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CEO Survey: Illinois 3rd Worst State In Which To Do Business
Last week, Chief Executive magazine announced the results of its 9th annual survey regarding the best and worst states in which to do business. From their website:
In its ninth annual survey of CEO opinion about the best and worst states in which to do business, 736 CEOs—the highest response on record—rendered their verdict. Business leaders were asked to grade states with which they are familiar on a variety of competitive metrics that CEOs themselves regard as critical. These include: 1) taxation and regulation; 2) quality of workforce; and 3) living environment. The tax and regulatory grade includes a measure of how CEOs grade a state’s attitude toward business, a key indicator.
The best states in which to do business?
1. Texas (9 consecutive years now)
2. Florida
3. North Carolina
4. Tennessee
5. Indiana
Nice job Indiana!
The “Top 5” were unchanged from last year.
And the worst states in which to do business?
1. California
2. New York
3. Illinois
4. Massachusetts
5. New Jersey
Nice going Illinois. Second year in a row in that position.
The faster Illinois residents dump incompetent and ill-intentioned lawmakers, the sooner the state will be able to make headway on a number of real issues. Avoiding insolvency (somewhat of a stretch at this point) and job retention/attraction readily come to mind here.
By the way, our neighbors to the north- Wisconsin- climbed three spots in this latest survey to number 17. JP Donlon wrote on May 6:
More and more states are getting the pro-growth message. Wisconsin governor Scott Walker’s position is typical of this new thinking. “I’ve never seen a store get more customers by raising its prices, but I’ve seen customers knock down doors when they cut prices,” he says.
You can view the rankings of all 50 U.S. states on the Chief Executive website here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
Donlon, JP. “States More Aggressive in Competing With One Another.” Chief Executive. 6 May 2013. (http://chiefexecutive.net/states-more-aggressive-in-competing-with-one-another-2013). 13 May 2013.
Glenn Beck: ‘We Are The First Responders’
Glenn Beck, the conservative radio/television host, political commentator, and author, gave the keynote address at the National Rifle Association’s 2013 national convention that just wrapped up in Houston. Beck, who I actually met and spoke to briefly when I was in Dallas at the end of March for the FoodInsurance™ “Ready, Set, Prep” Summit, pointed out the following concerning the term “first responders” as he spoke about different firearms that “tell the story and teach the story of the 2nd Amendment.” From his speech:
9/11- Walter Reaver’s Revolver
September 11th, 2001. A moment in history that will define this generation. While victims were running away, men, were running into those buildings. Amazing men like young Walter Weaver, a member of the NYPD and an NRA life member. He was last seen in the World Trade Center trying to rescue people. He was in the lobby trying to free people trapped in an elevator. A servant fighting for the individual’s freedom until the very end.
After the towers fell and the nation mourned, we sifted through the rubble, this is all that was left as a reminder of Walter Weaver. A silent token of liberty.
Walter Weaver, I’m sure wouldn’t want to be called a hero.
He was simply an American.
He was an example of what we all should be—men, who just do the right thing when time calls our name.
When there is an emergency or trouble we are the ones that should run to help. We must be the action on the other end of the 911 call.
I don’t know, but I believe Walter Weaver would tell you that he wasn’t trained to be hero by the police academy.
But he was raised in a culture that taught him about self-sacrifice and to always do the right thing, even when no one else is watching. He had those things long before he wore a uniform.
How many of us can say that.
Good cops, bad cop, it doesn’t mean you take all the badges. It’s the people, not the badge.
As good as the policemen in our country are. When you are in trouble the average police response rate is 8 minutes; most crimes take less than one.
If a responsible citizen with a gun had been in that movie theater in Colorado, or if members in the audience in that theater were allowed to bring their gun into the theater and not leave them locked in their cars, how many lives would have been saved?
How many of the mourning, children would instead have been able to spend time over breakfast with their mom or dad this morning if someone good was allowed to have a gun?
