[2banana]

Red state economies based on energy extraction, agriculture and suburban sprawl may have lower wages, higher poverty rates and lower levels of education on average than those of blue states — but their residents also benefit from much lower costs of living. For a middle-class person , the American dream of a big house with a backyard and a couple of cars is much more achievable in low-tax Arizona than in deep-blue Massachusetts.

Huh? California has 12% of the US population but has 34% of the nation’s welfare recipients.

[rstrahan]

Up through the 60’s, the NE and Rust Belt states ruled Congress, and continually sucked resources from the South/Southwest. As a result, jobs were not growing. But with the collapse of the Rust Belt and beginning of the energy boom, jobs began to move south, along with people.

But with a history of limited government and low taxes, wages remain low as compared to the Northeast, but economic strength is much higher as the dollar goes so much further. It doesn’t matter so much what you make, but what your buying power is.

[pfflier]

Kalifornia also now has major cities where hispanics are the majority.