Who can explain the Massachusetts miracle?

[tailfins]

Asking that very question has almost gotten me banned from hard core righty sites. Jobs are plentiful and pay well in metro Boston. Crime is low and schools are great. Many companies have a creative culture and want you to try new solutions to problems. It's a REALLY REALLY nice place to live.

The easy, lazy answer from a liberal is "see, our policies work". If that's the case, why are California and Illinois in the toilet? Any ideas on what the "secret sauce" is around here?

[fj1200]

Dukakis was a great governor.

[CSM]

Many of the people who work in Mass do not live there. Much of the state is rural despite the large metropolitan areas. Unfortunately, those metropolitian areas control the politics of the state.

A Masshole from Boston is very different than those found out near Sturbridge (for example).

[fj1200]

Asking that very question has almost gotten me banned from hard core righty sites. Jobs are plentiful and pay well in metro Boston. Crime is low and schools are great. Many companies have a creative culture and want you to try new solutions to problems. It's a REALLY REALLY nice place to live.

The easy, lazy answer from a liberal is "see, our policies work". If that's the case, why are California and Illinois in the toilet? Any ideas on what the "secret sauce" is around here?

Actually it's likely the positive externalities that cities generally enjoy. Boston is a center of hospitals, universities, government, finance, etc. and benefits from everything that comes from that especially things like a fairly robust tech industry.

The better question is how well is out-state Mass doing in comparison?

[tailfins]

Actually it's likely the positive externalities that cities generally enjoy. Boston is a center of hospitals, universities, government, finance, etc. and benefits from everything that comes from that especially things like a fairly robust tech industry.

The better question is how well is out-state Mass doing in comparison?

Outstate Mass is lacking opportunity just like across the border in upstate New York. Congratulations on honing in on part of the ideological struggle I'm facing: A lifelong conservative enjoying an incredible quality of life in Metro Boston just after being homeless in Tennessee. The move was inspired by listening to Rush Limbaugh suggesting that when there's a recession, just refuse to participate in that recession.

[jimnyc]

Outstate Mass is lacking opportunity just like across the border in upstate New York. Congratulations on honing in on part of the ideological struggle I'm facing: A lifelong conservative enjoying an incredible quality of life in Metro Boston just after being homeless in Tennessee. The move was inspired by listening to Rush Limbaugh suggesting that when there's a recession, just refuse to participate in that recession.

Nothing personal, but I wouldn't be taking life advice from Limbaugh if I were you. You're now surrounded by a shitload of liberal nitwits and have to deal with Belicheat and the Patriots in the papers/media non-stop. My sympathies! :lol:

[Thunderknuckles]

The easy, lazy answer from a liberal is "see, our policies work". If that's the case, why are California and Illinois in the toilet? Any ideas on what the "secret sauce" is around here?
My answer would simply be Technology. That was what was behind the miracle in Mass. It was also behind the economic boom in California under Clinton. Did any of this have to do with liberal policy? I doubt it. More like being in the right place at the right time.
Of course the tech boom in California turned out to be a bubble and when it burst we sank and neither liberal nor conservative governors have been able to get us back afloat.