Newsalert: America's Top States For Business in 2008

Via Newsalert an article from CNBC:

Fueled by record high energy prices, Texas is America’s Top State for Business in 2008. It is not a huge climb—Texas was number two last year. Just like last year, our study shows Texas has the best all-around economy in the nation. But the Lone Star State made strides this year in Transportation—where it went from number five to number one—as well as Business Friendliness, Cost of Living and Quality of Life.

Last year’s Top State, Virginia, falls to number two in 2008. It’s not that Virginia is no longer a great place to do business—it is. But it is also not immune to an economic downturn. Economic growth slowed markedly in the Old Dominion State, dropping it from the third best economy in the nation last year to number 17 in our study this year.
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Education is crucial in the race to attract business, and it continues to be a trouble spot for some otherwise solid states. Utah, which repeats its number three overall ranking in our study this year, nonetheless comes in at number 46 in education. State officials insist the statistics—particularly the figures on per pupil spending—are skewed somewhat by Utah’s youthful population and large families. Likewise, Idaho, despite its emphasis on high technology, offers some of the worst education in the nation, ranked 48th.

I should add this chart.

According to that chart Illinois is tied at 30 with Ohio, overall. Illinois is also 44th in cost of business, 25 in education, 35 in cost of living, and in spite of the fact that we can't nail down a capital budget for transportation infrastructure we're still at least 12th in transportation.