While our politicians from the local to the federal level have spent us into oblivion, and our public services are being obliterated and our police force is being cut.
I will no longer accept the media falsehood nor reinforce it by calling our brave men and women in blue on our cities and streets first responders. It’s time for America to recognize WE are the first responders.
They are the 2nd responders, we are the first responders.
When there is trouble let us be the first on the scene to help.
Let us be the first responder when someone is sick or hungry or frightened.
Let us be the first to share our bread with the hungry; Let us be the first to open our hearts to the homeless poor; Let us be the first to remove the yoke of injustice.
I don’t know what America will choose. But for me and my family, I choose to stand with courage. I choose to stand with selflessness. I chose to stand with God with Malice toward none and charity to all.
That’s who we are.
Forget what the media says, I know that’s who we are.
You can read Glenn Beck’s entire speech here on GlennBeck.com.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Columbia University Economist Decries Criminal Behavior On Wall Street, ‘Corrupt Politics To The Core’
Stumbling on the following made me reminisce about the “good old days” as editor of Boom2Bust.com, “The Most Hated Blog On Wall Street,” when I would following the shenanigans on Wall Street a lot more than I’m able to today. From Jeffrey Sachs, an economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, at the 31st Annual Monetary & Trade Conference on April 17:
A lot of what’s happened actually and what’s been revealed is in my view prima facie criminal behavior. It’s financial fraud on a very large extent. There’s also a tremendous amount of insider trading, and you can even watch it when you’re living in New York, how that works…
I believe we have a crisis of values that is extremely deep, because the regulations and the legal structures need reform. But I meet a lot of these people on Wall Street on a regular basis right now. I’m going to put it very bluntly. I regard the moral environment as pathological. And I’m talking about the human interactions that I have. I’ve not seen anything like this, not felt it so palpably. These people are out to make billions of dollars and nothing should stop them from that. They have no responsibility to pay taxes. They have no responsibility to their clients. They have no responsibility to people, counterparties in transactions. They are tough, greedy, aggressive, and feel absolutely out of control, you know, in a quite literal sense. And they have gamed the system to a remarkable extent, and they have a docile president, a docile White House, and a docile regulatory system that absolutely can’t find its voice. It’s terrified of these companies.
If you look at the campaign contributions, which I happened to do yesterday for another purpose, the financial markets are the number one campaign contributors in the U.S. system now. We have a corrupt politics to the core, I’m afraid to say, and no party is – I mean there’s – if not both parties are up to their necks in this. This has nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans. It really doesn’t have anything to do with right wing or left wing, by the way. The corruption is, as far as I can see, everywhere. But what it’s led to is this sense of impunity that is really stunning, and you feel it on the individual level right now, and it’s very, very unhealthy.
I have waited for four years, five years now, to see one figure on Wall Street speak in a moral language, and I’ve not seen it once. And that is shocking to me. And if they won’t, I’ve waited for a judge, for our president, for somebody, and it hasn’t happened. And by the way it’s not going to happen anytime soon it seems.
“SR 76 Wall Street”
YouTube Video
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Illinois 45th In Comprehensive State Freedom Rankings
From the George Mason University Mercatus Center website “Newsroom” last week:
Today the Mercatus Center released the third edition of Freedom in the 50 States by Will Ruger and Jason Sorens. In this new edition, the authors score states on over 200 policy variables. Additionally, they have collected data from 2001 to measure how states’ freedom rankings have changed over the past decade. While several organizations publish state freedom rankings, Freedom in the 50 States is the only one that measures both economic and personal freedoms.
While the “Land of Lincoln” is ranked 45th this year (down 2 spots from 2012), our neighbors to the north and east, Wisconsin and Indiana, fared better at 38th and 16th, respectively.
North Dakota has the highest freedom ranking among states in 2013, while New York, followed by California and New Jersey, has the lowest.
Surprise, surprise.
