Why does New Hampshire have a higher rate of economic growth than neighboring states like Massachusetts or Vermont? Clark thinks the answer is obvious -- taxation. The Boston Globe's Robert Gavin recently penned an article lamenting the fact that Mass. has no job growth and the second worst economy in the United States. But the story has no mention of the fact that heavy taxation can cause economic decline. After all, they don't call the state "Taxachusetts" for nothing! Michigan is also suffering because they're always raising taxes too. When you do that, people vote with their feet and leave for greener pastures. Take the case of Derek Jeter. The Yankees baseball player is being sued by New York City and State because he had the good sense to move from the Empire State to Florida. In doing so, he fled a place where he was faced an 11.2 percent tax to a place where the tax is zero!

Clark has a recipe for Mass., Mich., NY and any other tax-happy states: Control and cut government spending where you can. Don't play Santa Claus to everybody. NY has a long tradition of the government helping everybody out whether the city is run by Republicans or Democrats. Look at Texas. The Lone Star State has passed NY to be the second most populous state in the nation. It's also has one of the lowest taxes in the nation. Most politicians lack the fortitude to say that in order to cut taxes, we should be cutting government spending. But the government can no longer be our sugar-daddy. You've got to cut the sugar!