Freedom? Oregon's fair to middlin'
According to this study, the Beaver State is the 27th most free place in the country -- and freest on the West Coast. (Based on updated data, we moved up to 25th.) Our neighbor to the north came in at an abysmal 44th, and the folks to our south were 47th.
The study's criteria are sure to engender controversy -- no doubt intentionally so. There were four categories: fiscal policy, regulatory policy, economic freedom, and personal freedom. Oregon's rankings were 27, 38, 36, and 7, respectively. Yay, personal freedom! Now that smoking is banned in all public places, however, our ranking will likely tumble a bit the next time the authors take a look.
This is all harmless fun, of course -- just a couple of young political science profs writing articles to get tenure. But it is an interesting subject to consider. [Via Cousin Jim.]
| Posted at 5:30 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (7)
Who would have thought that you could find a subject matter that would group a liberal place like New Hampshire with the Mountain time zone?
Posted by john rettig | August 10, 2009 8:24 AM
What about the ratio of mortgage debt to rental-justified-home-price? Higher is worse not better, as in ownership through debt is ownership only of debt. Go six months without a job and you and your kids will face the prospect of becoming a homeless statistic, for non-payment of the "tax" called interest.
How many people even know someone who owns a home free and clear of debt?
Posted by pdxnag | August 10, 2009 9:34 AM
pdxnag How many people even know someone who owns a home free and clear of debt?
JK: The reason most cannot a afford a home in Portland/Oregon is the stupid, government created shortage of buildable land combined with massive regulations.
Government created this problem - why do people keep re-electing those that continue the problem. And 1000 fiends is the political muscle that keeps you from affording a home.
see: Cost of Housing at debunkingportland.com
Thanks
JK
Posted by jim karlock | August 10, 2009 12:36 PM
Freedom to own guns is what concerns me the most. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going to hold out forever against the people who want to take away my right to blow away my cousin in a drunken frenzy.
Posted by fred friendly | August 10, 2009 2:19 PM
I am more than a little suspicious of this study because Washington got #35 on personal freedom. IMHO, the WA state constitution is absurdly protective of individual rights. For example, red light cameras are constitutionally forbidden from taking pictures of the face of the driver. Constitutional strict scrutiny prevents any prior review of comments on public blogs, giving far more protection than the First Amendment. This study seems to have thrown away real data in lieu of pseudo-freedoms like civil unions that are really just rights.
Posted by Dave C. | August 10, 2009 3:55 PM
We're number 7 for personal freedom, but maybe we'd be number six if we could pump our own gas.
Posted by Eric B | August 10, 2009 9:35 PM
"Freedom's just another word for..." the capacity to fail:
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/08/portland_area_fifth_in_nation.html
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | August 11, 2009 12:50 PM