My tabs are like tribbles; time to clear the queue!
Teen pregnancy and abortion rates are at all-time lows in the U.S. The Guttmacher Institute reports that from 2008 to 2010, teen pregnancy and abortion rates declined in every state and among whites, blacks, and Hispanics. Guttmacher also reports that "increasing proportions of 18–19-year-olds reported having ever had sex, yet fewer of them became pregnant. The likely reason is improved contraceptive use and use of more effective methods."
Let's really reach: maybe fewer teen pregnancies means those young people can get educated, get better jobs, and earn more money, which would explain at least some of the 2.3% increase in real personal income, the bang we get or our bucks, nationwide in 2012. But check out this data that Larry Kurtz showed me: real personal income in the Sioux Falls and Rapid City metro areas dropped in 2012. With Daugaardonomics in full swing, pocketbook power dropped about $500 in Rapid and about $1,000 in Sioux Falls. South Dakotans were still better off at the end of 2012 than we were under the Rounds Administration, but we won't be if the 2012 drop becomes a trend.
South Dakota is the best state in which to retire, says Bankrate.com. These bean counters, who may or may not have ever spent six months shoveling the sidewalk and plugging in the car each night, say our low taxes, low crime, and great health care make up for the weather. Plus they say Aberdeen offers lots to do.
I plan to retire in South Dakota for reasons entirely separate from Bankrate's; friend of the blog Stan Gibilisco questions the criteria of the Bankrate review and the definition of retirement. He also reminds us that retirees will spend a lot less on utilities in Hawaii:
(Filming with an iPad affixed to a window with Gorilla Tape?! Ah, resourcefulness!)
That story about SD being a retiree's dream has been all over this last week or so. I have been severely entertained by reading the comments which consist mostly of snarky posts about our weather. I have to admit there are few places that get this hot and this cold but then if we had weather like California, we'd have tens of millions living here already (well, maybe not-no beach!) and that wouldn't be any fun, huh?
What the hell is retirement in South Dakota? It is a great place to hide money as a Caribbean island country.
As a resident, there is no such thing as retirement thanks to the poor way the past and current administrations have run this place. You just have to get used to a poor or poorer way of living, but retirement, no way man. Stan brings up a very good point about utilities and there high cost. Here we are in the second best wind producing state in the country along with one of the highest producing states of sunshine and what do we have? We have utility companies that can go to the corrupt state government whenever they want to raise the rates so their investors keep making the high dividends upon our shoulders. Are the rate hikes needed, not for services, that is for sure. When you choose to live here, you choose stay at it until the final day, then you can retire with what is in your pocket.
I am not sure what Stan means about "8" though. I am thinking a mule or oxen team, is that possible?
Big gas guzzling truck. Old No. 7 died last fall ...
I like your hat, Mr. Gibilisco, and your deck too. Looks like a good place to drink whiskey and scream at the night.
The pregnancy and abortion rates prove what pro-choice, pro-women folks have been saying for decades about birth control and accurate sex education. Could it be that the anti-contraceptive people are closet pro-abortionists?!?
Apparently the criteria for best retirement state was limited to bare economic info important to banker-types. On that level I can see why SD ranks highly.
Then there is everything else.
I just picked this up Stan about utilities in Hawaii http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/08/hawaiis-biggest-utility-company-forced-help-customers-install-solar-panels/
Maybe ole dufus Denny will get right on this and tell the puc to help out.
Deb, those banker types have the money to pay someone to plow their driveways while they spend their winters cruising the desert in RVs towing Escalades.
Jerry,
Wow.
Contrast with Oklahoma where utility comanies want to charge customers for their own solar power.
Grudz,
No more whiskey here, but plenty of screaming.
Stan G-Oklahoma charging residents for their own solar power is from an ALEC sponsored bill and will directly benefit the koch bros. Essentially they are trying to increase the cost of solar power so it isn't that much less expensive than other energy sources.