http://www.pewstates.org/uploadedFiles/PCS_Assets/2008/Grading-the-States-2008.pdf

Both Hawaii and Oregon get a cumulative grade of C+.

For Hawaii, on page 49, hiring is listed as a strength. Weaknesses are long-term outlook, strategic workplace planning, capital planning, maintenance, strategic direction, budgeting for performance, managing for performance, and online services & information. That’s one strength and eight weaknesses.

For Oregon, on page 80, intergovernmental coordination and budgeting for performance are listed as strengths. Weaknesses are strategic workforce planning, maintenance and performance auditing & evaluation. That’s two strengths and three weaknesses.

Utah gets and A-. On page 88 it has 17 strengths and no weaknesses listed.

Virginia also gets and A-. On page 90 it has 12 strengths and no weaknesses listed.

Washington state gets an A- as well. On page 92 it has 12 strengths and no weaknesses.

At the other end of the spectrum, Rhode Island gets a C-. On page 82 it has one strength and 12 weaknesses listed. No other state gets a C- or worse.

A website calling itself 247WallStreet has an 2010 article “The Best and Worst Run States In America: A Survey of All Fifty”.

http://247wallst.com/2010/10/04/the-best-and-worst-run-states-in-america-a-survey-of-all-fifty/

It is noted that in 2010, both Hawaii and Oregon had a Standard and Poor’s credit rating of AA, with a ranking of 26; a total of 18 states had this same rating and ranking. At the high end, a total of 11 states had a AAA rating with a ranking of 1. At the opposite end of the ranking, California alone had a pathetic A- rating and ranking of 50 (although Illinois has a sad A+, at 49).

Surprisingly, Hawaii scores high, at number ten in this site’s estimation. Oregon comes in at number 27.

On the whole, judging from these two sources, Hawaii and Oregon should not be compared to one another as night and day. They both seem like rather average, middling, mediocre states, neither excellent nor terrible.

As they say, “six of one, half a dozen of the other.”

In my mind, Oregon is run like Germany, and I mean that in a complimentary way: In the public sphere, everything works, everything is clean, people are invariably polite, conscientious and efficient.

Hawaii, on the other hand … well, Hawaii is more like Bangladesh or Uzbekistan.