By JULIE DELCOUR Associate Editor on Jun 9, 2013, at 2:04 AMUpdated on 6/09/13 at 7:34 AM

Norman Meyer carries his fair tax sign during the Tea Party rally on the south steps of the state Capitol in April 2010, in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoman file

Oklahoma at No. 5 and the Granite State at No. 4, are perilously close to the top of the list of freest states, according to the "Freedom in the 50 States" report produced by the libertarian-leaning Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

I say "perilously" since not all of us define fiscal, economic and personal freedoms the same as the report, which reflects the libertarian litmus test: - the least government possible is the best government.

The "freest" states in the U.S., say researchers, are North Dakota, No. 1, South Dakota, No. 2, and Tennessee, No. 3. New York, unable to slip the surly bonds of high taxation and the red tape of extensive regulation, is ranked No. 50. California, New Jersey and Hawaii also are floating face down at the bottom of the freedom pool.

Using 200 variables, the study ranked states according to how their public policies impact individual freedoms in the economic, social and personal spheres.

Aha! That explains why Gov. Mary Fallin is posting guards on our state's borders to keep out all those Oklahoma wannabes - freedom-starved refugees from New York and Hawaii, etc., dying to run free by becoming Sooners.

After surveying some of the damage wrought in the last few legislative sessions, I certainly am not in the throes of a full-blown freedom high. Freedom is relative. How free do the up to 180,000 Oklahomans feel who won't receive health insurance because of the governor's decisions relating to the Affordable Care Act?

How free are public school students to receive a quality education when the Legislature has cut common education appropriations by $200 million in four years. How free do thousands of teachers and staff feel who've lost jobs because of the cuts?

Oklahoma ranks 49th in per-pupil spending. That's not OK.

Read more:

Libertarian think tank rates Oklahoma fifth-freest state