The 5 Worst States for Drivers
Folks in California and Washington might want to consider installing extra security devices on their cars. Bankrate says that California ranks as the worst state in the nation for car theft, with Washington not far behind. California has 431 car thefts per 100,000 people, while Washington has 407. The national average is 220.
Theft isn’t the only problem facing car owners. Bankrate also looked at data for other factors including fatal crashes, average commute times, gasoline and repair costs and insurance premiums to create a comprehensive ranking of the best and worst state for drivers.
Louisiana was named the worst state for drivers overall, mainly because of its above-average rate of fatal crashes. The Bayou State has 1.5 fatal crashes per 100 miles driven, while the national average is 1.1. Not surprisingly, it has the highest car insurance costs in the country. The state’s five-year average for a car insurance premium is $1,279, almost $300 more than the national average of $910.
Related: The Amazingly Stupid Things Smartphone Users Do While Driving
Thanks to its low gas and insurance costs, below-average theft and short commute times, Idaho ranks as the best state for drivers overall. Annual gas costs come to $733, more than $200 below the national average. Car insurance costs are typically around $656 and car thefts occur at a rate of 95 per 100,000 people. The average commute time for individuals each way is 19.5 minutes, nearly five minutes below the national average.
Here are the five best and the worst states for drivers:
5 Worst States for Drivers
1. Louisiana
2. California
3. Texas
4. Maryland
5. New Jersey
5 Best States for Drivers
1. Idaho
2. Vermont
3. Wyoming
4. Wisconsin
5. Minnesota
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Deficit Hits $738.6 Billion in First 8 Months of Fiscal Year
The U.S. budget deficit grew to $738.6 billion in the first eight months of the current fiscal year – an increase of $206 billion, or 38.8%, over the deficit recorded during the same period a year earlier. Bloomberg’s Sarah McGregor notes that the big increase occurred despite a jump in tariff revenues, which have nearly doubled to $44.9 billion so far this fiscal year. But that increase, which contributed to an overall increase in revenues of 2.3%, was not enough to make up for the reduced revenues from the Republican tax cuts and a 9.3% increase in government spending.
Tweet of the Day: Revenues or Spending?
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee and one of the authors of the 2017 Republican tax overhaul, told The Washington Post’s Heather Long Tuesday that the budget deficit is driven by excess spending, not a shortfall in revenues in the wake of the tax cuts. The Wall Street Journal’s Kate Davidson provided some inconvenient facts for Brady’s claim in a tweet, pointing out that government revenues as a share of GDP have fallen significantly since 2015, while spending has remained more or less constant.
Chart of the Day: The Decline in IRS Audits
Reviewing the recent annual report on tax statistics from the IRS, Robert Weinberger of the Tax Policy Center says it “tells a story of shrinking staff, fewer audits, and less customer service.” The agency had 22% fewer personnel in 2018 than it did in 2010, and its enforcement budget has fallen by nearly $1 billion, Weinberger writes. One obvious effect of the budget cuts has been a sharp reduction in the number of audits the agency has performed annually, which you can see in the chart below.
Number of the Day: $102 Million
President Trump’s golf playing has cost taxpayers $102 million in extra travel and security expenses, according to an analysis by the left-leaning HuffPost news site.
“The $102 million total to date spent on Trump’s presidential golfing represents 255 times the annual presidential salary he volunteered not to take. It is more than three times the cost of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation that Trump continually complains about. It would fund for six years the Special Olympics program that Trump’s proposed budget had originally cut to save money,” HuffPost’s S.V. Date writes.
Date says the White House did not respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.
Americans See Tax-Paying as a Duty
The IRS may not be conducting audits like it used to, but according to the agency’s Data Book for 2018, most Americans still believe it’s not acceptable to cheat on your taxes. About 67% of respondents to an IRS opinion survey “completely agree” that it’s a civic duty to pay “a fair share of taxes,” and another 26% “mostly agree,” bringing the total in agreement to over 90%. Accounting Today says that attitude has been pretty consistent over the last decade.
