"We’ve got to look more like Texas and a lot less like California.” -Sam Brownback, 01.01.10

Frankly, I think Texas should look more like Kansas, but that’s probably my home-state pride swelling through.

To be sure my home-state pride isn't skewing my objective judgment I took a look at a few measures I think are important for measuring the success of a state, and my prejudices were confirmed.

So, then how do Kansas and Texas stack up, side-by-side?

CRIME
Texas has the 7th highest crime rate in the United States!  Comparatively, at 19th Kansas is a bastion of security.[i]

TEEN PREGNANCY
Texans eagerness to start families has earned them the 4th highest teen pregnancy rate in the United States!  Kansans wait until a loving family can responsibly care for a child, and that family value brings us in at 33rd.[ii]

HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT
With such an early focus on homemaking, Texans don't have as much time left over for homework.  Texas ranks 16th in the US for percent of high school dropouts.  Whereas, studious Kansas ranks 28th.[iii]

COLLEGE DEGREE HOLDERS
Kansans' early commitment to education is sustained through college.  We rank 15th in percent of adult population with a college degree, Texas lags behind at 28th.[iv]

TAXES
Texas has one of the most regressive sales taxes in the nation.  At 6.25% their sales tax is the 8th highest in the United States.  Kansas ranks 22nd, in large part because of a much fairer and more progressive tax code.

UNEMPLOYMENT
With those bad study habits its no surprise Texas has a higher unemployment rate. Most recently numbers put their unemployment at 8.4%, while 6.3% of Kansans search for work.

HEALTHCARE ACCESS AND QUALITY
In terms of healthcare access, Kansas ranks 18th.  Texas ranks nearly last at 48th.  Even if you're somehow able to find a doctor in Texas, you're not out of the woods.  Health and Human Services rates Texas' healthcare quality as "weak".  Kansas is rated as "average".[v]

Is this really the direction Sam Brownback wants to take our state?  By every one of these measures Texas should want to look more like Kansas.

More like Texas?  No thanks, Sam.

[i] http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_04.html

[ii] http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends.pdf

[iii] http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2009/section3/table-scr-1.asp

[iv] http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/Ranking/2003/R02T040.htm

[v] http://statesnapshots.ahrq.gov/snaps08/dashboard.jsp?menuId=4&state=TX&level=0