Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors: 2008

[BurgundyNGold]

As reviewed by the CATO Institute. It's a pretty good read.

Just to give you a heads up, Maryland's Martin O'Malley scored an F with the worst score of any governor. Tim Kaine from Virginia did a little better, but not much, earning a D.

Revenue poured into state governments as the U.S. economy expanded between 2003 and 2007, prompting the nation's governors to expand state budgets and offer the occasional tax cut. But now that the economy has slowed and revenue growth is down, governors are taking various actions to close rising budget deficits.

This ninth biennial fiscal report card examines the tax and spending decisions made by the governors since 2003. It uses statistical data to grade the governors on their taxing and spending records – governors who have cut taxes and spending the most receive the highest grades, while those who have increased taxes and spending the most receive the lowest grades.

Three governors were awarded an "A" in this report card – Charlie Crist of Florida, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Eight governors were awarded an "F" – Martin O'Malley of Maryland, Ted Kulongoski of Oregon, Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, Chet Culver of Iowa, Jon Corzine of New Jersey, Bob Riley of Alabama, Jodi Rell of Connecticut, and C. L. "Butch" Otter of Idaho.

...


Read it here (http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9709)

[redskin_rich]

I didn't realize that idiotic plan to hyper-penalize only VA drivers for traffic violations was the handiwork of Kaine. Thankfully, that abomination was yanked. I must say, I don't like the smell of what the Kaine is cooking.

[guess88]

I guess Alaska doesn't count as America?

[Fathead]

While he had a reputation as being a conservative when he was in Congress, Butch Otter has promoted fiscal expansion as governor. In particular, he pushed for a $20 million increase in vehicle-related taxes to fund higher transportation spending, which is a large hike for a small state. In his first budget address, the governor called for restraint from the legislature, yet he proposed a spending increase of almost 10 percent.Conservatives in Idaho’s legislature are scratching their heads at the large spending increases being proposed by self-proclaimed conservative Otter.31 The governor is taking steps to improve efficiency and accountability in state government, but his large proposed tax increase and his spending increases earned him a low grade.


This is right on the money. I'm not happy with Mr. Otter. Old Butch needs a swift kick in the butt.

[BurgundyNGold]

I guess Alaska doesn't count as America?
I think they only reviewed 46 states.

[Ibleedburgundy]

I reported you to Dave for starting a new thread.

Perhaps Kaine could just take Cato's advice and lower taxes in order to raise the revenue he needs to pay for his programs.

The fact that they grade Gilmore higher than Warner says it all.

[guess88]

I think they only reviewed 46 states.

That's a shame. Wonder why they missed some. It'd be pretty ironic if the crumbling economy prevented an all encompassing fiscal report.

[redskin_rich]

I reported you to Dave for starting a new thread.

Perhaps Kaine could just take Cato's advice and lower taxes in order to raise the revenue he needs to pay for his programs.

He needs to do something better than charging $3000 for a speeding ticket but only if you have a VA license. Not only was that plan stupid, it was unconstitutional.

[RedskinsDave]

I reported you to Dave for starting a new thread.

Perhaps Kaine could just take Cato's advice and lower taxes in order to raise the revenue he needs to pay for his programs.

The fact that they grade Gilmore higher than Warner says it all.

Yeah, it says that Warner wasn't that great of a Governor and Virginia is paying the price for electing dems. Bang up job ole Guvnah eyebrow is doing. Cutting funding for higher education is brilliant.

[Ibleedburgundy]

I didn't realize that idiotic plan to hyper-penalize only VA drivers for traffic violations was the handiwork of Kaine.

It wasn't. The abusive driver fee program was sponsored by Dave Albo (R) and reluctantly signed in to law by Governor Kaine becaue it was the only way to pass a necessary revenue increase through the Republican legislature in order to pay for the popular transportation/infrastructure demands of the state. Before Kaine came into office Republicans in the state house took a sworn oath to never increase any taxes under any circumstances, so they agreed to this instead as if it were any better.

[Ibleedburgundy]

Yeah, it says that Warner wasn't that great of a Governor and Virginia is paying the price for electing dems. Bang up job ole Guvnah eyebrow is doing. Cutting funding for higher education is brilliant.

What do you suggest he cut? Alternatively, how do you propose he raise revenue?

I'm sure you won't give a straight answer. Perhaps you can get back to me when Virginia Republicans come up with one.

[Patrick]

I guess Alaska doesn't count as America?

