I opened this thread thinking it was about Hillary Clinton.

Yup, I just checked, she’s still the world’s biggest loser! She spent a billion dollars on a campaign, had the Obama administration, FBI, and CIA trying to undermine Trump’s campaign. The entire national media spinning her non-stop, and the DNC sabotaging other democratic candidates for her.

After all that she still lost!!!! Hahahaha!!!!

At least it was his own money he lost, (sort of).

Nope, not really. Some of it was his daddy's, some was no doubt from Russia. Time will tell... What amazes me is that anybody ever fell for his crap. When his book came out (notice I didn't say he wrote it, because he didn't, can't read or write, really) he'd been losing money for years and continued to do so. It takes a special kind of stupid to support or believe him in this day and age. Really special. Campfire special.

Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at 3:00pm

President Donald Trump hit his highest approval rating in the Gallup poll at 46% thanks in large part to a surge of support from Democrats. Polling was taken from April 17-30.

Trumps jump in approval comes on the heels of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report that said Trump and his campaign did not collude with Russia. The strong economy probably helped as well.

The Gallup poll is on par with other recent polls: Harris/Harvard has him at 46%, Rasmussen at 50%, RealClearPolitics at 44%.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/249344/trump-approval-remains-high.aspx

Even CNN admitted Trump’s rise in popularity as Chris Cillizza penned an article titled, “Donald Trump is more popular than ever.”

Cillizza made an interesting point (emphasis mine):

" Dig into the numbers and you see something very interesting. Trump’s gains of late are not, as you might expect, from Republicans. Nine in 10 Republicans backed Trump in March, the same number who did so in April. It’s among Democrats where Trump’s job approval has improved the most month-to-month; just 4% approved of the job he was doing in March compared to 10% who said the same in April. Independents went from 33% job approval for Trump in March to 39% in April."

Take a look at independents where Trump’s approval rose 4 points. Yesterday I blogged about an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll that discovered more independents have strayed away from the Democrats after those people sided with the left since 2010 in the 2018 elections. The poll also found 38% of independents have a positive view of Trump.

In the Monday’s poll, 45% of the independents do not agree with impeachment hearings on Trump. Only 19% want them.

I agree with Allah Pundit at Hot Air. Trump’s numbers may continue to rise since the May jobs report only came out last week.

Allah Pundit also remarked that Trump’s Gallup poll numbers on day 830 of his presidency. He provided this graphic:

He wrote:

"Trump is the light green line, Obama the dark green line, Reagan the gray line. At the end of April in the third year of their presidencies, the comparison stands at 46/43/43, respectively. Trump’s actually ahead of two two-term presidents at this point — although there are caveats. First, Reagan’s numbers had been hurt by the recession of 1982. At this moment in his presidency he was on a long climb out of that hole. Second, the end of April 2011 was just before Obama announced the killing of Osama Bin Laden, which briefly sent him back up past 50 percent. This comparison wouldn’t work in Trump’s favor a week from now. And third, Reagan and Obama had each enjoyed majority approval earlier in their presidency (and each would go on to do so again). Trump never has."

Another excellent point:

"Here’s the big difference:

Barack Obama had nonstop positive news coverage from the media.

President Trump has nonstop negative news coverage from the media.

Yet President Trump still has better poll numbers than the previous president. #WINNING https://t.co/6fHbxVYLxQ

— Andrew Pollack (@AndrewPollackFL) May 7, 2019

I will repeat myself. These numbers could very well be what is swaying Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to not even want to talk about impeachment hearings, let alone begin them.

Pelosi called the idea of impeachment hearings divisive. She knows the hearings could potentially harm the Democrats chance at unseating Trump and harming their chances of holding onto the House.

White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said last week, “People will vote for somebody they don’t like if they think it’s good for them.”

I guess he read Salena Zito’s great book The Great Revolt. She traveled through the backwoods of America, off the trails of interstates to interview Americans largely ignored by other outlets. A lot of them don’t like Trump’s behavior, but they still voted for him because they thought he provided them the best chance to have a steady job and keep more money in their pockets.

