We all call you Sean Hannity II.

I've pointed out how your conclusion is totally wrong. I've always posted many stats here how the liberal states are much better than the conserve. states on a lot of things other than taxes.

"am all for helping out other states/people"

I know you are, I do.

"But to not recognize that money is flowing from the richer liberal states to the poorer conservatives states is asinine"

I also agree with that. But in this case, what set McConnell off, was a state senator in IL asking for money specifically to fund state pensions. That's a state issue, not a federal issue.

The states with good balance sheets didn't get there easily, you have to make tough choices to pull that off. Our state made different choices, and we own 100% of the responsibilities for that.

I'm not sure it's KY's fault (entirely) that it's not like us. To a fair extent, our wealth comes from our blind luck of being so close to Manhattan. That's an oversimplification, as people in KY are more likely to make choices that lead to poverty than people in CT are. But for sure, we did hit the lottery by virtue of being a state with nice coastline that's commutable to Manhattan. Did we earn that, or was it blind luck?

Before the income tax, CT was known as "the land of steady habits", because we did so many things right. Then we had income tax revenue, and casino revenue, and it was ringing the dinner bell for the crooks in the union and their stooges in the legislature, most of whom are democrats. Now we are the land of the spending orgy.

the essence of modern American liberalism is that the modern American liberals are better people...so this makes perfect sense

Wayne and Spence are the moderate centrists here...after that it's a scramble

I'm registered as an Unaffiliated voter. Each side has certain policies I lean towards.

I didn't vote for Trump, and I didn't vote for Hillary

The cast of characters that the democrats paraded out for the 2020 primaries was as equally nauseating as the cast of characters the republicans paraded out in 2016.

In all honestly I probably skew 60%-40% con/lib.

I call that pretty middle of the road

If they had a dis-heartened party I'd probably be registered there.
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And you usually leave out cost. Comparing CT with other states without considering cost, is like evaluating the maiden voyage of the Titanic without considering the iceberg. The paint was fresh. The linens were clean. I assume the bathrooms were clean as a whistle. But, …

I also don't know that comparing an entire state is the answer, as every state has lousy areas. But some states have specific areas, where the quality of life is very much like what we enjoy in the CT suburbs, at nowhere near the cost.

I will concede there are more places in SC where I would never want to live, than there are places in CT. On average, I'd say CT has a higher quality of life. But there are specific places in SC where the quality of life is comparable to that in nice upper-middle-class CT suburbs, and you can put hundreds of dollars a month in your pocket in tax savings. That's real. That's true. People are realizing that, and leaving. As we continue to increase taxes, more will flee. It's called the death spiral, a self-perpetuating cycle of increasing expenditures and declining revenues. Almost impossible to stop.

Anyway, if you're honest, you'll admit that there are nice suburbs in places like the Carolinas and TN that are also much cheaper than CT. Sure those states have crappy places, but they also offer some places that are nice and cheap. CT offers exactly zero such places. That's why our population exodus is among the highest in the nation. It's likely to get worse.

When people decide where to live, I don't know how much weight they give to statewide averages of things like education and median oncome. I think they care more about local scores in those metrics. My brother lives in Franklin, TN, a beautiful suburb of Nashville. If you were there, you might think you were in Cheshire, CT or Simsbury CT. Everything is new and clean, and they can't build $500,000 houses fast enough. I don't think people who are moving there, care much about what's happening 200 miles away in coal country and in dirt poor areas. I live in Southington, which borders Meriden. I wouldn't live in Meriden if you put gun to my head. But the problems there, don't impact me here. I don't especially care what happens there.

The proof is in the pudding. Despite all of CT's natural beauty, its convenience, and all it has to offer, people are fleeing. And it's not the deadbeats and welfare queens who are fleeing. It's people who are self sufficient, the exact kind of people we need to stay. They are packing up and moving.

Thanks for your thoughts. It means a lot.

At this point in my life I think I still may have voted for more Rs in Pres. elections than Ds - it might be 50/50.

I also have voted for more Rs for gov. of Ct.

On both counts, over the last 10 - 15 years it has been all D.

I voted R for the town's 1st selectman.

That's an interesting breakdown. What were the reasons that you voted for Republicans? And what are the reasons that you now vote strictly Democrat? Were the reasons that you did vote for Republicans the same reasons that you now vote Democrat?