Louisiana Voice

Mississippi is the “unluckiest” state in the nation but Louisiana isn’t far behind (or ahead),, according to data comprised by 24/7 Wall Street, which publishes news about economics, technology.

“Luckiest” is a relative term, some aspects of which are not controlled by official policy.

For example, Mississippi has no data pertaining to lottery winnings per adult because the state has no state lottery. But the state does rank third highest in the rate of deaths from accidents per 100,000 population, second highest in traffic fatalities per 100,000 population, 17^th highest unemployment rate (6.1%), and second lowest life expectancy at birth (74.6 years).

Louisiana, by comparison, has the nation’s 11^th-lowest lottery winnings per adult (an eye-popping $147.02), the 8^th-highest rate of deaths from accidents, the 11^th-highest rate of traffic fatalities, the 9^th-highest unemployment rate (7.1%), and the nation’s 6^th-lowest life expectancy at birth (75.6 years).

Alabama has the third-lowest life expectancy (75.1 years) and West Virginia was lowest (74.4 years). New Mexico had the 2^nd-highest unemployment rate (8.0%). Wyoming had the highest rate of traffic fatalities in the nation.

Here are the bottom five rankings in each of the areas covered by the data:

Unemployment: Hawaii – highest (8.1%); New Mexico – 2^nd highest (8.0%), California – 3^rd highest (7.9%); New York – 4^th highest (7.8%); Nevada – 5^th highest (7.8%);

Life Expectancy: West Virginia – lowest (74.4 years), Mississippi – 2^nd lowest (74.6 years), Alabama – 3^rd lowest (75.1 years); Kentucky – 4^th lowest (75.3 years); Tennessee – 5^th lowest (75.5 years)

Traffic Fatalities: Wyoming – highest; Mississippi – 2^nd highest; New Mexico – 3^rd highest; South Carolina – 4^th highest; Alabama – 5^th highest

Deaths from Accidents: West Virginia – highest; New Mexico – 2^nd highest; Mississippi – 3^rd highest; Kentucky – 4^th highest; Wyoming – 5^th highest

*Lottery winnings: North Dakota – lowest; Wyoming – 2^nd lowest ($67.91); Montana – 3^rd lowest ($75.84); Oklahoma – 4^th lowest ($80.54); New Mexico – 5^th lowest ($88.50)

*Data for lottery winnings for six states were not applicable because they do not have state lotteries. They are: Alabama, Mississippi, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah.

Louisiana’s 11^th-highest death rate from traffic accidents, the 9^th-highest unemployment rate and 6^th-lowest life expectancy are issues that have gone unaddressed by the state’s leadership for generations with no evidence that anything was anticipated in the future to improve the statistics, along with obesity, health care, crime, education, and other negative reflections on the state.

Traffic accident death rates, for example, could be improved significantly if the state had better roads and highways. To be frank, they are deplorable.

Unemployment rates aren’t likely to improve unless the state can attract better jobs and that’s not likely to improve unless the state’s crime rate can be reduced, roads improved and steps taken to improve education.