If you are a regular, you know my feelings about the optimal tax structure and free trade.  Today, CNBC ranked the top states for business using 10 categories for competitiveness.  Cost of doing business, workforce, economy, education, quality of life, technology and innovation, transportation, cost of living, and business friendliness. 

The Top 5 states were:

5: Colorado

4: Idaho

3: Utah

2: Virginia

1: Texas

All red states.  Goes back to one of my previous threads about Ohio and Texas.  Ohio blames their woes on NAFTA and the federal govt when they have a very high corporate tax rate, a high individual tax rate, and very unfriendly business regulations. 

Texas has no corporate tax rate, no individual income tax- only a franchise tax rate capped at 1%.  You can blame externalities all you want, but most of the problems are home grown. 

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