That is the backdrop to this 10th biennial fiscal report card of the governors, which examines state budget actions since 2008. 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.
Four governors were awarded an "A" in this report card —
Mark Sanford (R) South Carolina,
Bobby Jindal (R) Louisiana,
Tim Pawlenty (R)Minnesota
Joe Manchin (D) West Virginia.
Seven governors were awarded an "F" —
Ted Kulongoski (D) Oregon
David Paterson (D) New York
Jodi Rell (R) Connecticut
Pat Quinn (R) Illinois
Jim Doyle (D)Wisconsin
Bill Ritter (D) Colorado
Chris Gregoire (D) Washington
At lot of these guys getting Fs are classic tax and spenders....and view corporate businesses as cash cows...
Pat Quinn, Ted Kulongoski, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and David Paterson to me are big time disappointments...
Ironically Chris Edwards (author) says states should abolish corporate income taxes, as they are burdens that damage job creation, and raise relatively little money overall....
My home state of North Carolina, Beverly Purdue (D) got a D....she's raised a few taxes but pledged to raise no more and the new Republican state senate will keep her honest...
Check it out to see the other states...
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=12173
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
If there was a grade worse than F Paterson would get it. Good to see Cuomo doing the right thing he heard the State troopers got raises and he canceled them. Good to see a fiscally responsible Democrat!
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Thread starter): 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 |
What a bizarre viewpoint. How can tax and spending be presumed negative?
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting 777236ER (Reply 3): How can tax and spending be presumed negative? |
Because a lot of it is wasting money on entitlements, pensions, and such. It's better to tax less and provide only essential government services, since people can take care of themselves. Spending has gotten out of control, and taxes may follow. If the state is low on money, the solution isn't to simply go out and get more money.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Thread starter): Pat Quinn (R) Illinois |
Pat Quinn is a Democrat.
[Edited 2011-01-15 12:05:42]
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting BMI727 (Reply 4): Because a lot of it is wasting money on entitlements, pensions, and such. It's better to tax less and provide only essential government services, since people can take care of themselves. Spending has gotten out of control, and taxes may follow. If the state is low on money, the solution isn't to simply go out and get more money. |
Perhaps, but that's not my point. It can't be an automatic negative, it's a debate. It's a bit like having a ranking based on how right-wing politicians are; it's inherently biased and subjective, hence pointless.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Thread starter): Joe Manchin (D) West Virginia. |
Haha, guess you can be rated highly for managing money if your state doesn't have any
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Thread starter): Bobby Jindal (R) Louisiana, |
Still convinced that this guy is going to be the R's best hope for 2012, and if so, he will definitely use this ranking to his advantage!
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
One problem with this survey is that for some states, they may have a Democratic majority in at least one house of the Legislature. Another is that it ignores the huge collapse of manufacturing and services in some states in turn sharply declining revenue. I would also note that the scoring is on a curve, with an index of 50 and the highest only in the 70's so I really don't understand why anyone would get an 'A'. To me 70's = C's, 60's = D's and under 60 or even 65 =F.
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RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
Kudos to Mark Sanford... 
Yeah a big time union tool too.. my mistake how did I mix that one up....my bad..
Ah I don't know about Cuomo....didn't the unions pour money into his campaign?
That's why Pawlenty was ranked so high...he had a liberal legislature.. trying to pass spending bill after spending bill and tax hike after tax hike....and he vetoed a lot of them...
| Quoting JBirdAV8r (Reply 5): Quoting thegreatRDU (Thread starter): Pat Quinn (R) Illinois Pat Quinn is a Democrat. |
Yeah a big time union tool too.. my mistake how did I mix that one up....my bad..
| Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 1): Good to see Cuomo doing the right thing he heard the State troopers got raises and he canceled them. Good to see a fiscally responsible Democrat! |
Ah I don't know about Cuomo....didn't the unions pour money into his campaign?
| Quoting ltbewr (Reply 10): One problem with this survey is that for some states, they may have a Democratic majority in at least one house of the Legislature. |
That's why Pawlenty was ranked so high...he had a liberal legislature.. trying to pass spending bill after spending bill and tax hike after tax hike....and he vetoed a lot of them...