The latest jobs report proved just that. Companies created more and more jobs, unemployment is at a 50 year low, and disposable income increased.

Iran: One of the linchpins of former President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran was that it would be accompanied by a near-ban on Iran having any access to the U.S. banking system. A new congressional report says that, too, was a lie.

Obama and his officials at the Treasury Department and State Department were clear: They would work assiduously to freeze out Iran from getting dollars to fund its mischief and mayhem around the world.

The Associated Press, puts it this way: "As the Treasury and State Department worked behind the scenes to help Iran access the dollar, the message to Congress remained the same: The JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) did not allow Iran to access the U.S. financial system."

Obama sent a clear message to Congress: If you don't block this nuclear deal, we will bar Iran's access to our financial system. The deal was clear, unequivocal.

It was also a lie. Obama lied, and so did others in his administration.

That's the conclusion of a report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. It alleges Obama officials pushed the U.S. Treasury to let Iran convert the equivalent of $5.7 billion of funds held in Oman's Bank of Muscat from rials into dollars and subsequently into euros.

It required a special license by the U.S. Treasury, which was granted in February of 2016. But it was never disclosed, either to Congress or the American people.

OK, you say, $5.7 billion. What is that, when big economies like the U.S., Britain, Germany and France have economies trillions of dollars in size?

Apart from the lie, which is bad enough for an administration that claimed repeatedly to be "scandal-free," this money did not have innocuous uses. Far from it.

Our own State Department characterizes Iran as the No. 1 terrorist-supporting state on Earth. Every dollar it gets from us has an ultimate use that is highly questionable, which is the reason why the U.S. imposed sanctions in the first place.
Terrorist Funding

Washington Times national security correspondent Bill Gertz in February of this year reported that some of the $1.7 billion that the Obama administration officially handed over to the Iranians had ended up in the hands of terrorist groups. Those terrorist groups included Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Iran's own Quds Force, the dirty tricks and terror branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

No one knows how much of the $5.7 billion that Obama allowed Iran to access also went to terrorist activities. Or, for that matter, how much went to further research activity on Iran's nuclear bomb project. That awaits a later investigation.

But it's important to note that the Iran nuclear deal also removed some $100 billion in sanctions on Iran. This made Iran once again a big player in the Mideast. It's almost certain that a good piece of that went to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, which by some accounts control as much as 40% of Iran's economy.

It's clear from Obama administration actions, under both his Secretaries of State, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, that the Obama White House despised Israel and did all they could to undermine its security. How else can you explain the enabling of a terrorist-supporting regime?

The Obama administration failed to enforce its own "red line" in Syria on chemical weapons. By doing so, it in effect invited both Russia and Iran into that disintegrating country. Iranian troops today are within striking distance of our one true ally in the region, Israel.
Mideast Disintegration

The disintegration of Libya, the collapse of Egypt, and Turkey's embrace of radical Islam, all took place under Obama's watch. None of them were in the U.S.' interest.

The Mideast has been a mess for decades, but things got markedly worse under Obama. A big reason is the Iran nuclear deal didn't make anyone in the Mideast, Europe or U.S. safer. But it did empower the terrorist-supporting mullahs in Tehran.

The mullahs are now funding terrorism on Israel's border. They're biding their time until they can get another anti-Israel president in the White House. Mullahs with a nuclear weapon will be a nightmare. President Trump has a big job still ahead of him, but in his first year and a half in office he has undone much of Obama's damage.

All of this because the Obama administration signed a deal that not only didn't end Tehran's nuclear program, but merely postponed it for a decade, all while doing nothing about its terrorist activities. Now we find that Obama also helped finance that.

Paying to support terrorism, and not telling the American people about it. Still think the Obama administration was "scandal-free"?

Rating Overview
45 Ratings with 19 Comments
1.8

The overall average patient rating of Dr. Jon A Middleton is Poor. Dr. Jon A Middleton has been rated by 45 patients. From those 45 patients 19 of those left a comment along with their rating. The overall rating for Dr. Jon A Middleton is 1.8 of 5.0 stars.

