The Cato Institute has released its annual nonpartisan Fiscal Policy Report Card on the nation’s governors. Grades are based on taxes and spending, with an “A” being given to governors who have cut taxes and spending the most, and an “F” to those who have raised taxes and spending the most.
As Cato recognizes, the report looks at fiscal policies in the short term. It doesn’t look at policies that affect the fiscal health of states in the long term, such as onerous regulations, Medicaid expansion, richer pensions for public-sector workers, and the crony capitalism of handouts for business.
This short-term look results in such seeming anomalies as Illinois Governor Pritzker getting a “C” on the report card, the same as Texas Governor Greg Abbott, although, in my opinion, Pritzker is putting a millstone of unsustainable liabilities around the neck of future generations of Illinoisans with his vote-buying from unions and other interest groups.
Cato issues other reports that look at long-term liabilities. It gave former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey high marks for keeping those at sustainable levels.
If Congress and Trump, Biden and Harris were given grades on governing within the nation’s fiscal means, an “F” would be too high for them. They would deserve the same grade as Bernie Madoff.
A shorter version of the report is at this link. You’ll see a map where you can click on a state and see the grade for its governor. A longer 56-page PDF version is at this link.
Here’s an excerpt:
Six governors receive a grade of A: Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Jim Pillen of Nebraska, Jim Justice of West Virginia, Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, and Greg Gianforte of Montana. Six governors receive an F: Tony Evers of Wisconsin, John Carney of Delaware, Jay Inslee of Washington, Janet Mills of Maine, Kathy Hochul of New York, and Tim Walz of Minnesota.
If you care about any of this and will consider it in your upcoming vote, you are part of the tiniest minority in America.
Mr. Cantoni can be reached at [email protected].
