Like a lot of surveys, this one has its biases. For me, the fewer and lower the taxes are, the better. The lack of restrictive gun issues is also high on my list. My state didn't get a good rating and I have to wonder what the heck some of the higher rated states have going for them.
We have no state income tax; our gun laws are at least as good, or better than most.... The one thing that my state sucks real bad on, is the Dumbycrats are in charge. That is the stupid peoples fault. Most of the stupid is concentrated in the big cities, which I try to avoid. Other than that, I don't know how we rate so badly. Oregon has the same political problems--only much worse and they have a state income tax. Yet, they are rated much higher than Washington. Their gun laws are worse too. I think the survey sucks.