These are America’s 10 worst states to live and work in for 2023, and there's a big surprise at the very bottom
www.cnbc.com
Quality of life is a major factor in where Americans choose to work, live and make major purchases including homes. These states are the nation's worst.
    • Ohthereyouare@lemm.ee
      11319·
      1 year ago

      I personally agree with this list. But, we have to be pragmatic here. This is what CNBC says they did:

      “The study measures quality of life issues including crime, health care, childcare and health care, as well as inclusive policies on discrimination and reproductive rights.”

      See, the last two skew this study. People in these shit hole states (not all, but at least enough of the voting public) don’t want inclusive policies or reproductive rights. So, to them, this metric is backwards. They would argue that living in California or New York was way more terrible because of the brown people and gays.

      This isn’t exactly a scientific study. It’s taking objective data to reach a subjective conclusion. Neat headline though.

      Edit: many if them are arguing exactly that in this thread. With a nice dose of racism and misogyny thrown in. Nice. I love when shit comes full circle.

      • phoneymouse@lemmy.world
        554·
        1 year ago

        I mean… if you want to move to one of these states as potentially any type of person (ie. perhaps not white and straight) then the inclusive policies are not an optional feature. If you’re a woman, having the government meddle in your health decisions can actually be life threatening.

        For white, straight folks, and especially males, it’s easy to think these other two factors just subjectively improve life, but that’s because they already have a baseline level of respect and power in society.

        Based on your take, I’d guess you’re straight, white and male.

        • OwenEverbinde@reddthat.com
          184·
          1 year ago

          Granted, I’m also straight, white, and male… But there are a hell of a lot of women who support abortion bans AND adore Mr “Grab 'em by the Pussy!”

          I know one who doesn’t believe God would allow a dangerous, nonviable pregnancy to take hold in (or in the case of ectopic pregnancies, outside of) a woman’s uterus. She just doesn’t believe something as sacred as a uterus can have that kind of flaw built into it.

          And even if you could convince her dangerous pregnancies were real, I think @[email protected] was saying that Republican women would not agree that their ability to survive an ectopic pregnancy is good or worth it if it also helps the “sluts” they despise to have more “convenience abortions.”

          Surviving might seem pretty good to you and I, but that doesn’t make that ability objectively desirable to the people voting against their own interests. And they would be offended if their access to healthcare was deemed “better” in a quality-of-life metric than access to a set of theocratic restrictions.

          They would tell you, “well I’m happier. Liberals think they can speak for me just because I’m a woman and my opinion doesn’t matter! But if they asked me, I’d tell them I would prefer to live in a place where the sanctity of life was valued! They’d have to censor me and edit me out of their videos because I wouldn’t support their narrative!”

          • TechyDad@lemmy.world
            144·
            1 year ago

            I know one who doesn’t believe God would allow a dangerous, nonviable pregnancy to take hold in (or in the case of ectopic pregnancies, outside of) a woman’s uterus. She just doesn’t believe something as sacred as a uterus can have that kind of flaw built into it.

            But I guarantee that the second that she (or any other woman with similar views) had a pregnancy that threatened their life, they’d opt for an abortion ASAP. They’ll rationalize that their abortion was justified and blessed by God, but all those other abortions are just “liberal sluts who want to kill babies” or something.

        • Professorozone@lemmy.world
          1·
          1 year ago

          Yup, I am, but if it’s fair to say that the positive things about Florida don’t count because those positive things exist in other states then it seems to me that it’s fair to say that prejudice against minorities should count against those other states too. Florida does not have exclusive rights to mistreatment of minorities. In fact I’m pretty sure that exists in all 50 states.

          My only point, was addressing the thought that a poster said he felt sorry for people living in those states (Florida in this case) and all I was saying was it wasn’t like we all just get up every morning and fail to function because we are all so overwhelmed by how bad it is where we live. We have running water in Florida.

        • Ohthereyouare@lemm.ee
          74·
          1 year ago

          Yep. It is. That’s sorta the point though. “Worst” is subjective. Personally? I’d never move to one of those 10 places. But, a lot of them think that the lack of reproductive rights is a good thing, not a bad thing.

          I don’t think that… But, a lot of folks in America do.

            • MomoTimeToDie@sh.itjust.works
              423·
              1 year ago

              Healthcare isn’t a right because a right cannot be reliant on service provided by others. That’s just an entitlement given out by shitty governments. Not to mention that abortion isn’t Healthcare

              • JoeyJoeJoeJr@lemmy.ml
                151·
                1 year ago

                Your right to a jury trial depends on the service of your fellow citizens, as well as the judge, etc.