Only accounts for 46 states

[redskin_rich]

It wasn't. The abusive driver fee program was sponsored by Dave Albo (R) and reluctantly signed in to law by Governor Kaine becaue it was the only way to pass a necessary revenue increase through the Republican legislature in order to pay for the popular transportation/infrastructure demands of the state. Before Kaine came into office Republicans in the state house took a sworn oath to never increase any taxes under any circumstances, so they agreed to this instead as if it were any better.

Ok, thanks for clearing that up. I didn't think Kaine was that stupid.

[akhhorus]

Any study that rates Mark Sanford as a good governor is hard to take seriously. He's not going to be missed in SC.

[BurgundyNGold]

I reported you to Dave for starting a new thread.
I wasn't sure it belonged in the official, catch all 60,000 post election thread, lol.

Perhaps Kaine could just take Cato's advice and lower taxes in order to raise the revenue he needs to pay for his programs.
Or, he could look to cut programs that cost too much or don't work in addition to finding revenue sources. Usually, when you're short on cash, it's easier to reshuffle your existing expenses than to increase your revenue.

The fact that they grade Gilmore higher
than Warner says it all.
In this report? I didn't see that anywhere.

[BurgundyNGold]

Any study that rates Mark Sanford as a good governor is hard to take seriously. He's not going to be missed in SC.
I don't think it was a broad spectrum report on popularity. It's a report on fiscal policy by a Libertarian think tank. In that vein, this description sounds pretty reasonable...

Mark Sanford is a consistent advocate of spending restraint and pro-growth tax cuts. In 2004, he proposed cutting the top personal income tax rate from 7.0 percent to 4.75 percent. In 2005, the legislature agreed to go halfway and cut the top income tax rate for small businesses from 7 percent to 5 percent.

In 2006, the governor and legislature agreed to raise the sales tax rate in a swap for cuts to property taxes and sales taxes on groceries. In 2007 Sanford signed into law substantial cuts to sales and income taxes. This year, Sanford has proposed swapping higher cigarette taxes for cuts to income taxes by means of an optional 3.4 percent flat tax. In response, the legislature proposed a large cigarette tax hike without an offsetting tax cut, and Sanford vetoed it.

On spending, Sanford’s proposed budgets have been quite frugal, and he has vetoed hundreds of costly bills. Unfortunately, the legislature has overridden many of Sanford’s vetoes, and actual state spending has risen faster than he would have liked. To help solve the overspending problem, Sanford has pushed for the state toadopt a caponthebudget tolimit annual growth to inflation plus increases in population, but that reformhas not yet been adopted.

[akhhorus]

I don't think it was a broad spectrum report on popularity. It's a report on fiscal policy by a Libertarian think tank. In that vein, this description sounds pretty reasonable...

I know what the report was about. Sanford's spent his whole time fighting everyone over his budgets(he's released pigs on the floor of the state house), and while he has cut taxes, he's also overseen a gutting of the state government(especially when he did nothing to punish Clemson for asking for more cash when they were sitting on a massive slush fund) without significant growth of the in-state businesses(outside of whatever foreign companies they can entice on opening up factories). People of both parties are pissed-especially when he was selling state property at dirt cheap prices to his friends and contributors-and are glad he's term limited from running again.

[BurgundyNGold]

I know what the report was about. Sanford's spent his whole time fighting everyone over his budgets(he's released pigs on the floor of the state house), and while he has cut taxes, he's also overseen a gutting of the state government(especially when he did nothing to punish Clemson for asking for more cash when they were sitting on a massive slush fund) without significant growth of the in-state businesses(outside of whatever foreign companies they can entice on opening up factories). People of both parties are pissed-especially when he was selling state property at dirt cheap prices to his friends and contributors-and are glad he's term limited from running again.
So, he cut taxes and gutted state government, which is good, right? And the number of in state businesses did not grow, which is bad but not fiscally irresponsible. Did he end up giving Clemson the money they asked for?

[akhhorus]

So, he cut taxes and gutted state government, which is good, right?

He didn't gut the waste, he gutted whatever he wanted to(education, police, etc). I know he cut nearly 200 million of the education budget in 2008(by direct cuts and eliminating a special 1% sales tax that goes to the schools).

And the number of in state businesses did not grow, which is bad but not fiscally irresponsible.

If you're going to cut revenue by slashing business taxes, you'd better see some benefit by growth in the commericial/industrial sectors, or you're doubly screwed lol.

Did he end up giving Clemson the money they asked for?

