Roy Exum: Among The Worst In U.S.

  • Sunday, December 4, 2016
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

Bobby Bragan, who was the first manager of Major League Baseball’s Braves when they moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta, had a great view on statistics: “Say you were standing with one foot in the oven and one foot in an ice bucket. According to the percentage people, you should be perfectly comfortable.”

I am about to make you uncomfortable with some lousy statistics. Earlier this week some smart people at the website 24/7 Wall Street presented convincing figures that Massachusetts was the best state to live in – based on subjective and socio-economic factors – while Mississippi was the worst in this measure of “quality of life.” The numbers come from a recent study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

I have been to Massachusetts a bunch of times and I went to college in Mississippi. As I compare my trips to Boston and other parts of the Commonwealth to the life and times I have had in Mississippi, I give you my blood oath I’ll take the Magnolia State anytime. That stated, the states of Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama are now in the “Bottom Ten” in the whole country.

In Massachusetts more than two out of every five have a bachelor’s degree while Mississippi is the poorest state in the Union. Connecticut, coming in at No. 2 on the 24/7 Wall St. study, has a median family income of $71,346 while New Hampshire, placing No. 3, has the lowest poverty rate in the nation at 8.2 percent.

We are just the opposite. Of the three states in our tri-state area, Georgia is 40th, Tennessee is 42nd and Alabama is 46th.

No. 40 GEORGIA

-- 10-yr. population growth: 15.8% (13th highest)              

-- Oct. unemployment rate: 5.2% (14th highest)

-- Poverty rate: 17.0% (9th highest)

-- Life expectancy at birth: 76.9 years (10th lowest)

“Due to the high poverty rate and relatively low life expectancy, Georgia ranks among the worst states to live in. The 17.0% share of state residents living in poverty is well above the 14.7% national poverty rate. Additionally, 13.9% of the Peach State’s population lack health insurance, nearly the highest uninsured rate of any state. Difficult financial circumstances and inadequate health care coverage likely make it difficult for large segments of the population to lead healthy lives. Partially as a result, life expectancy in the Georgia is only 76.9 years, 1.6 years below the average life expectancy nationwide.”

No. 43 TENNESSEE

-- 10-yr. population growth: 13.6% (20th highest)

-- Oct. unemployment rate: 4.8% (25th highest)

-- Poverty rate: 16.7% (10th highest)

-- Life expectancy at birth: 76.1 years (8th lowest)

“Tennessee has one of the worst violent crime rates in the nation. There were more than 600 violent incidents reported per 100,000 residents last year, much higher than the national rate of 373 incidents per 100,000 Americans. The state also has among the highest poverty rates and lowest incomes in the country.

“Living in conditions of poverty or in areas with high crime has been shown to have harmful effects on residents’ mental and physical well-being. This appears to have been a factor in Tennessee, where 22.9% of adults report being in less than optimal, the third highest proportion in the country and well above the national proportion of 14% of adults reporting such poor health.”

No. 46 ALABAMA

-- 10-yr. population growth: 9.4% (21st lowest)

-- Oct. unemployment rate: 5.7% (7th highest)

-- Poverty rate: 18.5% (5th highest)

-- Life expectancy at birth: 75.2 years (2nd lowest)

“Life expectancy at birth in Alabama is only 75.2 years, the lowest in the country after Mississippi. A low life expectancy is partially attributable to pervasive unhealthy habits. More than one in five adults in Alabama are smokers and more than a third are obese, each among the largest such shares in the country.

“Alabama residents are also more likely to be facing financial hardship than most Americans. The typical household in Alabama earns only $44,765 a year, roughly $11,000 less than the national median income. Similarly, 18.5% of state residents live in poverty, far greater than the national poverty rate of 14.7%.”

* * *

Finally, there is this: “Education levels are another major contributor to a community’s living conditions – not just as a basis of economic prosperity, but also as a component to an individual’s quality of life. Due in part to the greater access of high-paying jobs that often require a college degree, incomes also tend to be higher in the (top-ranked) states. In all 15 of the best states in which to live, the typical household earned more than the national median household income of $55,775.”

We cannot wait any longer to fix our schools.

royexum@aol.com

Latest Headlines
Opinion
Democratic View On Top State Senate Issues - March 18, 2024
  • 3/18/2024

Campbell bill seeks to save lives by studying suicide trends in Tennessee 3 p.m. Senate Regular Calendar — SB 1787 , by Sen. Heidi Campbell, would require state health officials to produce ... more

The Odor Of Mendacity - And Response (2)
  • 3/16/2024

The Fulton County judge, Scott McAfee, overseeing the Fani Willis prosecution of Donald Trump and eighteen other defendants has spoken. In response to a motion by defendants to remove Willis ... more

Capitol Report From State Rep. Greg Vital For March 15
  • 3/15/2024

General Assembly confirms new Tennessee State Supreme Justice Members of the General Assembly confirmed the appointment of Mary L. Wagner to the Tennessee Supreme Court in a joint session ... more