When Will California Quit Holding Up Annual Fiscal Rankings?

Commentary There are several metrics that can be used to effectively rank the fiscal status of our nation’s 50 states. The top resource for years, when one searched for this information, was the Mercatus School at George Mason University. US News & World Report has and continues to provide an annual ranking of the states. The most thorough entrant into the mix is Truth in Accounting. But the new kid on the block is The Epoch Times. The Mercatus School at George Mason University used to rank the 50 states by fiscal condition but discontinued this helpful analysis with their 2018 report. Their studies measured states in meeting short-term and long-term financial obligations by reviewing their annual comprehensive financial reports (ACFRs). They found that, except for the size of their unfunded pension liabilities, most states appeared to be in stable condition. The five metrics, or dimensions, addressed cash, budget, long-run, service-level, and trust fund solvencies....