Posted on 10/19/2006 12:24:27 PM PDT by calcowgirl
The folks at the conservative-leaning Cato Institute have published their annual report card on the fiscal policy of the nation's governors. And they've dropped Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget score from an 'A' to a 'D.'
The Cato report is here. It uses about two dozen different measures of fiscal performance, generally grading spending cuts and tax cuts as better, and spending and tax hikes as worse.
So why did they drop his grade? "After one year of of aggressive budget cutting, " the report says, "he has let the big spenders in Sacramento get to him." The Cato report says California's state government is now 12% bigger in "real per capita terms" than after the governor's first few budget decisions.
13 of the nation's governors were given a 'D' rating, so Schwarzenegger isn't alone. Only one, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, was given an 'A.'
This report presents the findings of the Cato Institute's eighth biennial fiscal policy report card on the nation's governors. The report card's grading is based on 23 objective measures of fiscal performance. Governors who have cut taxes and spending the most receive the highest grades. Those who have increased spending and taxes the most receive the lowest grades.From Full Text(PDF, 530 KB)Only one governor receives an A this year— Republican Matt Blunt of Missouri. The next two highest-scoring Republicans are Rick Perry of Texas and Mark Sanford of South Carolina. The highest-scoring Democratic governors are John Lynch of New Hampshire and Phil Bredesen of Tennessee.
Nine governors receive Fs. In alphabetical order, they are Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana, Michael Easley of North Carolina, Kenny Guinn of Nevada, Christine Gregoire of Washington, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, Ruth Ann Minner of Delaware, Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Bob Riley of Alabama, and Brian Schweitzer of Montana.
Governors who received praise in previous editions of the report card but have lower grades this year include Arnold Schwarzenegger of California (current grade, D); Jeb Bush of Florida (current grade, C); Bill Owens of Colorado (current grade, D); George Pataki of New York (current grade, D); and Bill Richardson of New Mexico (current grade, C).
Page 5
Arnold Schwarzenegger: He received accolades for his first two years on the job when he received an A in the 2004 edition of this report card. This year, however, his grade has dropped to a D. It seems that the California governor has changed his stripes completely. After one year of aggressive budget cutting, he has let the big spenders in Sacramento get to him. Today, California state government is 12 percent bigger in real per capita terms than it was after his hard-fought battle to eliminate the massive $15 billion deficit. Now his efforts are geared toward expanding government, not scaling it back.It’s likely many voters no longer recognize the Arnold Schwarzenegger they elected in 2003.
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California
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican
Legislature: Democratic
First-Term Grade: DThe plot of the second reel of the current Arnold Schwarzenegger film has taken a turn for the worst. In the first reel, Schwarzenegger played an aggressive budget cutter who slashed spending by around $6 billion over two years and reversed Gray Davis’s car tax hike. Part of his budget fix, however—a $15 billion bond to cover year-to-year expenses—looks in retrospect like a harbinger of things to come. Lately, while he’s held the line against tax increases, he’s also been eager to expand government massively. Over the past two years, Schwarzenegger proposed budgets that boosted spending several times faster than population growth. This year he cut a deal with the Democrats in the state legislature to hike the budget by 10 percent. He also conspired with them to put on the ballot a massive $37 billion bond to pay for infrastructure projects, many of which have been rightly criticized as pork.
Meanwhile, the recommendations produced by his first-year budget task force, which could produce $32 billion in budget savings, collect dust like a forgotten screenplay on a shelf somewhere. Schwarzenegger is no longer the small-government crusader he claimed he was when he auditioned for the role of governor. He has instead become a borrow-and-spend version of the big-spending governor he unseated in 2003.
All you Texans out there wondering who to vote for.
My man Rick Perry is a good governor.
YESSS!!
Isn't Rick Perry going to allow the construction of the superhighway next year?
Schwarzenegger is no longer the small-government crusader he claimed he was when he auditioned for the role of governor. He has instead become a borrow-and-spend version of the big-spending governor he unseated in 2003.
Page 5
"It’s likely many voters no longer recognize the Arnold Schwarzenegger they elected in 2003."
Ain't that the truth.
Governor Riley of Alabama, who, in contrast to Arnold has heavy conservative support, received an F.
Thats the rumor.If as much money as I hear is involved in this project, I doubt it can or will be stopped by any politician.
Governor Riley of Alabama, who, in contrast to Arnold has heavy conservative support, received an F.
Governor Riley of Alabama, who, in contrast to Arnold has heavy conservative support, received an F.
Governor Riley of Alabama, who, in contrast to Arnold has heavy conservative support, received an F.
OK, I understood your reply number 9
Missed 11
Confused by 12 and
Misunderstood 13
Or did you send me the same thing 4 times for a reason?
How am I supposed to believe that rating when they didn't even get his name (Dave) right?
BTW, did you actually have a point to make about Riley, or instead do you work full-time with the glitch-detection police?
But ,,, but isn't El Napo supposed to be the top governor according to Time Magazine. Please let enough conservatives get out to get rid of this Clinton in a dress.
No police just having some fun with you - you on dialup?
Don't really pay attention to Riley - so would just take you at your post.
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