Moving Vans

United Van Lines released their annual study of US migration patterns on January 8, 2007. This study is based on the "moving in and moving out statistics for all 50 USA states" which can be found at:

http://www.unitedvanlines.com -- under "Migration Study"

The 2006 results show that the following states enjoyed the most "in-bound migration" and which states suffered the most "out-bound migration" :

1.) North Carolina
2.) South Carolina
3.) Alabama
4.) Tennessee

and

1.) Michigan
2.) New York
3.) Indiana
4.) Illinois

These migration trends show a clear shift of America's population from the "Rust Belt" of the central states to the "Bible Belt" of the southern states. In general terms I would note that people are fleeing high state income tax rates and high unemployment for the opportunities in pro-business states in the South.

Michigan is perhaps the best example since downtown Detroit with its "Hip Hop Mayor" is a complete disaster area with buildings still boarded up from the race riots in the 1960's while regions like the Research Triangle in North Carolina are booming.

The political, education, and business communities in Michigan should agree that major reforms are needed for generating economic growth so let me encourage them to utilize their local free market think tanks for public policy reform ideas:

www.acton.org

and

www.mackinac.org

Spreading the pain via higher taxes is not the answer.

Todd