Yet Paddler’s hero Zero lost $535 MILLION DOLLARS of Our money in the Solyndra Bailout. What an astute fuggin financial genius he was. Not to mention the GM bailout 😡

Congrats to all those who supported him because of business acumen. You're all losers.

You guys see this? Trump lost $1.17 billion dollars between 1985 and 1994. Wow. He was definitely on the wrong reality show. His losses in 1991 were 1% of the total reported by taxpayers that year. Outstanding. Congrats to all those who supported him because of business acumen. You're all losers.

Iran nuke deal.........

You guys see this? Trump lost $1.17 billion dollars between 1985 and 1994. Wow. He was definitely on the wrong reality show. His losses in 1991 were 1% of the total reported by taxpayers that year. Outstanding. Congrats to all those who supported him because of business acumen. You're all losers.

You guys see this? Trump lost $1.17 billion dollars between 1985 and 1994. Wow. He was definitely on the wrong reality show. His losses in 1991 were 1% of the total reported by taxpayers that year. Outstanding. Congrats to all those who supported him because of business acumen. You're all losers.

He lost his presidency before he took office. History will not be kind to him. But you knuckledraggers will never know, it'll be in print.

Yet Paddler’s hero Zero lost $535 MILLION DOLLARS of Our money in the Solyndra Bailout. What an astute fuggin financial genius he was. Not to mention the GM bailout 😡

He lost his presidency before he took office. History will not be kind to him. But you knuckledraggers will never know, it'll be in print.

He lost his presidency before he took office. History will not be kind to him. But you knuckledraggers will never know, it'll be in print.

Loser? Throw me in that briar patch then...

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! Piddler is the Biggest MORON!!!!! LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe you get up and tie your own shoes every morning you dummy, you have NO CLUE:

"Real estate developers in the 1980’s & 1990’s, more than 30 years ago, were entitled to massive write offs and depreciation which would, if one was actively building, show losses and tax losses in almost all cases. Much was non monetary. Sometimes considered “tax shelter,”....you would get it by building, or even buying. You always wanted to show losses for tax purposes....almost all real estate developers did - and often re-negotiate with banks, it was sport. Additionally, the very old information put out is a highly inaccurate Fake News hit job!" -- President Donald J. Trump, May 08, 2019

He lost his presidency before he took office. History will not be kind to him. But you knuckledraggers will never know, it'll be in print.

1.2 billion dollar hemlock polysilicate failed plant here in Clarksville
never made the big news.
Michigan based company falling under the Dow Corning umbrella.
Failed Obama/magic mulatto green solar energy project from tariffs his administration enacted on the chinese under the pretext to "protect" his scumball Union labor supportors and a major Corparations interest.........
Never made 1 single solar panel.......
Dow Corning/ Hemlock got to write it all off tax wise...


All under obama................

I almost never respond to paddler who is the biggest Loser on the Fire.

This post is to the 42 who are still responding to the Loser.

WHY?

You guys see this? Trump lost $1.17 billion dollars between 1985 and 1994. Wow. He was definitely on the wrong reality show. His losses in 1991 were 1% of the total reported by taxpayers that year. Outstanding. Congrats to all those who supported him because of business acumen. You're all losers.

[

Why don't you ask Piddler why he posts his bullschitt on the 'Fire where he is clearly Not Wanted??? He persists, so we kick that clown across the room as needed.

Did he lose his second term before it started as well? Let us guess, the noose is tightening!


How many ulcers do you think you'll have by 2024?

Ahh! When you quote him, it bypasses my ignore feature. Don't know which Paddler this one is, but it is a young one using his original account. The supposed original Paddler said he was at USCL in the 1970's. Doubt he would use the term knuckledragger. Of course the original Paddler claimed he was an MD, maybe all bets are off....

I almost never respond to paddler who is the biggest Loser on the Fire.

This post is to the 42 who are still responding to the Loser.

WHY?

Larry Root made more sense than Paddler...


