July 26,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The fiscal health of America’s states affects all its citizens. Indicators of fiscal health come in a variety of forms—from a state’s ability to attract businesses and how much it taxes to what services it provides and how well it keeps its promises to public-sector employees.
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University’s “Ranking the States by Fiscal Condition,”is now in its fourth year, Eileen Norcross and Olivia Gonzalez calculate indicators of fiscal health for all 50 states. Based on states’ 2015 financial statements, Florida ranks first as the most fiscally healthy state, while New Jersey ranks the lowest.
The study ranks each US state’s financial health based on short- and long-term debt and other key fiscal obligations, such as unfunded pensions and healthcare benefits. With refinements in its methodology, the 2017 edition updates the version that the Mercatus Center published in 2016. It presents information from each state’s audited financial report in an easily accessible format and is the most comprehensive snapshot of state financial health to date.
As usual New Jersey ranked 50th or dead last ,even behind bankrupt Illinois which ranked 49th. Even Connecticut with its aggressive taxation policies that drove out huge employers General Electric and Aetna still ranked 37th.
Typo: “than” not “then”
Public sector greed and excessive pension & health benefits are bankrupting the state… and the unions still want more