Gov. Mike Leavitt nurtures his reputation as a fiscal conservative. But Utah's governor is not nearly conservative enough for the Cato Institute, a national public policy research organization in Washington, D.C., that advocates limited government and individual liberty.
According to a governor's report card released earlier this week, Leavitt scored a 49 on the institute's "fiscal restraint index," barely good enough for a C grade and only two points above a D ranking. Of the 26 governors elected before 1993, Leavitt was tied for 16th.Of the 46 governors rated in the study, 21 had better scores and 21 had worse scores. However, 20 of the governors were elected in 1993 or 1994 and were rated on a mid-term scale much more lenient than that used to rate Leavitt and the other 25 governors elected before 1993.
According to the Cato Institute, "Leavitt appears to be a sound fiscal manager but not seriously committed to downsizing the state gov-ern-ment. In his first three years in office, state spending has grown at almost a 6 percent annual rate, or twice as fast as inflation.
"On the national level, Leavitt is a spokesman for returning power to the states and for federal budget cuts, but he needs to show more effectiveness in cutting the Utah budget," the report states.
On the positive side, the report praised Leavitt's health-care reform initiative "designed to expand patient choice while relying on market-based cost containment." It also liked the fact the governor has supported tax cuts but implied the cuts could have been larger.
Leavitt spokeswoman Vicki Varela was predictably displeased at the institute's report card, but she wasn't all that surprised either, given the fact the Cato Institute has not rated Leavitt particularly high on past report cards.
"The Cato Institute's essay on the governor is incongruent with its grade," Varela said. "They recognize him for running the best-managed state in the nation and being a sound fiscal manager. Does that sound like a C performance? Maybe they don't like the way he parts his hair."
According to the "fiscal restraint index," the nation's most fiscally responsible governors are George Pataki of New York, Steve Merrill of New Hampshire and Fife Symington of Arizona, all of whom received an A. All three are Republicans. The highest-ranking Democrat was Gov. Roy Romer of Colorado, whose fiscal policy score of 59 was good enough for sixth place and a B grade.
Four governors scored F grades: George Voinovich, R-Ohio; Lawton Chiles, D-Florida; Tom Carper, D-Delaware; and Gaston Caperton, D-West Virginia.
Report card authors Stephen Moore and Dean Stansel said "fiscal conservatisim is on the rise in the states," adding that lower tax rates and spending controls are "the new governing doctrine in the nation's state capitols."
The Cato Institute's efforts are typically directed and promoting privatization and deregulation, low and simple taxes, and reduced government spending. It also encourages voluntary solutions to social and economic problems.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Utah statistics
Among the Utah statistics cited in the Cato report:
- Total state spending increased 3.5 percent from 1993 to 1994.
- Total state spending per a family of four increased $98, from $10,662 in 1993 to $10,760 in 1994.
- Total state spending per $1,000 of personal income fell by 0.7 percent.
- General-fund spending rose 7.9 percent between 1994 and 1996, whereas general fund revenue rose 8.7 percent during the same period.
- General-fund spending per $1,000 of personal income increased 2.7 percent from 1994 to 1996, while general fund revenue per $1,000 personal income increased 3.4 percent.
- General-fund spending per a family of four increased by $256 from 1994 to 1996, while general-fund revenue per $1,000 personal income increased by $301.