DF

He lost his presidency before he took office. History will not be kind to him. But you knuckledraggers will never know, it'll be in print.

Man, that is a strong statement. Might be accurate, but whoa!

I can't wait to vote for him again in 2020!

Oh, I thought this was the title of an autobiography...

You guys see this? Trump lost $1.17 billion dollars between 1985 and 1994. Wow. He was definitely on the wrong reality show. His losses in 1991 were 1% of the total reported by taxpayers that year. Outstanding. Congrats to all those who supported him because of business acumen. You're all losers.

Obama is going the jail.

The level of amateur manipulations, school-girl caliber name calling, and lack of logic we see in "it's" posts would suggest to me that such a creature could not graduate high-school easily, let alone medical school.

I am betting "Paddler" doesn't really exist, and is a team of treasonous liberals just trying to spin any bit of truth they can and lie to suit their feelings, and are just hoping they can upset someone and get some threats posted back against "Paddler" so they can report them to some agency somewhere and try to advance their evil agenda.

It would be by far the best thing to do if we all just blocked this creature and ignore it.

I for one have met a lot of scum in my short time as a cop, and my long years as a military man,and also a business owner and CEO of a manufacturing company, and I can't say I have ever met anyone fact to face that I would hold in lower regard then who ever is posting this tripe under the name Paddler.

So folks, please consider what I write here. make you own decisions, but logic should dictate you don't play into this sub-human creatures efforts at all.

My question is why doesn't Rick Bin just give Paddler, Burrinho and a couple of other obvious trolls the boot and ban their IP addresses?? He can determine who the multi-profile trolls are.

Just in the post above, I have, for the first time ever posted anything in rebuttal to "paddler" and my reasons are as follows.

Have any of you folks ever known a real doctor who would go out of his way to insult large ("majority large") groups of people?
I have not.
And I am guessing none of the members here have either and that includes on-line activity.
You see, we have a delusional individual who is 100% immune to truth and facts, so why does anyone think this lying creature is a doctor?

Any good doctor would like to have a platform to share his advice and help people in their areas of expertise but we NEVER see that here. Why? My guess is that there is no doctor posting here.

What do we know about him?
Nothing.
He or She hides ---------- like all cowards.

We don't even know if he/she is writing his own posts.

It would be a lot easier to convince me that he/she/it is a liberal Jr-High School girl posting what some supper radical communist professor gives to her, and that the treasonous professor knows this poor soul is stupid enough to do his or her bidding.

All the posts telling us about "who Paddler is" are all just that. Posts, --- but with NO back-up information, No physical address, no business address, no acceptance of facts or counterpoints, no creditably,and no logical or honest conclusions. Just mud throwing, like a 13 year old girl.

He or she is a cowardly, anonymous, dishonest, illogical and deceitful person or he/she is so stupid that others who fit those descriptions can EASILY sway him/her/it to believe their avalanche of lies and post their writing for them.

But a doctor?
I am highly doubtful.

The level of amateur manipulations, school-girl caliber name calling, and lack of logic we see in "it's" posts would suggest to me that such a creature could not graduate high-school easily, let alone medical school.

I am betting "Paddler" doesn't really exist, and is a team of treasonous liberals just trying to spin any bit of truth they can and lie to suit their feelings, and are just hoping they can upset someone and get some threats posted back against "Paddler" so they can report them to some agency somewhere and try to advance their evil agenda.

It would be by far the best thing to do if we all just blocked this creature and ignore it.

I for one have met a lot of scum in my short time as a cop, and my long years as a military man,and also a business owner and CEO of a manufacturing company, and I can't say I have ever met anyone fact to face that I would hold in lower regard then who ever is posting this tripe under the name Paddler.

So folks, please consider what I write here. make you own decisions, but logic should dictate you don't play into this sub-human creatures efforts at all.

Just in the post above, I have, for the first time ever posted anything in rebuttal to "paddler" and my reasons are as follows.

