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• FTA:
  Among the 10 fastest-growing metro areas last year were Raleigh, Austin, Las Vegas, Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. All of these are in low-tax, business-friendly red states.

  What makes no sense to me is that several of these areas are blue strongholds in red states. Orlando, Austin, Vegas, Houston, and San Antonio are all run by leftists. I don't know enough about the rest to comment.

  • Weather plays a big role too. Taxes too and other than property taxes the GOP state controlled governments manage that.

• And now for the liberal reaction/justification (translated into English):

  But it all depends on your definition of "freedom"!

  Remember recently some lib idiot came out with the notion that the nanny state actually promotes freedom because then people don't have to worry about all the mundane necessities of life - the gov't takes care of it all? Now you're "free" to hang out at the bar, watch tv, go surfing duuuuuuude, go to the OWS shit-in, etc!

  Hey, in NY you're "free" from the scourges of having to learn how to use your gun to protect yourself, the harm a 16 oz soda will do to you, or decide for yourself what charitable causes you want to contribute to. For decades, NYC has "freed" their residents from the horror of lower food prices by not allowing a more efficient, cheaper way of getting the food to you (large supermarkets are not allowed - except for one in Harlem - so everyone has to shop in 3-4 aisle markets where everything costs 30-50% more than in the large markets in NJ)

  California wants to "free" you from having to use your car, ever. Despite protests from the unenlightened, the gallant gov't people forge ahead to free the people from ever building something on land they own. Someday, Californians might be "freed" from even owning the land.

  See? It's all a matter of viewpoint. So let's not get judgemental, forcing our beliefs about what freedom is on other people.

  • Freedom from freedom.

• If their was any doubt in people's minds that the commiecrats want nothing short of total control over your lives, this should settle it. The way things are going, shitholes like NY are going to put up walls to keep the taxpayers in.

• I was born in North Dakota and remember well one day in winter when my mother tried to cheer me up as I was leaving for school (on foot no less!). She said, "the high tomorrow is supposed to be 12." You know it's North Dakota when 12 is supposed to be warm day.

  • My poor dear son walking all of two blocks to school. At least you were bundled up against the cold. You left the state at a young age and here I am still in ND. And I remember walking five blocks to grade school through snow banks that were knee-high only to find the school doors locked as they had cancelled school - should have listened to the radio, I guess.

  • LOL!!! I remember walking to school in 20 below weather, that kind of stuff kept the rif-raf out. I could deal with it till it got to be thirty below with a 30 mile an hour wind. That takes your breath away. I also remember back in the 80's one winter was so cold that all the employees of the radio station I worked at left their cars running all day. It was great when we went out for lunch since the cars were warm already...I remember building snow forts, being soaking wet from playing outside in the snow, sledding down big hils, and during the summer shooting gophers with my 22, fishing with my dad and in the fall hunting all around the central part of the state. It was a lot like Mayberry back in those days, Everybody in town knew who you were so when you screwed up, your parents knew the details before you got home. And the other thing I remember was people took care of each other, your friends or family has some kind of problem, everyone stepped in to help..I haven't been back in a few years, I got a couple buddies who are in law enforcement back there and they cal me and tell me with all the folks moving in to work the oil fields they are getting more crime.. a shame...But it is the only state with a billion dollar budget surplus..These Idiots in Kalifornia could learn a thing or two from the small state of North Dakota.

    • Not so silent - - Back in the late 70's I did time at 1310 KNOX and their FM 94.,7! Small world.

      • KFYR-Bismarck for about 8 years...

        • The Voice of the Northern Great Plains - 5 states and 2 Canadian provinces - 550 AM KFYR... also the largest daytime broadcast range of any AM station (I could pick that station up during the day all the way into Gillette, WY while traveling).

          I miss those days of Mark Armstrong and Phil Parker in the morning. They were great together.

          Al Gustin taught me most of what I know about the ag industry.

    • I know someone that moved there recently for work.
      He's trouble, drunk and druggie. If you want his name so your friends can watch him, let me know.

• I should have never left North Dakota..If it wasn't for that "Ass deep in snow at 30 below" period from November to March...:)

  • Notsosilent, I hear ya'. I lived in Bismarck for 13 years. I miss it tremendously... just a hop,skip and a jump up to Manitoba's Parkland fishing; just as easy down to South Dakota's Black Hills; a mere seven hours to Fort Smith, Montana and the famed Bighorn River; just a few hours over to the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota. Or just stay close to home and enjoy world-class walleye, pike and quality trout angling in the area lakes and Missouri River. World class waterfowl and quality upland game bird hunting. Truth be told, though, 10 out of my 13 winters there were easy, but when it's bad, it's really bad (-83F wind chill index at 5 p.m. the last Saturday of January 1997; one just doesn't forget something like that). I hear society is changing a lot since they've been rockin' the Bakken and I've seen that, somewhat, on subsequent visits. I think the voters made a terrible mistake when they didn't abolish their state income tax but, hey, it's their state. In any case, I wish I could move back but... well, it ain't gonna happen. At least I can head back and fish.

• I think Wyoming is miscalculated or the numbers are askew because the state's budget is divided out over so few residents (425,000 or so). Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel free as a bird when I'm in Wyoming. I'm not a resident so perhaps it's a lot different for touring anglers and campers.

• Dumb and Dumber.

  • But they make a cute couple...

    • They'd look even better coming out of the chute of a wood chipper.

      • in Fargo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!