I would characterize this chart as: “What industry is most regulated in your state, and therefore most needs to pay off government officials to maintain its situation?”
Not for WA. In WA, it’s “which industry has so much money floating around that it can choose to use money to influence whatever election it’s interested in.” Big money was spent on a city school board election in our state and on the charter school initiative, and the money came from the tech industry (I think, not just because of the hope that tech purchases will become more significant in charter schools, but through ideological support of education reform agendas).
Also, they eliminated the lawyers from the calculation, because they couldn’t tell which industry lawyer contributions reflected. But, lawyers are big contributors.
“I would characterize this chart as: “What industry is most regulated in your state, and therefore most needs to pay off government officials to maintain its situation?””
The Mercatus center ranks Nevada as #1 in gambling freedom and RI as #44, so, um, no.
I don’t think Mercatus Center is measuring the regulation the same way I am. A state that prohibits all forms of gambling would rank as highly-regulated in their measure, even though the number of regulatory personnel, and the number of private sector consultants, lawyers, etc., dealing with gambling, would be very small. (Indeed, such a state would barely have a gambling industry.) On the other hand, a state that permitted many forms of gambling, with extensive rules for each form, would be ranked as less-regulated by Mercatus, whereas I would consider it as highly-regulated, because many people would be employed in administering and dealing with the regulatory apparatus.
Rhode Island isn’t exactly the Las Vegas of the East. However, there is a large gambling industry there in Newport and in Twin Rivers, I think in part due to Narragansett Indians allowing gambling on their land.
How is tech not the dominant industry in CA? Energy is definitely a dominating industry in PA right now and health seems right for TN. My tiny town has 6 or so big hospitals and other related companies.
Apt. 11d 
Manufacturing? Really? Huh.
Boston elected a union mayor last night, apparently.
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I would characterize this chart as: “What industry is most regulated in your state, and therefore most needs to pay off government officials to maintain its situation?”
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Not for WA. In WA, it’s “which industry has so much money floating around that it can choose to use money to influence whatever election it’s interested in.” Big money was spent on a city school board election in our state and on the charter school initiative, and the money came from the tech industry (I think, not just because of the hope that tech purchases will become more significant in charter schools, but through ideological support of education reform agendas).
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Also, they eliminated the lawyers from the calculation, because they couldn’t tell which industry lawyer contributions reflected. But, lawyers are big contributors.
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“I would characterize this chart as: “What industry is most regulated in your state, and therefore most needs to pay off government officials to maintain its situation?””
The Mercatus center ranks Nevada as #1 in gambling freedom and RI as #44, so, um, no.
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I don’t think Mercatus Center is measuring the regulation the same way I am. A state that prohibits all forms of gambling would rank as highly-regulated in their measure, even though the number of regulatory personnel, and the number of private sector consultants, lawyers, etc., dealing with gambling, would be very small. (Indeed, such a state would barely have a gambling industry.) On the other hand, a state that permitted many forms of gambling, with extensive rules for each form, would be ranked as less-regulated by Mercatus, whereas I would consider it as highly-regulated, because many people would be employed in administering and dealing with the regulatory apparatus.
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Rhode Island isn’t exactly the Las Vegas of the East. However, there is a large gambling industry there in Newport and in Twin Rivers, I think in part due to Narragansett Indians allowing gambling on their land.
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Michigan is dominated by real estate? Really?
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How is tech not the dominant industry in CA? Energy is definitely a dominating industry in PA right now and health seems right for TN. My tiny town has 6 or so big hospitals and other related companies.
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