You can read the entire Mercatus Center “Newsroom” piece here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Chicago 4th On Latest Forbes ‘America’s Most Miserable Cities’ List
I really hate this time of year in Chicago. Yeah, the cold, wintry days here in the concrete jungle have a lot to do with it. But it’s also that part of the year when Forbes releases their “America’s Most Miserable Cities” list. And the recent trend has seen Chicago moving higher- i.e., more miserable- up that list. Forbes just released their latest installment.
And the trend remains intact.
Chicago climbs to number 4 on the 2013 list of “America’s Most Miserable Cities,” up from 6th last year and 7th in 2011.
From the Forbes website:
Chicago has passionate supporters, but residents must endure the misery of long commutes, plummeting home prices, brutal winters and high foreclosure rates. The migration rate out of Chicago is the sixth worst among the 200 largest metros.
Kurt Badenhausen added in the accompanying article:
Two cities on our list, Chicago (No. 4) and New York (No. 10) may surprise readers, though they’ve been here before. Both offer a myriad of opportunities and positives as the homes of financial centers, world-class culture, leading universities, sports teams galore and high-end restaurants. But it isn’t easy living in either city, particularly if you don’t earn a lot of money (even if you do it can be tough).
Chicago residents must endure long commutes (31 minutes on average), plummeting home prices (37% the past five years), brutal winters and high foreclosure rates (3.3% of homes in 2012 says RealtyTrac). Many residents are giving up on the Windy City with a net migration out of the city of 107,000 people the past five years, according to Moody’s Analytics.
Regrettably, another Illinois city- Rockford- accompanies Chicago in the “top 5,” which includes:
5. Modesto, CA
4. Chicago, IL
3. Rockford, IL
2. Flint, MI
1. Detroit, MI
To make matters worse, the county north of Cook- Lake County- was named to the number 9 spot this year.
Illinois residents couldn’t be more proud, I’m sure.
You can see the entire 2013 list of America’s “Most Miserable Cities” here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
New York Times Article ‘The Preppers Next Door’
Yesterday I read an article that appeared in The New York Times last weekend entitled “The Preppers Next Door.”
I was all prepared to read a hack job about modern survivalism, but came away impressed by Alan Feuer’s effort.
This could have something to do with the fact that Feuer himself is a prepper.
The reporter wrote about modern survivalists in the New York City area, including Jason Charles, the New York City firefighter who appeared in season 1 episode 3 of Doomsday Preppers and who heads up the New York City Preppers Network, and Aton Edwards, founder of the International Preparedness Network and who recently starred in the Doomsday Preppers “Escape From New York” special, to name just two.
Articles by mainstream journalists in which preppers aren’t portrayed as somewhat to full-blown kooky are few-and-far-between, so it was refreshing to come across Feuer’s piece, which you can read here on the Times website.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Cook County Implementing Gun Registration?
Taking to heart Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s opinion about letting no crisis go to waste, both the City of Chicago and Cook County are joining together to push more gun “control” on their law-abiding residents in the aftermath of Newtown, Connecticut. From the Ward Room blog on the website of Chicago NBC affiliate Channel 5 yesterday:
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is seeking to broaden a requirement for gun owners to report the loss, theft or sale of firearms to include all of Cook County…
For the first time, similar reporting requirements would be expanded to all of Cook County under companion legislation that’s been drawn up.
County Board President Toni Preckwinkle plans to introduce that legislation at a county board meeting on Wednesday.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
“To report the loss, theft or sale of firearms to include all of Cook County.”
“Report… sale of firearms.”
Should the proposed legislation pass, when a firearm is sold in Cook County, would information about the gun, seller, and purchaser, now be provided to County officials?
Sounds like this could be a new gun registry in the works.
Back on November 23, 2012, I blogged about Cook County’s recently-adopted $25 per gun “violence tax” on firearm purchases in the county also being a possible gun registration scheme.
Gun registration often leads to confiscation. From the latest edition of Gun Facts, a popular firearm reference book:
Myth: Registration does not lead to confiscation
Fact: It did in Canada. The handgun registration law of 1934 was the source used to identify and confiscate (without compensation) over half of the registered handguns in 2001.