Have any of you folks ever known a real doctor who would go out of his way to insult large ("majority large") groups of people?
I have not.
And I am guessing none of the members here have either and that includes on-line activity.
You see, we have a delusional individual who is 100% immune to truth and facts, so why does anyone think this lying creature is a doctor?

Any good doctor would like to have a platform to share his advice and help people in their areas of expertise but we NEVER see that here. Why? My guess is that there is no doctor posting here.

What do we know about him?
Nothing.
He or She hides ---------- like all cowards.

We don't even know if he/she is writing his own posts.

It would be a lot easier to convince me that he/she/it is a liberal Jr-High School girl posting what some supper radical communist professor gives to her, and that the treasonous professor knows this poor soul is stupid enough to do his or her bidding.

All the posts telling us about "who Paddler is" are all just that. Posts, --- but with NO back-up information, No physical address, no business address, no acceptance of facts or counterpoints, no creditably,and no logical or honest conclusions. Just mud throwing, like a 13 year old girl.

He or she is a cowardly, anonymous, dishonest, illogical and deceitful person or he/she is so stupid that others who fit those descriptions can EASILY sway him/her/it to believe their avalanche of lies and post their writing for them.

But a doctor?
I am highly doubtful.

The level of amateur manipulations, school-girl caliber name calling, and lack of logic we see in "it's" posts would suggest to me that such a creature could not graduate high-school easily, let alone medical school.

I am betting "Paddler" doesn't really exist, and is a team of treasonous liberals just trying to spin any bit of truth they can and lie to suit their feelings, and are just hoping they can upset someone and get some threats posted back against "Paddler" so they can report them to some agency somewhere and try to advance their evil agenda.

It would be by far the best thing to do if we all just blocked this creature and ignore it.

I for one have met a lot of scum in my short time as a cop, and my long years as a military man,and also a business owner and CEO of a manufacturing company, and I can't say I have ever met anyone fact to face that I would hold in lower regard then who ever is posting this tripe under the name Paddler.

So folks, please consider what I write here. make you own decisions, but logic should dictate you don't play into this sub-human creatures efforts at all.

You guys see this? Trump lost $1.17 billion dollars between 1985 and 1994. Wow. He was definitely on the wrong reality show. His losses in 1991 were 1% of the total reported by taxpayers that year. Outstanding. Congrats to all those who supported him because of business acumen. You're all losers.

Most Doctors and Dentists are not utterly stupid. Our friend Paddler is an exception,a rare creature,a professional man with no common sense.

Sad,but there it is. This is my first post directed toward the foolishness that he posts here. Probably my last.

But know that Medical Professionals are not immune to idiocy,Paddler being the example supreme.

[
The new posters are using a shared account. Bunch of youngsters paid to stir the pot.

Doc,

The dude is no medico. When has he ever jumped in on a medical question on the 'fire and offered anybody some Good Samaritan tips? When I pressed the original poster "Paddler" on it, he claimed that the 'Fire was his distraction from work and didn't want to mix the two. Seriously? He thinks so little of his fellow man that he can't give somebody a tip on diabetes, or gout, or hip replacement potential, or statin drugs or any number of things that SHOULD be as much a part of his everyday life as oxygen. Nope, he's no medico, unless he is the most passive-aggressive MD in America, withholding any friendly advice out of spite and a power trip. Or maybe I'll say his training and our training certainly were different....
The new posters are using a shared account. Bunch of youngsters paid to stir the pot.

He gave STX a cut and paste speil on bronchitis other day.

Doc,

The dude is no medico. When has he ever jumped in on a medical question on the 'fire and offered anybody some Good Samaritan tips? When I pressed the original poster "Paddler" on it, he claimed that the 'Fire was his distraction from work and didn't want to mix the two. Seriously? He thinks so little of his fellow man that he can't give somebody a tip on diabetes, or gout, or hip replacement potential, or statin drugs or any number of things that SHOULD be as much a part of his everyday life as oxygen. Nope, he's no medico, unless he is the most passive-aggressive MD in America, withholding any friendly advice out of spite and a power trip. Or maybe I'll say his training and our training certainly were different....
The new posters are using a shared account. Bunch of youngsters paid to stir the pot.

