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Page 40

Illinois

Jim Edgar, Republican

Legislature: Divided

Took Office: 1/91

Grade: D

In his eight years in the statehouse, Edgar has earned

a reputation as one of the nation's most pro-tax governors.

He has proposed income tax hikes on four separate occasions

and a spate of other levies on cigarettes, telephones, and

riverboat gambling.  In 1997 the Wall Street Journal dubbed

Edgar a "tax recidivist" for his seemingly annual endorse-

ment of higher taxes.  "At a time when most states are cut-

ting taxes," noted the Journal, "the Illinois governor has

turned himself into a lagging indicator, proposing a 25 per-

cent income tax hike."  Even more damning was the praise re-

cently bestowed on Edgar by Bob Chase, president of the pro-

tax National Education Association, who gushed, "We need

more brave politicians like Illinois' Gov. Edgar."  Edgar's

most recent $1.5 billion income tax increase proposal was

defeated by the members of his own party, when 51 of 58 Re-

publicans in the state assembly voted no.  That rejection

was not unusual.  For most of the past eight years the mod-

erate to liberal Edgar has been at war with the conservative

wing of the GOP.  He has threatened numerous vetoes of as-

sembly tax cuts.  He has opposed a top priority of Illinois

taxpayer groups, a 2/3 supermajority vote to raise taxes.

This past year Edgar finally agreed to a small tax cut of

$125 million out of a projected $1 billion surplus.  Mean-

while, in three years Edgar has inflated the state budget by

$3 billion, to $37.4 billion.  His latest budget spends lav-

ishly on schools, prison construction, kidcare, and Medicaid

expansions.  Edgar's chief accomplishment has been passage

of a "tough love" welfare reform bill that encourages moth-

ers to work and caps Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

benefits.  Welfare caseloads have fallen impressively on Ed-

gar's watch.  Edgar is leaving office in January 1999 and

trumpets "fiscal integrity" as one of his most important

legacies.  Tax and spend might be a better label for the Ed-

gar years.

Score Grade Rank

Overall Fiscal Policy Score

38

D

43

Spending Score

37

C

37

Revenue and Tax Rate Score

39

D

40

Amount

3.0%

Average Annual Change in Real Per Capita Direct General Spending through 1996

1.4%

Average Annual Change in Direct General Spending Per $1,000 Personal Income through 1996

0.8%

Average Annual Recommended Change in Real Per Capita General Fund Spending through 1999

-0.3%

Average Annual Change in General Fund Spending Per $1,000 Personal Income 1996-98

2.3%

Average Annual Change in Real Per Capita Tax Revenue through 1997

0.5%

Average Annual Change in Tax Revenue Per $1,000 Personal Income through 1997

-0.9%

Average Annual Recommended Change in General Fund Revenue Per $1,000 Personal Income through 1999

1.4%

Average Annual Change in Real Per Capita General Fund Revenue 1996-98

1.3%

Average Annual Recommended Tax Changes as % of Prior Year's Spending through 1999

1.0

Change in Top Personal Income Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (% points)

0.4

Change in Top Corporate Income Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (% points)

10.3

1998 Combined Top Income Tax Rates (Personal plus Corporate) (*0.5)

0.0

Change in Sales Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (% points)

0.0

Change in Gas Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (cents per gallon) (*0.5)