                Your right to vote depends on the service of many volunteers to work the polls, count votes, etc.

                Rights are granted and protected by governments; whether they require a service is irrelevant.

      • atempuser23@lemmy.worldEnglish
        82·
        1 year ago

        I think the premise is that the laws on reproductive rights have managed to effect the overall availability of health care. So it’s not that the laws are bad, but some of them are written in such a way that it creates problems, or potential problems, for doctors. So Dr’s are overall not choosing to get into situations where the law could make them liable and are choosing to set up practice in other locations where the government overreach isn’t as bad.

        The affirmative discrimination laws are generally hard to write well so they tend to add restrictions to people and businesses that are unintended.

        It seems that those discrimination and reproductive rights are no longer ‘soft’ issues and this poll is acknowledging that.

    • Clown_Tempura@lemmy.world
      121·
      1 year ago

      As someone from West Virginia I’m stunned we didn’t make the list. McDowell county is hell on earth. The northern part of the state really does hard carry the rest of it.

      • SCB@lemmy.world
        21·
        1 year ago

        Economic and health factors in this ranking are severely downplayed in favor of hot social issues.

      • BigNote@lemm.ee
        133·
        1 year ago

        One would only think that’s surprising or funny if they assumed that “best economy” and “best states to live in” necessarily have a one to one overlap. While I can see there being some overlap, l think we all know that business-friendly policies that foster economic growth almost always come with a suite of larger demographic costs.

        The key is to seek balance between what’s good for business and what’s good for the public, and in that light it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that some of the most business-friendly states are also the worst places to live.

    • Jeff@lemm.ee
      53·
      1 year ago

      Moved from TX to DMV in Feb and it’s night and day here. Love the idea of Texas but the reality didn’t come close.

        • Jeff@lemm.ee
          71·
          1 year ago

          DC Maryland Virginia area.

          Don’t get me wrong it not a utopia but much better. I miss Bucees and HEB. There’s also just as many bad drivers here, and the speed limits are LOOOOOW. But folks are on the whole nicer (which to me is weird as I heard folks here weren’t as nice as in Texas). And where I used to live 4 hours would get you to Beaumont and here it’ll get you through three states.

    • Whirlybird
      521·
      1 year ago

      So basically this is just a “10 states where you can’t abort your unborn baby and men can’t compete against women in sports” list.

        • Whirlybird
          21·
          1 year ago

          Go read the article. It’s basically a “who’s who” of stricter abortion and “gender affirming surgery” laws, all other factors be damned. Education? Pfft, who needs it. Infrastructure and technology? Irrelevant. Business quality and work opportunities? As if you’d care about that.

    • Uniquitous@lemmy.one
      61·
      1 year ago

      And they are subject to the mental poison endemic to that region. It takes a long time and a lot of effort to purge that evil. I can speak from personal experience. It never goes away and it is a constant struggle to shout down that early indoctrination.

  • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
    644·
    1 year ago

    This could be another huge talking point for Democrats, but once again, this great opportunity to ding Republican governance is going to be missed since Democrats are so utterly incompetent to sell their successes and attack their opponents.

    The inflation rate has fallen down to 3%, which is one of the lowest in the industrialized world right now. Have there been Democrats all over the news selling that success? No, of course not. Gotta keep those wins well hidden, dontchaknow!

      • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
        82·
        1 year ago

        No one thinks we will ever change those in the orange cult. Like zombies, they are long gone and collectively barely have one functioning brain cell.

        Dems need to sell their wins to get their base excited - I’m so sick of the brasè attitude that most Dems have regardless of who their candidate is. They could have the most perfect candidate and they are always looking for someone else. They also need to get some independents on board. Neither party can win an election without getting some non-affiliated to vote for them.

          • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
            24·
            1 year ago

            UBI is a joke and will only stand in the way of unity. To think the Dems should somehow rally around something that will never, ever happen is a pointless distraction. Might as well rally around the tooth fairy or unicorn and waste more time and energy instead of going after real issues.

            • ArcticCircleSystem@lemmy.world
              11·
              1 year ago

              So what are we supposed to do? How do we get things to improve on a national scale in any significant way for workers? ~Cherri

              • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
                11·
                1 year ago

                Support politicians who are brave enough to admit that we need to tax the rich and corporations at a higher rate, support programs that will bring manufacturing back to the US (no other industry is as bog of a job multiplier than manufacturing), support programs which lower the cost of entry for higher education.

