◼ Best- and worst-run states: Survey of all 50 - USA Today
...The states that were well-managed also tended to have lower unemployment rates. Eight of the 10 states with the lowest unemployment rates ranked as the best-run states. California, Illinois, and Nevada — the states with the highest unemployment rates as of 2012 — were among the five worst-run states....
WORST-RUN STATES
50. California
> Debt per capita: $3,990 (20th-highest)
> Budget deficit: 27.8% (3rd-largest)
> Unemployment: 10.5% (2nd-highest)
> Median household income: $58,328 (11th-highest)
> Pct. below poverty line: 17.0% (18th-highest)
For the third year in a row, California is the worst-run state in America. California faced a nearly $24 billion in budget shortfall in fiscal 2012, including a mid-year shortfall of $930 million and $8.2 billion carried over from the year before. California carries an A credit rating from Standard & Poor's, and an A1 from Moody's — both worse than any other state except for Illinois. Explaining its rating, Moody's pointed to the state's history of one-time solutions to resolve its budgetary gaps. It also noted the state's "highly volatile revenue structure," due to its over reliance on wealthy taxpayers. The Golden State was also among the worst states in the nation for educational attainment, health coverage, and unemployment.
