I suspect you've only been visiting those Red states where poverty and crime are highest ey Mr. Orr? Why do states that consistently elect Republicans have incomes 20% lower than those of Democratic supporting states do you suppose? All that giving the revenue of the state to corporations who then don't create the good paying jobs they promised have something to do with it? Same happened here with the GOP supermajority and Republican Governor giving away Billons of Dollars to the international oil corporations only to see no increased employment or increased oil production. Kansas is the poster boy for failed GOP policies but Alaska is right in there with the worst of them.