Fact: It did in Germany. The 1928 Law on Firearms and Ammunition (before the Nazis came into power) required all firearms to be registered. When Hitler came into power, the existing lists were used for confiscating weapons.
Fact: It did in Australia. In 1996, the Australian government confiscated over 660,000 previously legal weapons from their citizens.
Fact: It did in California. The 1989 Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act required registration. Due to shifting definitions of “assault weapons,” many legal firearms are now being confiscated by the California government.
Fact: It did in New York City. In 1967, New York City passed an ordinance requiring a citizen to obtain a permit to own a rifle or shotgun, which would then be registered. In 1991, the city passed a ban on the private possession of some semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, and “registered” owners were told that those firearms had to be surrendered, rendered inoperable, or taken out of the city.
Fact: It did in Bermuda, Cuba, Greece, Ireland, Jamaica, and Soviet Georgia as well.
Nothing on the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) website about this. Not surprising, considering how active the gun “control” supporters are these days.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Sources:
“Chicago Gun Rules Could Extend to All Cook County.” Ward Room. 13 Jan. 2013. (http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Chicago-Gun-Rules-Could-Extend-to-All-Cook-County-186728431.html). 14 Jan. 2013.
Smith, Guy. Gun Facts Version 6.1. Guy Smith, 2012.
Obama Gun ‘Control’ To Extend Beyond Gun, Ammunition Magazine Bans?
This should keep the panic buying going for a while longer with anything firearms-related. Philip Rucker reported on the Washington Post website this Saturday:
The White House is weighing a far broader and more comprehensive approach to curbing the nation’s gun violence than simply reinstating an expired ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition, according to multiple people involved in the administration’s discussions.
A working group led by Vice President Biden is seriously considering measures backed by key law enforcement leaders that would require universal background checks for firearm buyers, track the movement and sale of weapons through a national database, strengthen mental health checks, and stiffen penalties for carrying guns near schools or giving them to minors, the sources said.
To sell such changes, the White House is developing strategies to work around the National Rifle Association that one source said could include rallying support from Wal-Mart and other gun retailers for measures that would benefit their businesses. White House aides have also been in regular contact with advisers to New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I), an outspoken gun-control advocate who could emerge as a powerful surrogate for the Obama administration’s agenda.
The Biden group, formed last month after the massacre at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school that killed 20 children and six adults, plans to submit a package of recommendations to President Obama this month. Once Obama’s proposals are set, he plans to lead a public-relations offensive to generate popular support.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Well, as I blogged earlier today, Chicago Democrats tried pushing “far broader and more comprehensive” gun “control” on Illinois residents twice in the last couple of days. And failed. This in a state where “The Machine” is incredibly-influential in state politics and even got their man- Pat Quinn- elected governor in 2010 despite him winning only 4 out of 102 counties in the state. I’m sure the Chicago Democrats currently wielding power in the nation’s capital are fully-aware of the gun “control” debacle in their “home” state by now. In light of these latest developments, it will be interesting to see what exactly the “Biden group” ends up proposing.
One more thing. Regarding what Rucker said about the White House “developing strategies to work around the National Rifle Association that one source said could include rallying support from Wal-Mart and other gun retailers for measures that would benefit their businesses.” I have a feeling retailers who are caught “playing ball” with the gun “control” crowd will be punished by many in the firearm community. These days, I routinely encounter comments from visitors on gun-related websites, blogs, and forums declaring that they will no longer be buying anything from Dick’s Sporting Goods and Cheaper Than Dirt after the two retailers suspended sales of firearms in the days after the Newtown, Connecticut-shootings. Other retailers possibly considering such an alliance with the Obama White House on gun “control” will almost certainly be watching to see how these decisions made by Dick’s and Cheaper Than Dirt pan out for them.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
Rucker, Philip. “White House weighs broad gun-control agenda in wake of Newtown shootings.” Washington Post. 5 Jan. 2013. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-weighs-broad-gun-control-agenda-in-wake-of-newtown-shootings/2013/01/05/d281efe0-5682-11e2-bf3e-76c0a789346f_story.html). 7 Jan. 2013.
