California Inches Up in Competitiveness

In government-burdened California, any break is welcome. And we got it. The outlook for California’s economy improved against the other states, according to the eighth edition of “Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index,” just out from the American Legislative Exchange Council. The authors aggregated 15 economic variables, including tax rates, unemployment, debt service and the statewide minimum wage. Those authors are three economists: Arthur Laffer, who helped craft President Reagan’s tax cuts, Register opinion columnist Stephen Moore and Jonathan Williams. Among the 50 states, California ranked 44th in 2015 in Economic Outlook, which anticipates future economic performance. Not great, but better than last year’s 47th place. Two states from a year ago remain below us, New York and Bernie Sanders’ Vermont. Illinois, under new Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and his plan “to grow jobs and lower taxes,” jumped over California, from 48th place to 40th.