What Afflicts Our States
Posted at 12:45 p.m. on Nov. 27, 2012
The States Project has released an extensive report looking at the “state of the states” in the wake of the financial crisis.
Main findings:” 1. The recovery from the Great Recession has been longer and slower than any recovery in the postwar period and has exposed structural weaknesses in state economies that need attention now. 2. Medicaid costs have escalated due to increased enrollment and rising heath care costs, threatening to “crowd out” other state priorities like education and infrastructure. 3. Pensions and health benefits for government workers are not properly valued or funded, resulting in huge unfunded liabilities for states. 4. Federal grants to states are headed for the chopping block as the federal government deals with its own budget deficits and debt. 5. States do not account to citizens in ways that are transparent, timely, or accessible.”
There are also individual reports available for New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
