re: The United States of America, ranked from best to worst

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opportunity

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In the land of opportunity, where upward mobility is as much a birthright as basic freedoms, economic and historic impediments sometimes stand in the way of progress. There are questions of racial disparity to be considered in a nation whose economy was founded on slavery and didn’t fully recognize the voting rights of African-Americans until the 1960s. There are questions of gender disparity in a nation that didn’t accord women the right to vote until 1920. These play out in educational terms, in the ability to attain the schooling that can elevate one’s social standing. And they play out in economic terms, in the ability to achieve equal pay for equal work with peers, or to afford an adequate home for a growing family.

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The states were ranked in their capacity for providing opportunities for all their citizens. This included an economic examination, counting income inequality in each state, the median household income of a state’s residents and the percentage of households living under the poverty line. And a measure was taken of the share of households where sustainable food isn’t always available. In considering the cost of living in a state, the rankings also took into account the median housing prices in a state in comparison with median family income. Gaps in educational achievement and employment among non-Hispanic whites and other groups were counted. And the ratio of men and women in the labor force, including professional, leadership and management positions, was considered – as well as educational attainment for women.

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I'd be interested to see what goes into this ranking

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Policymakers have implemented a number of regulations over the past half-century to ensure a safe relationship between people and their environment. Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency regulates air pollution. Similarly, the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act ensure that states properly dispose of pollutants at treatment plants and that public drinking water meets federal standards.
These laws not only help preserve the nation's natural resources, but they protect the public from harmful toxins and resulting health concerns.

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Among the measures used to evaluate states' natural environments are drinking water quality, urban air quality and total toxic chemical pollution per square mile. The ranking also considers how much each state puts its citizens at risk for long-term, chronic health effects from pollution.

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Welcome To Louisiana , we be doing festivals,
all types of festivals, the fruits & the vegetables.
The Peach got a festival,
the Corn got a festival.
You probably think I'm lying, but the Pie got a festival.

Verse: Welcome To Louisiana, we be doing all that. And, I promise when you get back to where you're from, you gonna call back. Everything good, the food is real good. When we be Que'in on the Red, we do it with real wood. Pecan tree chopped up, put the chips in the charcoal. Hotter than my c.d., shrink wrapped with the barcode. Welcome to the heart of where it all be at, where the rubber meet the road, and where the ball meet the bat. Marksville, Hickory Hill, Alexandria, Pineville, Leesville, Winn Parish...don't forget Winnfield. Mamou, Morrow, Bunkie, and Cheneyville. Lecompte, Hessmer, Spring Bayou, and Bay Hills. Kingsville, Ball, Mansura, Olla...can't forget New Orleans, tell Baton Rouge holla. Lake Charles, check! Shreveport, check! Opelousas got a check, can't forget Lafayette. Chorus: Welcome to Louisiana, we be doing festivals. All types of festivals, fruits & the vegetables. Peach got a festival, Corn got a festival, the Cochon De Lait, and the Pecan got a festival.

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