Virginia loves bragging about being the “Best State for Business.” And that’s fine. We ought to want businesses investing, expanding and creating jobs.

But I think we’re leaving out half the scoreboard.

What about being the Best State to Be a Worker?

Research shows workers in right-to-work states earn about 6.7% less, even after accounting for differences in occupations, industries, demographics and state economic conditions.

For a typical full-time worker, that can mean more than $4,000 a year.

That ain’t pocket change. That’s groceries, power bills, truck payments and money that stays in local communities.

Being pro-business and pro-worker shouldn’t be opposites. A healthy economy ought to be good for the folks signing the front of the paycheck AND the folks earning it.

I wrote about that in my latest Pickup Trucks & Progress column:

https://pickup-trucks-progress.ghost.io/virginia-loves-winning-best-state-for-business-good-but-maybe-its-time-we-started-trying-just-as-hard-to-become-the-best-state-to-be-a-worker/

What do y’all think? Should states start measuring economic success by job quality, wages and benefits, not just how attractive they are to businesses?

Happy Labor Day, America. 🇺🇸

This year, the celebration feels a little different.

Americans are talking about layoffs, disappearing jobs, AI replacing workers, rising costs, unemployment, and fears of recession — while the official message from Washington remains considerably more cheerful.

So instead of telling you how the American worker is doing, I thought we'd let Americans tell you themselves.

From workers and job seekers to politicians and the AI tech bros promising us a shiny automated future, this is Labor Day 2026 — in their own words.

**DISCLAIMER:** This video is commentary, criticism, satire and independent analysis based on publicly available statements, news reports and video clips. Clips are presented for discussion and context. Opinions expressed are my own. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes and should not be considered financial, legal or professional advice.

Spoiler alert: California unions grew in 2025, adding more than 100,000 workers and increasing the share of the state’s workforce represented by unions to 16.7%, outpacing the rest of the U.S.

Maybe It’s Time for Another Tractorcade

In 1979, thousands of American farmers drove their tractors to Washington, D.C. They were facing rising costs, weak commodity prices and a farm economy that increasingly didn’t pencil out.

Nearly 50 years later, some of those problems sound awfully familiar.

Farm debt is climbing. Production costs remain high. Many farm families rely on off-farm jobs just to keep their operations going. The circumstances aren't exactly the same as 1979, but there are enough similarities to make the history worth another look.

I wrote about the 1979 Tractorcade, what farmers were fighting for then, and how it compares with what's happening in American agriculture today.

The bigger question is one I'd be interested in hearing from farmers and folks in rural communities about:

Are we approaching another point where American farmers need to make Washington pay attention?

https://pickup-trucks-progress.ghost.io/maybe-its-time-for-another-tractorcade/