Which state in the US is the least valuable?

[il Padrino Ute]

Why does it have to be a state? I say get rid of DC. There is absolutely nothing of value that comes from it and we'd all be better off if that fiscal black hole didn't exist.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I wasn't intending this to be based purely on GDP, but that obviously plays a role. Mississippi has good pieces of history tied into it and a surprisingly strong contribution to the arts including Morgan Freeman, Her Highness Oprah, Faulkner, Grisham, Tennessee Williams, Elvis, Britney Spears (!) and, of course, Jimmy Buffett. But the cotton they do provide is quite subsidized and could outsourced. C'mon Dan and Marsupial, defend your state!

SC also has a BMW plant in addition to Boeing (if the administration will let it get to work).

So what does NM offer? I still can't figure out what NH does and thus hold my vote there, but what's the case for leaving Rhode Island in the mix?

Being rid of Britney Spears, John Grisham and Oprah would be a net positive over losing Elvis and Jimmy Buffett.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Let's have California annex Vegas and Reno. Then the clear choice would be Nevada. We could just turn it into a big dumping ground or something.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Let's have California annex Vegas and Reno. Then the clear choice would be Nevada. We could just turn it into a big dumping ground or something.

I've wondered how different the world would be if, instead of carving out the state of Israel in Palestine, the U.S. and the other powers-that-were had set aside the entire state of Nevada (sans Reno and Vegas, although they kind of got Vegas anyway) for Jewish emigration. Imagine the economic powerhouse that nation/state would be, instead of the boring sinkhole that it is.

But back on point, I'm probably going with North Dakota, although it has some cool missle silos.

[TripletDaddy]

I've wondered how different the world would be if, instead of carving out the state of Israel in Palestine, the U.S. and the other powers-that-were had set aside the entire state of Nevada (sans Reno and Vegas, although they kind of got Vegas anyway) for Jewish emigration. Imagine the economic powerhouse that nation/state would be, instead of the boring sinkhole that it is.

As an added cruel twist, drop them all off at the Nevada border, instructing them to wander around. Imagine the disillusionment a few months later when the "pillar of fire by night" turns out to be The Stratosphere.

[TripletDaddy]

I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I call them "sweet potatoes."

And I will be there, laughing, thinking to myself, "Landpoke finally called them sweet potatoes."

[Jacob]

Heres a good place to start:

States Receiving Most in Federal Spending Per Dollar of Federal Taxes Paid:
1. D.C. ($6.17)
2. North Dakota ($2.03)
3. New Mexico ($1.89)
4. Mississippi ($1.84)
5. Alaska ($1.82)
6. West Virginia ($1.74)
7. Montana ($1.64)
8. Alabama ($1.61)
9. South Dakota ($1.59)
10. Arkansas ($1.53)

So, North Dakota receives $2 in federal benefits for every dollar it pays in taxes. Seems like a no-brainer. Let's be sure to dump DC while we are at it.

[Paperback Writer]

I've wondered how different the world would be if, instead of carving out the state of Israel in Palestine, the U.S. and the other powers-that-were had set aside the entire state of Nevada (sans Reno and Vegas, although they kind of got Vegas anyway) for Jewish emigration. Imagine the economic powerhouse that nation/state would be, instead of the boring sinkhole that it is.

But back on point, I'm probably going with North Dakota, although it has some cool missle silos.

That was the premise of a novel by Michael Chabon but he used Alaska instead of Nevada in The Yiddish Policemen's Union . For those not familar with Chabon, his other novels include: The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Wonder Boys, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

From Wikipedia:
The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a 2007 novel by American author Michael Chabon. The novel is a detective story set in an alternative history version of the present day, based on the premise that during World War II, a temporary settlement for Jewish refugees was established in Sitka, Alaska, in 1941, and that the fledgling State of Israel was destroyed in 1948. The novel is set in Sitka, which it depicts as a large, Yiddish-speaking metropolis.

Don't know if the tribe of Judah would have preferred snow (Alaska) to sand (Nevada).

Back on topic, I vote for Vermont. New Mexico has a lot of beautiful country and some decent skiing that is better than Vermont's. Besides, one needs to tread carefully as New Mexico is also home to Los Alamos National Laboratory. Those guys up on the hill above Santa Fe just might have recourse for the rest of us if NM is voted off the island.

For those who don't know, Los Alamos National Lab is where "Fat Boy" and "Little Man" were developed and is one of two facilities (Lawrence Livermore National Lab is the other) that design nuclear weapons.

[Jeff Lebowski]

That was the premise of a novel by Michael Chabon but he used Alaska instead of Nevada in The Yiddish Policemen's Union . For those not familar with Chabon, his other novels include: The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Wonder Boys, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

From Wikipedia:
The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a 2007 novel by American author Michael Chabon. The novel is a detective story set in an alternative history version of the present day, based on the premise that during World War II, a temporary settlement for Jewish refugees was established in Sitka, Alaska, in 1941, and that the fledgling State of Israel was destroyed in 1948. The novel is set in Sitka, which it depicts as a large, Yiddish-speaking metropolis.

Don't know if the tribe of Judah would have preferred snow (Alaska) to sand (Nevada).

Back on topic, I vote for Vermont. New Mexico has a lot of beautiful country and some decent skiing that is better than Vermont's. Besides, one needs to tread carefully as New Mexico is also home to Los Alamos National Laboratory. Those guys up on the hill above Santa Fe just might have recourse for the rest of us if NM is voted off the island.

For those who don't know, Los Alamos National Lab is where "Fat Boy" and "Little Man" were developed and is one of two facilities (Lawrence Livermore National Lab is the other) that design nuclear weapons.

I loved The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, but The Yiddish Policemen's Union bored me to tears. Interesting premise though.

[falafel]

I loved The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, but The Yiddish Policemen's Union bored me to tears. Interesting premise though.

I liked it. I haven't read Kavalier, but Chabon is very wordy in the policeman's union.

[wuapinmon]

I'll say South Carolina, We have a North one, so we can lose the south one.

You might've heard that we actually tried to leave once, and yall invaded and forced us back into the country.

[landpoke]

You might've heard that we actually tried to leave once, and yall invaded and forced us back into the country.

Sometimes you do stuff just because you can. Stuff you later regret.

[wuapinmon]

Sometimes you do stuff just because you can. Stuff you later regret.

Who needs Aristotle with you around?

[Guest]

North Dakota. They aren't even resourceful enough to carve up a mountain to create an effective tourist trap.

[Parrot Head]

North Dakota does have a couple of USAF bases up there that allow for good training and they're strategically placed to protect against an invasion from the north.