Last time I looked Port Townsend and California (if CA were a country it would be #6 in global economic rankings http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article83780667.html ) were doing pretty well. I am not all that surprised that GOP partisans keep forgetting to look at the Kansas economic debacle (http://www.politicususa.com/2015/01/18/kansas-continuing-economic-disaster-brownback-promises-abolish-taxes.html ) that has taken place. 

I would advance the argument that there are enough instances of corruption, ineptitude, and economic mismanagement, within both Democratic and the Republican controlled local and state governments, for either party to claim to be "the good guys". When people, particularly those in party leadership positions, make blanket statements of virtue for their particular political party or group, I become very skeptical.  Rational skepticism, that's what being an independent is all about.