I think Hatari has it right.

"Paddler" has simply appropriated the identity of some real Dr. Middleton without Dr. Middleton knowing it.

He's a phony. All he's trying to do is get a rise out of us. We need to stop responding to ANYTHING he posts. Rick Bin will not throw him off the site because of how many posts he generates.

Why don't you ask Piddler why he posts his bullschitt on the 'Fire where he is clearly Not Wanted??? He persists, so we kick that clown across the room as needed.

Ahh! When you quote him, it bypasses my ignore feature. Don't know which Paddler this one is, but it is a young one using his original account. The supposed original Paddler said he was at USCL in the 1970's. Doubt he would use the term knuckledragger. Of course the original Paddler claimed he was an MD, maybe all bets are off....

...Donald Trump makes inroads into rival camps

What’s surprising from Gallup’s latest poll numbers is that Democrats are changing their perception toward the job that Trump is doing.

In March, only 4 percent of Democrats approved of the job that Trump was doing, according to CNN. But in April, the number went up to 10 percent. What’s more, Trump’s approval among independents has gone up to 39 percent in April from 33 percent approval during the previous month.

The sharp increase in Donald Trump’s job approval rating, especially among Democrats and independents, can be attributed to the uptick in the American economy so far in 2019. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported late last month that the US economy grew at an annual pace of 3.2 percent during the first quarter of 2019.

Real #GDP rose 3.2% at an annual rate in the first quarter of 2019 (see figure)—above market expectations. The 3.2% annual rate of growth in real GDP matches the Trump Administration’s forecast for the four quarters of 2019. pic.twitter.com/yvjAXFQ9es

— CEA (@WhiteHouseCEA) April 26, 2019

That number was way better than the original expectation of 2.1 percent. The US economy’s first-quarter performance was a pleasant surprise, as severe weather conditions, the trade war with China, and a government shutdown should have ideally weighed on the country’s growth. But improved spending by local and state governments and a decline in imports boosted economic growth beyond expectations.
The case for a 50 percent approval rating, and a potential re-election

The latest Gallup poll doesn’t take into account the blockbuster April job numbers when unemployment fell to a 49-year low. The US economy added 263,000 jobs in April as the unemployment rate declined to 3.6 percent, adding to Donald Trump’s economic success.

April’s Jobs Report brings more great news for American workers!

263,000 new jobs created.

Lowest unemployment in 50 years!

💪 Our economy is strong under @realDonaldTrump’s leadership 💪

— GOP (@GOP) May 3, 2019

So don’t be surprised if the next Gallup poll shows Trump at close to 50 percent job approval once the April jobs numbers are baked in.

Finally, Democrats and critics alike are now admitting that Donald Trump is doing a solid job of boosting the economy that could improve his re-election chances. According to CNN:

The [jobs report] comes on the heels of the announcement that the US economy grew at a much better rate than expected in the first quarter, and Trump’s performance on the economy becomes one of his prime selling points for next year’s general election.

In all, Donald Trump seems to be building a case for himself for 2020 based on the US economy’s performance. Calls for his re-election are gaining momentum while Trump’s new Federal Reserve appointee is scaring the living daylights out of the stock market by warning of a huge crash if Democrats come to power.

Yep, UCLA School of Medicine, Class of 1982. There's just one of me, guys. Get used to it. I'll continue to speak the truth here, bursting your right wing bubbles.

.................YOU could NOT burst a right wing bubble in any way even if your POS life depended on it.

................................I'm stupid??? Well Paddles. ...From now on when you post your,,,, FEELINGS-NOTHING MORE THAN FEELINGS and your talking points from your favorite big lib sources,,,,then please site for us the specific legal statues of law and their numbers that support your FEELINGS to either impeach Trump or bring charges of any kind.......Hmmmmmm???,,,,......How about it Paddles??

From you??..................Crickets,,,,crickets,,,,,crickets,,,,,and a lifetime of listening to theme song of Jeopardy......................................LOL>>>>LOL>>>>LOL..........

