VIRGINIA: Best State in the Nation to Do Business
By Shaun Kenney | Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 | VirginiaGovernor McDonnell is grinning ear to ear this evening, as Virginia reclaimed her top spot as best state in the Union to do business. So sayeth CNBC:
Virginia is a perennial favorite with its strategic location, friendly business climate and diverse economy. It moved back on top this year thanks to marked improvements in a couple of key areas.
We found Virginia’s tax burden improved considerably, helping the state move up five places to number 21 in our all-important Cost of Doing Business Category.
In Education, Virginia jumps seven points to rank sixth, reflecting an effort begun in 2009 to reduce class sizes.
But not all is rosy in Virginia. The state fell eight spots to number 26 in Quality of Life, which, among other things, measures healthcare. The number of uninsured residents in Virginia has risen steadily in recent years.
Interesting to note that just recently, a free market organization labeled Virginia’s public schools as worst in the nation. So which is right?
I’ll leave that one to the comments section.
More:
* Ryan Nobles says this is a “major coup” for Gov. McDonnell
* Anita Kumar reminds us that “Virginia ranked first on Forbes magazine’s list of best states for business — and has for the past four years.”
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Shaun Kenney is the Chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, former Communications Director for the Republican Party of Virginia, and an active blogger since 2002. Shaun lives in Thomas Jefferson's backyard with his wife, six children, and a modest attempt at a farm in Kents Store, Virginia.
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12 Responses to "VIRGINIA: Best State in the Nation to Do Business"
Virginia: Best state in the nation to draft a president from. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Draft-Bob-McDonnell-for-President-in-2012/182559595128064
Thanks for posting this, Shaun. It shows what commonsense, practical, conservative policies, conducted in a consistent manner, will do. Is it any wonder that during this entire run for Virginia, there’s been a Republican House of Delegates?
I think Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins might have put it best:
“Some in Richmond?” Hmm, now who would that be?
I think he might be running for the U.S. Senate: former part-time governor, full-time Obama cheerleader, Tim Kaine.
If it were not for the GOP House acting as a check on Kaine during his administration and there to help bolster McDonnell’s, I don’t think we’re having this discussion today.
That all being said – note that the other state in the discussion – also perennially either number one or two on the list – is Texas. Also a very conservative state when it comes to limiting government and having a pro-growth, pro-business climate. They’re governed by oft-mentioned presidential possible, Gov. Rick Perry
The facts are clear on who has it right on the economy. If only they could be translated to DC.
Can anyone say McDonnell/Perry or Perry/McDonnell in 2012?
“Governor Perry has overseen job growth in Texas that sits at 47% of all jobs created in the entirety of the United States — just during the two and half years Obama’s been in office.”
Match that McDonnell supporters !
I guess all that rhetoric about the fact that it is the private sector that creates jobs gets ignored so the political operatives herein can celebrate the supposed great work the Governor has done. Fact is, Virginia has been rated at tthe top for many years covering administrations by both republicans and democrats. This huffing and puffing is getting absurd. I expect it from Bolling who wants to ride this wave into the Governor’s mansion, but let’s get real. Economic development is a team sport. Bolling’s been to Italy; our regional economic development program has been to 15 countries and 28 states in the same period of time. No one administration or official is responsible for job loss or job gain.
Thanks, Mike. We’ll have that comment framed and prominently displayed on the site once the 2012 Virginia main attraction gets started.
Also – I completely agree, which is why I’m elated that the GOP policies that began in 1999 with the House of Delegates are finally taking shape and bring prosperity to the Commonwealth.
Now can we get education to #1 ?
I say “YES”, by education reform, school choice, and the free market!
The best way to measure Republican success is by Democrats and their failures at trying to do the same thing.
“Now can we get education to #1 ?
I say “YES”, by education reform, school choice, and the free market!”
+1 Lets get a majority and make this happen..
In traveling around, I noted that some seemed to want to credit Virginia’s coming out number 1 as being due to our proximity to Washington DC and all the government jobs. So I did some checking on my own, and Maryland ranks number 29 and they are just as close.
We’re doing something right and I hope we keep it up. I still have my own complaints, like the increased tax costs I have to pay in my own industry as compared to most of my competitors because I am based in Virginia. However our unemployment rate is still well below the national average so some must be benefiting, just not me.
I get it that partisan crowing on this forum is a forgone conclusion, and that sitting Governors of the party opposite the last onee would never stoop to give credit to his predecessors. Yet the large majority of present successes at retaining and luring companies is the result of work done long before McDonnell took office. So if he were really a statesman with potential to be a great leader, he would acknowledge that truth, not continue with this partisan fantasy that good only occurs when his party is in power. We are Virginians, and we used to think doing the right thing was what binded us together; the hyper partisanship on this forum reflects the current sad state of affairs.
Seems to me that anyone claiming “credit” should be able to point to specific examples of what they did and not just vague talk (Republican or Democrat, I like to see results and data).
This is good news for VA, and not unexpected. We as a state have been among the best states for business for decades and in general the policies of both parties have been relatively pro-business. Kudos to Gov. McDonnell, his predecessors, Virginia’s business and education communities and numerous others who have helped to get us to this point
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