September. Also, 21.3% of Florida's population in 2010 was without health insurance, the third-highest rate in the country.

Still, that means there are ten states with crappier leadership than Florida, and the absolute worst is California.

Wyoming took the number-one spot for best-run state, with the nation's highest high-school graduation rate as well as low crime and low unemployment. Also, Wyoming barely has any people.

That said, congratulations to Florida for being the 40th-best, tenth-worst-run state in the Union.

Click here for 24/7 Wall Street's listing.

Follow The Pulp on Facebook and on Twitter: @ThePulpBPB. Follow Matthew Hendley on Facebook and on Twitter: @MatthewHendley.

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