Are these WV facts true?

[GihrenZabi]

"West Virginia ranked 50th among the states in household income and 48th in the percentage of adults with a high school diploma."

That's supposedly from the Census Bureau according to the CNN.com article I pulled it from:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/13/wva.watch.for/index.html

[MountainLaurel]

1. Sounds correct to me n/t

[MADem]

2. Which states are 49 and 50 in HS diploma records, THAT's the real question....

WV is POOR. And rural.

Every four years, that surprises people. Often, they're the same people who gripe at Robert Byrd for grabbing as much pork as he can for his poor, rural state.

[Freedom Train]

4. I would guess MS is one

And maybe AL? Just guessing... Someone will give you the answer I'm sure.

[WildClarySage]

3. Sadly it is true.

There's so much rural poverty in WV. Our state motto is "Thank God for Mississippi".

(j/k and no offense to Mississippi dems) WV has wrenching poverty that the coal industry has inflamed by turning millions of pounds of natural resource into out-of-state profits. Add in the dismal prospects for most kids growing up in WV- many of the ones with drive to make it go out of state. Many just don't bother much. We're politically a God Guns and Gays social politics state with democratic Union leanings. Being the only state in the union existing entirely in the Appalachian Mountains has rendered much of WV isolated and deeply rural with few economic opportunity, taken advantage of by the energy industry. Coal and natural gas are the only real natural resources here, and no one's ever developed alternative industrial options here beyond plants headquartered out of state, like DuPont. Someone with initiative, intelligence and political savvy could turn this place around today, but with people like Don Blankenship raping the state at every chance, there's not going to be a whole lot of change any time soon.

[BlooInBloo]

5. I would have guessed MS for those leadership roles, but whatever.

[Avalux]

6. Yes it's true.

Add to that the fact that they are born, live and die within the same small area without much exposure to outside influences.

Considering all factors, it is easy to understand their ignorance. Doesn't make it right but it can be understood.