It's "cite", not site, or sight. Stupid. If you reject the Mueller report as not being factual, call it a witch hunt, or whatever, you're stupid. Full stop. No if's, and's or but's. Just plain freaking stupid. Your call. I don't really care. Plenty of company here. Enjoy marinating in bullsh*t.

.............Cite? Site? WHO CARES MORON!!.........And as usual you cannot produce a damned thing............Well guess what Paddles?? ALL of YOUR buddies in the deep state and in the Obama admin who contrived this entire scheme to exonerate Hillary and frame Trump for crimes that never existed. are and will be all exposed.

Trump wins next year and you will be miserable for another 4 years........

And by the way you stupid idiot. NOTHING in volume 2 could Mueller have taken into any court and win with a successful prosecution....NOTHING!... That is why he reco'd no criminal referrals.

You are not going to win the war Pussy Paddler. The results you seek, will not come to pass.....LOL>>>LOL>>>LOL

What Do The Worst-Run States Have In Common? They're Run By Tax-And-Spend Democrats

Fiscal Sanity: Which political party is better at managing taxpayer dollars? The latest ranking of states' fiscal condition offers an unequivocal answer.

For several years, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University has ranked states based on five measures of their financial condition: cash solvency, budget solvency, the ability to meet long-term spending commitments, state spending and taxes as a share of personal income, and unfunded pension liabilities and debt.

And lest anyone think that Mercatus — a free-market-oriented group — is fudging the numbers, note that the data used to compile these rankings all come from official state annual financial reports and from state actuarial reports.

For 2016, the latest year for which data are available, the top five most fiscally sound states were, in order: Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma.

The five worst states, starting at the bottom: Illinois, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Kentucky.

Notice anything similar in these groupings? We did. All but one of the top five are solidly Republican states. All but one of the bottom five are solidly Democratic.
Not An Aberration

This isn't some one-year aberration, either.

For the first time this year, Mercatus produced rankings from 2006 through 2016.

What does that show?



Of the 10 states that show up most frequently at the bottom of the list since 2006, nine are solid blue states. Of the 10 states with consistently the best record, all but one are solidly red states. (See nearby table.)

There's another commonality between the best-run and worst-run states. Taxes.

As it turns out, states in the worst fiscal shape also tend to impose the highest tax rates in the nation. In fact, six of the 10 states that consistently show up as the least fiscally solvent rank in the Top 10 for highest taxes as a share of income, according to the Tax Foundation.

Of the 10 most fiscally sound states, all but one impose below-average tax burdens on their residents.
Common Ingredients

So, if it's not tax revenues, what makes a state fiscally sound or not? What the Mercatus data show is that it's the result of years of overspending and overpromising, mostly to unionized government workers by pliant Democratic leaders.

Take a look at Illinois, which ranks dead last in the most recent report. According Mercatus, the Prairie State doesn't have enough cash to cover short-term obligations. Its revenues only cover 92% of expenses. The state has long-term liabilities more than three times as large as its total assets. Illinois' unfunded pension liability was almost $446 billion in 2016. That's equal to 67% of the state's total personal income.

Nebraska, which ranks at the top, has plenty of cash on hand, has little long-term liabilities, and lower-than-average taxes and spending as a share of income. Unlike Illinois, Nebraska has just $20 billion in unfunded pension liabilities.
Who Respects Taxpayers?

Indeed, every state at the bottom of the Mercatus ranking has enormous, and growing, pension liabilities. Unfunded pension liabilities more than doubled in New Jersey from 2006 to 2016. They tripled in Illinois and Kentucky.

Financially sound states, in contrast, have kept their pension liabilities low, tend not to spend more than they take in, and have plenty of cash on hand.

Or, to put it another way: The best-run states show greater respect for taxpayers than the worst-run states.

What does that say about Democratic and Republican priorities?

As 'They' say, "The proof is in the Puddin' "...

https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/worst-run-states-big-spending-democrats/

I'm disappointed to see Kentucky in that mix of socialist schitthole states.