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Thread starter): 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. |
Talk about a biased report. Rearrange them by who kept their budget balanced the best, and then you'll have a survey that actually means something useful. It's nuts that Rick Perry (R-TX) got a B when that state is facing a massive budget deficit.
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Thread starter): Mark Sanford (R) South Carolina, |
Is that A for "Argentina" or for "Appalachian Trail"?
-Mir
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting Mir (Reply 12): Talk about a biased report. Rearrange them by who kept their budget balanced the best, and then you'll have a survey that actually means something useful. It's nuts that Rick Perry (R-TX) got a B when that state is facing a massive budget deficit. |
I am no big Rick Perry apologist, and deficits are deficits, but Texas' deficit, as a proportion of its budget, is not that bad; also, remember, when you hear a number assigned to Texas' projected budget, it's almost always a number for two years, not one - Texas budgets two years at a time, because its legislature meets only every other year (in, appropriately enough, odd years).
The legislature, and the Governor, assure us that they will balance the budget with no new taxes - but I cannot wait to see how many fees they come up with, or come up on.
As I always tell my clients: "When the legislature's in session, hold onto your wallets!"
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting sw733 (Reply 9): Still convinced that this guy is going to be the R's best hope for 2012, and if so, he will definitely use this ranking to his advantage! |
No way. Very poor public speaking skills. His time has past. It's still Christie.
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Reply 11): Ah I don't know about Cuomo....didn't the unions pour money into his campaign? |
I wasn't here during the campaign but why would be take it? He was way ahead the whole way and didn't have to do a thing and then Paladino did him more of a favor and made that stupid comment about gays. The NY GOP is a joke anyway. I actually voted for Cuomo.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 7): Quoting BMI727 (Reply 2): I think the scale goes A, B, C, D, F, and Illinois. Don't forget California. |
California is becoming dangerously close to Illinois in terms of a failed political system that rewards incompetence.
The difference is that Illinois has Richard Daley's thugs in charge and California has a Hollywood/enviro-freak element.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting sccutler (Reply 13): Texas' deficit, as a proportion of its budget, is not that bad |
$25 billion is nothing to sneeze at - it's close to California's number.
| Quoting sccutler (Reply 13): also, remember, when you hear a number assigned to Texas' projected budget, it's almost always a number for two years, not one |
Which is meaningless if the legislature can only do something about it every two years.
-Mir
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting Superfly (Reply 15): California is becoming dangerously close to Illinois in terms of a failed political system that rewards incompetence. The difference is that Illinois has Richard Daley's thugs in charge and California has a Hollywood/enviro-freak element. |
Ya know Larry I have to tell you I was very close to the Senate and Governor's races and it has become painfully apparent it's not just the elites. Most Californians are voting for these idiots and in a way deserve the fact that CA will probably never climb out of this hole and will be a nanny state. More power to them. You wanted Brown you got him. You just got more illegals thanks to a sanctuary policy, thug unions and people that will just keep raising taxes and not fighting the sacred cows. Here is GOP Chair Ron Nehring telling it like it is. Pretty alarming as he is spot on.
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/44923...govs-budget-plan-all-pain-no-gain/
Have fun CA, in 4 years your going to regret falling for the Gloria Allred hatchet job. Shame. When you should have voted for someone who would have taken the Christie approach to either produce or GTFO.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting Mir (Reply 16): Which is meaningless if the legislature can only do something about it every two years. |
Only meaningless if one lacks the essential ability to think independently.
The Texas budget, and its deficit, are usually cited based upon the entire budget - for two years, but many in the press (especially out of state press) overlook this fact, and compare the numbers to those of other states which have a one-year budget cycle.
Now, there are those who contend that the Texas legislature should meet more often - but the current system seems to work pretty well, because legislative bodies, by their very nature, tend to always want to spend more money. In the event of a genuinely urgent legislative need, a special session is called.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 17): You wanted Brown you got him. |
Jerry Brown is a good man and wants the best for California. He will not hurt the state.