Talk Of Gun Confiscation, Compulsory ‘Buy-Backs’
Recent talk of banning “assault weapons” and “high-capacity” ammunition magazines has turned into discussion about gun confiscation and compulsory “buy-backs” by leading Democrats.
(Editor’s note: How can government buy back something it never owned in the first place?)
There’s talk of confiscation and a compulsory “buy-back” in the state of New York. Thomas Kaplan reported on The New York Times website last Thursday that New York’s Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo had discussed gun “control” in an interview on an Albany radio station that same day. Kaplan wrote:
In the interview, Mr. Cuomo did not offer specifics about the measures he might propose, but, while discussing assault weapons, he said: “Confiscation could be an option. Mandatory sale to the state could be an option. Permitting could be an option — keep your gun but permit it.”
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Confiscation. Compulsory “buy-back.”
No mention of an option to not implement more gun “control” in the state of New York.
And speaking of gun confiscation- but on a national level- CBS New York ran the following on their website this past Saturday:
Amid talk of reinstating the assault weapons ban that expired eight years ago, police departments nationwide are thinking of ways to confiscate such weapons.
As WCBS 880’s Marla Diamond reported, among the departments considering taking action is the NYPD. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said if Congress were to reinstate the ban, police are wondering whether it will be their responsibility to confiscate them.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
“Police departments nationwide are thinking of ways to confiscate such weapons.”
I don’t think owners of “assault weapons” will be too happy to hear that.
There’s also chatter about a potential national compulsory gun “buy-back.” Joel Gehrke reported on the Washington Examiner website on Friday:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said that she and other gun control advocates are considering a law that would create a program to purchase weapons from gun owners, a proposal that could be compulsory.
We are also looking at a buy-back program,” Feinstein said today in a press conference. “Now, again, this is a work in progress so these are ideas in the development.”
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Gun confiscations and compulsory “buy-backs.”
What next?
Sources:
Kaplan, Thomas. “Cuomo Says He’ll Outline Gun Proposal Next Month.” The New York Times. 20 Dec. 2012. (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/21/nyregion/cuomo-says-he-will-outline-gun-measures-next-month.html?_r=1&). 24 Dec. 2012.
“Police Wonder If They’ll Need To Confiscate Assault Weapons In Event Of Ban.” CBS New York. 22 Dec. 2012. (http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/12/22/police-wonder-if-theyll-need-to-confiscate-assault-weapons-in-event-of-ban/). 24 Dec. 2012.
Gehrke, Joel. “Sen. Feinstein suggests national buyback of guns.” Washington Examiner. 21 Dec. 2012. (http://washingtonexaminer.com/sen.-feinstein-suggests-national-buyback-of-guns/article/2516648#.UNjKUaweo1J). 24 Dec. 2012.
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg Slams Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel On Crime
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg appeared on the Charlie Rose show this past Monday, and while discussing last week’s shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, the outspoken gun ‘control’ advocate told viewers:
There are some cities, they’ve hired counselors to go out and work with gangs. One mayor said, don’t do your stuff on the streets, you gangs, do it in the back alleys. I mean, those cities, their crime rate is through the roof. Ours is down 20 percent this year, our murder rate.
Ouch.
Local readers of Survival And Prosperity can probably figure out that Mayor Bloomberg was referring to the City of Chicago’s partnership with the anti-violence group CeaseFire, and Mayor Emanuel’s warning to Chicago gangbangers to “take your stuff away to the alley” this past July, with that statement.
I can’t help but wonder if someone’s going to be getting a dead fish in the mail soon.
You can watch Mayor Bloomberg’s criticism here (starting at 10:54) on the Charlie Rose website.
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