What a Difference a Different Study Makes

First, you should always beware of studies that rank city or states as the best or worst at something complex or intangible. The top ten largest cities don't change from year to year. That's why there is no great fanfare when some group announces the annual Top Ten Cities Report.

You will notice that the Best Cities to Live In changes every year. Sometimes the Best City to Live In from one year falls off the charts the next as if the schools went bad, criminals moved in and day care costs trebled. And last year's hell hole suddenly broke out the street sweepers, planted flowers and mandated higher IQs and imported good judgment for all.

Likewise, the Best Business Climate lists. My last post was about how dismal things are for Minnesota's business climate. Natives have long bemoaned the high taxes, but consoled ourselves that at least were not Iowa. (My wife's folks are from South Dakota, so I have to leave the Dakotas out of these things.)

So now comes a study from the Tax Foundation, the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has monitored fiscal policy at the federal, state and local levels since 1937. It is the group behind Tax Freedom Day.

Minnesota had ranked 8th from the bottom in Business Friendliness in the post below. But the Tax Foundation report in March 2007 says that Minnesota is really 13th.

Now that's progress. When it comes to our "Wealth and Property Taxes" we skyrocket to 15th best.

Top Over all Cities
Wyoming - 1
South Dakota -2
Alaska - 3
Florida - 4
Nevada - 5
New Hampshire - 6
Texas - 7
Delaware - 8
Montana - 9
Oregon -10

Worst Business Climate
Arkansas - 41
Iowa - 42
Nebraska - 43
Kentucky - 44
Maine - 45
Vermont - 46
Ohio - 47
Rhode Island - 48
New Jersey - 49
New York - 50

I'll keep looking for the study that says we are in the Top Ten for business climate. I'm sure it's out there.

NewBizMinn
(nfp)