Freedom is a word that can mean anything.
The distinction is important to understanding the new Mercatus Center report, "Freedom in the 50 States," in which Maryland ranks in the bottom 10 states, 43rd to be exact. If you haven't guessed by now, Mercatus adopts the first definition.
It may not surprise those who support limited government that Maryland ranks so low. But the report doesn't just measure economic freedom, it also ranks personal freedom, for which the state ranks dead last.
Those who support same-sex marriage would applaud the ranking, as the lack of a law permitting civil unions is one of the main reasons Maryland achieved a low score. Also contributing to the 43rd spot are tough marijuana laws and the ability of police to take DNA from those arrested for certain offenses.
Maryland's economic score was in the middle of the pack, largely because the state's personal income is so high it offsets the ratio of income as a percentage of state and local taxation. In fact, Jason Sorens, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Buffalo and one of the report's two authors, said the findings may "overstate" Maryland's economic ranking because of that issue.
2 comments:
This is no suprose at all. I have been ranting and raving on blogs and news sites for years now about the laws and police in Maryland. It seems that they have absolute power and final say in all matters. Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. Just so sick of the same old tune you will always get from the state government, just looking out for us lowly inhabitants....Maryland needs to get with the times and actually understand that in order to improve you have to develop not stay the same and try to mash a square peg in a round hole....
No surprise at all....unfortunately! I would leave Maryland in a heartbeat to pursue my career which has so much potential but it will be too limited in Maryland, as I have already experienced. Guess I keep holding out that some "big wig" will wake up and realize that Maryland could be so much more...
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