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Delaware
Tom Carper, Democrat
Legislature: Divided
Took Office: 1/93
Grade: D
Tom Carper is a life-long politician, virtually never
having worked in the private sector. After serving five
terms in Congress, he was elected governor in 1992 with 65
percent of the vote; he won reelection in 1996 even more
convincingly with 70 percent. Since governors in Delaware
are limited to two terms, this will be Carper's last term in
office. Carper has just been named chairman of the National
Governors' Association. Carper raised the gas tax and vari-
ous fees his first year in office, but his record on taxes
has improved. The top marginal income tax rate has been re-
duced three times by a total of 17 percent (from 7.7 percent
to 6.4 percent). However, the state's Republican-majority
house has often passed much larger tax cuts than those pro-
posed by Carper, only to have them knocked down by the state
senate or the governor himself. And Carper has proposed
several revenue increases that the legislature has failed to
approve. Meanwhile, spending has been surging under Carper.
In the last two years general fund spending has risen at a
rate of 8.3 percent per year, compared to the national aver-
age of 5.3 percent and the inflation rate of less than 3
percent. Carper is clearly not as fiscally prudent as he
advertises himself to be.
Score
Grade
Rank
Overall Fiscal Policy Score
39
D
41
Spending Score
23
F
45
Revenue and Tax Rate Score
46
C
31
Amount
4.0%
Average Annual Change in Real Per Capita Direct General Spending through 1996
2.5%
Average Annual Change in Direct General Spending Per $1,000 Personal Income through 1996
1.0%
Average Annual Recommended Change in Real Per Capita General Fund Spending through 1999
1.9%
Average Annual Change in General Fund Spending Per $1,000 Personal Income 1996-98
2.8%
Average Annual Change in Real Per Capita Tax Revenue through 1997
0.9%
Average Annual Change in Tax Revenue Per $1,000 Personal Income through 1997
-3.2%
Average Annual Recommended Change in General Fund Revenue Per $1,000 Personal Income through 1999
2.5%
Average Annual Change in Real Per Capita General Fund Revenue 1996-98
-0.6%
Average Annual Recommended Tax Changes as % of Prior Year's Spending through 1999
-1.3
Change in Top Personal Income Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (% points)
0.0
Change in Top Corporate Income Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (% points)
15.6
1998 Combined Top Income Tax Rates (Personal plus Corporate) (*0.5)
0.0
Change in Sales Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (% points)
8.0
Change in Gas Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (cents per gallon) (*0.5)