Yup, he signed off on their massive tuition increase(nevermind that tuition there has tripled in the last decade already) and they got state help to pay for their new stadium/athletic center despite sitting on a 150-200 mil slush fund(which they tried to hide the existence of).

[BurgundyNGold]

He didn't gut the waste, he gutted whatever he wanted to(education, police, etc). I know he cut nearly 200 million of the education budget in 2008(by direct cuts and eliminating a special 1% sales tax that goes to the schools).
Well, I can't agree with cutting education or police funding, but I'm not familiar with the specifics. Suffice it to say, you're not much of a short or long term visionary if you cut police and education.

If you're going to cut revenue by slashing business taxes, you'd better see some benefit by growth in the commericial/industrial sectors, or you're doubly screwed lol.
Yeah but when you cut the top income rate for small businesses, you're not trying to grow the number of small businesses, you're trying to grow medium sized businesses and attract external businesses to SC to increase jobs. Perhaps the ones from MD who are getting their taxes raised by O'Malley, lol.

Yup, he signed off on their massive tuition increase(nevermind that tuition there has tripled in the last decade already) and they got state help to pay for their new stadium/athletic center despite sitting on a 150-200 mil slush fund(which they tried to hide the existence of).
That's a bad deal, IMO. I could never support that -- especially if they were trying to hide money from me, lol.

Just looking at the moves on the surface, it seems that Sanford is trying to make SC seem more attractive to outsiders in the near term at the expense of SC residents long term.

[akhhorus]

Well, I can't agree with cutting education or police funding, but I'm not familiar with the specifics. Suffice it to say, you're not much of a short or long term visionary if you cut police and education.

If you have a high quality educational system, ok, I can see temporary cuts. But SC doesn't have that lol.

Yeah but when you cut the top income rate for small businesses, you're not trying to grow the number of small businesses, you're trying to grow medium sized businesses and attract external businesses to SC to increase jobs. Perhaps the ones from MD who are getting their taxes raised by O'Malley, lol.


Yeah, but Sanford came to office saying how he was going to attract big business, and he's gotten some with BMW in the upstate and google in Charleston, but thats really about it.

That's a bad deal, IMO. I could never support that -- especially if they were trying to hide money from me, lol.

Just looking at the moves on the surface, it seems that Sanford is trying to make SC seem more attractive to outsiders in the near term at the expense of SC residents long term.

Yep, he had visions of being on a national ticket. What really cheesed people off was that he sold off some former military base property(which could have netted a lot of revenue for the state) for pennies on the dollar to campaign contributors(then tried to cover it up).

[BurgundyNGold]

If you have a high quality educational system, ok, I can see temporary cuts. But SC doesn't have that lol.

Yeah, but Sanford came to office saying how he was going to attract big business, and he's gotten some with BMW in the upstate and google in Charleston, but thats really about it.

Yep, he had visions of being on a national ticket. What really cheesed people off was that he sold off some former military base property(which could have netted a lot of revenue for the state) for pennies on the dollar to campaign contributors(then tried to cover it up).
I'm guessing that when CATO does a crook report, Sanford will be making a push for the top, lol.

[RedskinsDave]

What do you suggest he cut? Alternatively, how do you propose he raise revenue?

I'm sure you won't give a straight answer. Perhaps you can get back to me when Virginia Republicans come up with one.

How about anywhere but education. I could've sworn your people claim they're the big champions of education. I guess you've moved on to some other b.s. no one should buy. He shouldn't have to raise revenue. Didn't Virginia have a massive surplus? Wasn't that about the time he took office? Gee, I think there's a president who you've been harping on for turning a budget into a deficit........

Before you try to spin this as predicably not Kaine's fault, the Governor is the one responsible for overall budgeting in the formerly great Commonwealth. Kaine shouldn't have kept projecting budget increases at the ridiculous rate that was happening during Bucky's tenure.

[Ibleedburgundy]

Or, he could look to cut programs that cost too much or don't work in addition to finding revenue sources. Usually, when you're short on cash, it's easier to reshuffle your existing expenses than to increase your revenue.


Kaine made some pretty serious cuts this year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/08/AR2008100801587.html

As for the grades of Warner vs. Gilmore, I was referring to the Cato grades during their respective administrations. It wasn't in any one report.

Either way, I do think it's an interesting read. I don't agree with the criteria in terms of giving Governors a grade because I think good Governance is a little more complex. If it were me, the Cato critieria would be about 25% of the equation.