As the budget impasse in Virginia’s General Assembly continues, many may claim, quite reasonably sometimes, that governments do not spend taxpayer dollars efficiently. Nevertheless, a new study revealed that the “Virginia Way” in state government in the Old Dominion has its benefits for taxpayers.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that WalletHub, a personal finance website, recently analyzed government efficiency in state across the union and found that Virginia ranks fifth in the U.S. for citizens getting a good rate of return on their tax dollars. Not bad for those who are constantly barraged by Facebook posts hating on local representatives.
This was mainly due to the combination of a reasonably low tax burden and the 17th lowest total state and local taxes paid per person in the nation. As well, the state government is deemed to be a strong performer when put up against other legislatures, being judged as ninth best in the U.S.
There’s the Virginia Way for you.
The quality of government and subsequent performance was analyzed by WalletHub using the few simple factors of: quality of education, general safety and law enforcement, economic performance, health facilities, and infrastructure.
In education, safety, and the economy, Virginia scored in the top-10. However, the Commonwealth was ranked 24th in health and 32nd in infrastructure.
Although the halls of the state legislature can become heated at times, the study indicates there is general philosophy of moderation and working diligently for citizens that has been dubbed the name, the Virginia Way, over the years.
Interestingly, the study also found that in the states who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, their citizens had a better rate of return on their tax dollars than did the states that Hillary Clinton carried. The average rank for a state government in a Republican state was 21st and a Democratic state was 33rd.