The problem is with the other officeholders that have their agenda and are only concerned about their personal career ambitions and pet 'cause'.. People like Kamala Harris, Sally Leiber, Alan Lowenthal and Fran Pavley are some of the biggest threats to the state of California.
| Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 17): You just got more illegals thanks to a sanctuary policy,.... When you should have voted for someone who would have taken the Christie approach to either produce or GTFO. |
Hmmmm, it's the illegals that are the only ones that produce. Even Meg Whiteman agrees which is why she hired illegals.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting Superfly (Reply 19): Hmmmm, it's the illegals that are the only ones that produce. |
This is the painful reality - there is a substantial portion of available and productive work for which the only willing workers are latino immigrants. This is not "minimum wage" work - it is manual labor, both skilled and unskilled, and but for our productive FFSOBs (Friends From South Of Border), most of it simply does not get done.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting Superfly (Reply 19): Jerry Brown is a good man and wants the best for California. He will not hurt the state. The problem is with the other officeholders that have their agenda and are only concerned about their personal career ambitions and pet 'cause'.. People like Kamala Harris, Sally Leiber, Alan Lowenthal and Fran Pavley are some of the biggest threats to the state of California |
If he wants what is best why is he going with the status quo? Knowing that by doing so it just further drives CA down a hole they can never climb out since businesses and people are fleeing the state? CA needs a tougher approach than NJ and he is going in the opposite direction. Disaster.
| Quoting Superfly (Reply 19): Hmmmm, it's the illegals that are the only ones that produce. Even Meg Whiteman agrees which is why she hired illegals |
You didn't fall for that story did you? If Whitman wanted cheap labor why did she pay the woman such a high hourly rate that any American would have taken? Come on. The woman has more money than God. Why is she going to try to nickel and dime on domestic help then pay them over the going rate. That was a planned attack job in which Allred and Whitman's ex housekeeper got paid off and probably promised not to be deported.
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- DfwRevolution
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RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting 777236ER (Reply 6): It can't be an automatic negative, it's a debate. |
It's a debate we settled 234 years ago, when we decided that yes, it is an automatic negative.
| Quoting Mir (Reply 16): $25 billion is nothing to sneeze at - it's close to California's number. |
| Quoting Mir (Reply 16): Which is meaningless if the legislature can only do something about it every two years. |
So you're saying that:
$25 billion deficit on a 2 year budget = $25 billion deficit on a 1 year budget
That just doesn't make sense. Texas needs to find half as much revenue or half as many cuts as California to close its budget gap. Texas also has a huge advantage over many states in its budget process. The Texas Constitution prohibits carrying over items from the previous budget. Each new budget must start-over from a totally clean slate. What a concept! That way, the legislator starts over by assessing what is available to spend, not what they want to spend. It's an inherently more efficient model.
Furthermore, of the $12.5 billion annual shortfall in the next Texas budget cycle, approximately $8 billion is from changes in Medicaid rules due to Obamacare. So in matters where Texas actually has direct control, the budget deficit is about $4 billion - or $8 billion over two years. On an annual basis, that's one-sixth of CA's deficit.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 17): When you should have voted for someone who would have taken the Christie approach to either produce or GTFO |
A woman who paid a consultant $90K per month to run her campaign and couldn't even listen to useful advice about cultivating public image? In my book that's called lack of production. Not to mention everyone in California understood that she would get absolutely nowhere with that approach in the legislature, which would only lead to worse deadlock than already exists. No thanks.
| Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 21): If he wants what is best why is he going with the status quo? Knowing that by doing so it just further drives CA down a hole they can never climb out since businesses and people are fleeing the state? |
Don't count Jerry out just yet - rumors abound that he's going after public pension obligations next, the AG's office is just figuring out how they can do it legally. He has already taken a big step by proposing the complete abolition statewide of community redevelopment agencies, which have been a liberal pet project of massive failing proportions since the 1960s. No more "enterprise zones", no more borrowing against future tax revenues - it's all going away. This will free up billions in reserve funds for local governments. He's off to a good start if you ask me.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting Aaron747 (Reply 23): Don't count Jerry out just yet - rumors abound that he's going after public pension obligations next, the AG's office is just figuring out how they can do it legally. He has already taken a big step by proposing the complete abolition statewide of community redevelopment agencies, which have been a liberal pet project of massive failing proportions since the 1960s. No more "enterprise zones", no more borrowing against future tax revenues - it's all going away. This will free up billions in reserve funds for local governments. He's off to a good start if you ask me. |
I will give him ample time to prove he is for real reform. Lord knows CA needs something. The ball is in his court and time will tell.
