Rod Blagojevich
Hawaii
has been
Linda Lingle, Republican
Legislature: Democratic
relentless in his
Grade: C
Took Office: December 2002
advocacy of large
Hawaii has one of the highest state tax bur-
and sales taxes. On spending, Lingle started out
tax increases on
dens in the country, and Governor Lingle has
well in 2003, calling for an overall reduction in
businesses.
put some effort into easing the load. In 2006 she
the budget and a statewide hiring freeze. Since
proposed income tax reductions consisting of an
then, she has taken various restraint actions,
increase in the standard deduction and adjust-
such as vetoing a government employee pay
ments to tax rate brackets. In 2007 and 2008, she
raise. Despite those efforts, Hawaii's budget has
proposed a smattering of further cuts to income
grown quite rapidly during her tenure.
Idaho
C. L. "Butch" Otter, Republican
Legislature: Republican
Grade: F
Took Office: January 2007
While he had a reputation as being a con-
increase of almost 10 percent. Conservatives in
servative when he was in Congress, Butch
Idaho's legislature are scratching their heads
Otter has promoted fiscal expansion as gover-
at the large spending increases being proposed
by self-proclaimed conservative Otter.31 The
nor. In particular, he pushed for a $200 mil-
governor is taking steps to improve efficiency
lion increase in vehicle-related taxes to fund
and accountability in state government, but
higher transportation spending, which is a
his large proposed tax in-crease and his spend-
large hike for a small state. In his first budget
ing increases earned him a low grade.
address, the governor called for restraint from
the legislature, yet he proposed a spending
Illinois
Rod Blagojevich, Democrat
Legislature: Democratic
Grade: F
Took Office: January 2003
nesses in general through "loophole" closing
Rod Blagojevich campaigned on a promise
initiatives. His approach ignores that Illinois is
not to raise sales or individual income taxes. He
competing against other states and nations for
stuck to that promise, but has been relentless in
his advocacy of large tax increases on business-
investment in the global economy. The main
es. In 2007, he pushed for a massive $7.1 billion
effect of imposing higher taxes on "businesses"
annual tax increase in the form of a business
is to reduce incomes and job opportunities for
gross receipts tax and increased payroll taxes,
Illinois citizens. On spending, Blagojevich has
the largest proposed or enacted hike of any gov-
promoted government expansion. Indeed, he is
ernor in this study.32 Blagojevich has proposed
one of the few governors in the study whose
proposed spending increases were substantially
schemes to wallop businesses nearly every year,
including plans to raise taxes on refineries, gam-
greater than the amount that the legislature
ing businesses, software companies, and busi-
ultimately delivered.
15