Surprise! People like freedom.

Via Insty, we find that 9 of the top 10 states losing tax revenue from out-migration were high-tax, high regulation (intrusive) "blue" states. Louisiana skewed the results because of out-migration after hurricane Katrina. Unsurprisingly, the states gaining are all low tax (or in the case of Florida and Washington, "no tax" - at least for income).

People like freedom. They don't like governments taking their money and telling them how to live. And it's not just here in the USA:

Contrary to those several studies telling us, counter-intuitively, that people aren't made happier by increased economic well-being, there's a report of one study here that puts this in question. Only, it's not economic development all on its own that makes people happier; other things come into it as well:

[A] group of researchers, citing data from 1981 to 2007, says... that happiness rose in 45 of the 52 countries for which extensive data was available, including the U.S., Japan, Spain, France, Germany and Britain.

Furthermore, the cause wasn't income but freedom.

In the researchers' words, "Since 1981, economic development, democratization, and increasing social tolerance have increased the extent to which people perceive that they have free choice, which in turn has led to higher levels of happiness around the world."

What a surprise! You might have thought lack of economic development, political repression, intolerance and lack of choice would really appeal to people and keep them cheery; but apparently not.

Actually, that last sentence just about sums up the Democrat's current problems this election year.