| Quoting sw733 (Reply 24): I stand behind my opinion |
It's Noble. I like him but in the new age of 24 hour news and blogs attacking constantly you have to be able to be a rock star when the lights go on and think on your feet with a microphone in front of you. Which Jindal can't handle and which Christie knocks it out of the park.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 21): If Whitman wanted cheap labor why did she pay the woman such a high hourly rate that any American would have taken? Come on. The woman has more money than God. Why is she going to try to nickel and dime on domestic help then pay them over the going rate. That was a planned attack job in which Allred and Whitman's ex housekeeper got paid off and probably promised not to be deported. |
Why couldn't Whitman just obey the law and hire a US Citizen?
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- thegreatRDU
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RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting Mir (Reply 12): Is that A for "Argentina" or for "Appalachian Trail"? |
I wish he was my governor...
| Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 14): I wasn't here during the campaign but why would be take it? He was way ahead the whole way and didn't have to do a thing and then Paladino did him more of a favor and made that stupid comment about gays. The NY GOP is a joke anyway. I actually voted for Cuomo. |
Paladino would have put in work...Cuomo's smoke and mirrors and won't cut deep enough........I also think he'll allow taxes to rise..
| Quoting WarRI1 (Reply 28): I suggest Christie go on a diet, talk about a poor public image. He looks like Grover Cleveland. I can just see him at the Presidential Debates. |
I think Obama will win re election...
I truly believe Christie could win....the media in general with the exception of Chris Matthews has been very favorable to him....
Me? I want Ron Paul to give it a go
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting WarRI1 (Reply 28): I suggest Christie go on a diet, talk about a poor public image. |
Nah, there needs to be a fat guy hero.
Too many pretty boys in the media.
I thiink Christie would do very well in a debate against Obama.
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Reply 29): Paladino would have put in work... |
Paladino is a bit 'mental' and would sic his pit bull on anyone he disagrees with.
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Reply 29): Me? I want Ron Paul to give it a go |
He is a very smart man but I think age would be a factor against him.
Age hurt John McCain and Bob Dole whom had more political experience and were more mainstream.
I'd prefer Donald Trump or Christie.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting WarRI1 (Reply 28): I suggest Christie go on a diet, talk about a poor public image. He looks like Grover Cleveland. I can just see him at the Presidential Debates |
He supposedly was but I tell you this guy is something politics has needed for a long time. His stock is rising so fast he could overcome that easy. He just is that good.
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Reply 29): Paladino would have put in work...Cuomo's smoke and mirrors and won't cut deep enough........I also think he'll allow taxes to rise.. |
So far he is holding true. I can't see him raising taxes it would be disaster now. We will have to see but I think he is going to be a good Gov.
| Quoting thegreatRDU (Reply 29): I think Obama will win re election... I truly believe Christie could win....the media in general with the exception of Chris Matthews has been very favorable to him.... |
Can win? Christie wipes the floor with Obama. It wouldn't even be close. BTW Schultz attacks him worse. Deep down he knows he poses a huge problem.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting Superfly (Reply 32): That's for sure. Hell even I'd vote for the guy. ...and I'm a liberal Democrat. |
Your not that liberal!
| Quoting Superfly (Reply 32): Gosh I'd love to see the two in a debate. |
Oh man would that be a sight. One of Christie great qualities is how real he is and that comes through when he speaks. Where Obama is a teleprompter reciter.
RE: Fiscal Policy Report Card On US Governors:2010
| Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 33): Your not that liberal! |
Yes I am!
Yes I am!
| Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 33): Oh man would that be a sight. One of Christie great qualities is how real he is and that comes through when he speaks. Where Obama is a teleprompter reciter. |
Obama is a great speaker and has an extensive vocabulary. Obama is very much a product of academia and is a reason why he is so popular among academic intellectuals.
Governor Christie can go toe to toe with intellectuals but brings with him real world knowledge and has full command of any topic he is discussing. He has an ability to connect with the average citizen and explain complex government bureaucratic rules & regulations in the most basic manner for the common folk to understand.