Recently an interesting Forbes article was published which looks at the state fiscal crisis in a new and refreshing way. Using a 'deadweight ratio' of the number of private sector workers paying into state funds versus the number of public sector workers and pensions being paid out. By this measure you can tell how many people each private sector worker is supporting in the public sector -whether a retiree or a public sector worker. Yes, by this measure, in California, the results are still dire. Read on to see what I mean!
Many Eyes
I haven't posted anything on Many Eyes for a long time... but it's time to break that streak! Many Eyes is a data visualization web site from IBM which allows you to slice data in some interesting ways. One of the more interesting ways I've found to use the site is to split data into state-by-state results to see how states perform in relation to each other. You can see (and edit!) my data here.
Yes, in three states private sector employees support more than one other person. 1.21 in Mississippi, 1.18 in New Mexico, and 1.13 in California. How does your state stack up?