                Hand outs do not work. Not only would they never, ever pass Congress, they shouldn’t even be considered. UBI is a goddamn joke pushed by those who smoke too much weed and have no goddamn clue about life.

                • SCB@lemmy.world
                  11·
                  1 year ago

                  Corporate taxes shouldn’t be raised because corporate taxes are overwhelmingly regressive.

                  Hand outs absolutely do work, and while I’m not on the UBI train, all welfare programs should basically just give cash instead of stamps/benefits/etc

            • Uniquitous@lemmy.one
              12·
              1 year ago

              You’re basically just trying to sell doom & gloom to discourage people from wanting what is eminently attainable. Your reasons for doing so are your own, but one wonders if you’re just thoroughly indoctrinated, or if you have some other interest at stake.

      • Raddnaar@sh.itjust.works
        314·
        1 year ago

        Amazing! The entire world is stupid, (insert as many additional derogatory terms as you wish). Except for you, of course!

        Good on you mate!

    • Dozzi92@lemmy.world
      72·
      1 year ago

      Except none of this is swaying any republican. Some of these states are on the list because they pass exclusive legislation, seemingly overlooking any benefits otherwise.

      • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
        122·
        1 year ago

        No one cares about swaying hard-core Republicans. They are basically a lost cause. It’s about showing the entire rest of the country that Republicans can’t govern - aim at swaying those in the middle.

    • blazera@kbin.social
      361·
      1 year ago

      Live in mississippi, it should be #1, like it always is for shitty metrics.

      Fun mississippi fact for today, if you own an electric or hybrid car you have to pay extra taxes.

      • Zorque@kbin.social
        17·
        1 year ago

        A lot of places do that, they say its because they don’t pay as much gas tax (which is true), which generally go toward maintaining roads and such.

        I think we all know it doubles as a “liberal tax” though.

      • iDunnoBro@sopuli.xyz
        2·
        1 year ago

        Lived there for decades, have to agree.

        You have very few rights as a worker. Pay is dogshit, even for better jobs. Life there sucks even if you’re well off. Doesn’t matter if you’re rich, poor, left, right, black or white, it’s gon’ suck donkey balls being there.

        Still made the best of my time there but now I’ve moved to Northern Europe and the difference is night and day.

    • edgarallenpwn@lemmy.world
      5·
      1 year ago

      Stuck in Missouri taking care of my grandparents and my wife’s parents. I’ve been wanting to move out of this shithole since I was 13. Now, I have to worry about reproductive issues with my high risk wife as it seems like we are hunkering down here entering our 30s.

  • OmnislashIsACloudApp@lemmy.world
    154·
    1 year ago

    I gotta say while I’m not happy with Texas decisions and there’s a lot of bs there it doesn’t seem even as bad as Florida much less Alabama and Mississippi.

  • atempuser23@lemmy.worldEnglish
    103·
    1 year ago

    So reading through this is a bit surprising. I hadn’t been paying as much attention to some of these state based issues. It looks like the argument of the article is that despite strong historic economic numbers some of the recent steps taken by states have created challenges for businesses.

    It seems that the knock down effect of reproductive health laws in a restriction in the number of practicing doctors per state. So it is not exactly the law that is the issue, but the fact that the ratio of doctors to patients is going in an adverse direction. The article is arguing that the extent is enough to create challenges for citizens in Texas. That seems like a sound premise, basically its harder to get and see a doctor because fewer doctors are moving to Texas compared to the growing population.

    It seems that the states that were less of economic powerhouses to begin with could have negative effects with less strict laws since they didn’t start from as strong a position.

    The rest of it seems to be based on how accessible child care and health insurance are. If you want families and not just labor those resources can greatly reduce the need for high wages.

    I’d briefly seen the big fails, like the Texas power grid and the bans on investment funds taking climate change into account. There was also that thing where Florida decide it was time to kill Disney.

    Not moving the office buildings to Florida was a MUCH bigger deal to Disney that it appeared. The cost of 1-2 billion was going to be offset by MUCH lower cost of living for employees,(less pay as well) favorable taxes an the sale of super valuable real estate in California. It was very likely structured to be a net positive for the company. So I think that this is basically the core of the article. Even what should be on paper good deals are now in questions because of the state policies.

    • Chunk@lemmy.worldEnglish
      45·
      1 year ago

      Hey this is pretty level headed and what you’re saying makes sense. Please check out lemmy.world/c/moderate_politics we’d love to have you!

  • RufusFirefly@lemmy.world
    6·
    1 year ago

    Whether you think this has a political bias or not, no matter what whose list you look up, they all basically say the same thing.