Colorado
Bill Owens, Republican
Legislature: Democratic
Final-Term Grade: D
Final Overall Grade: C
ment 23--a constitutional provision that
Bill Owens has engineered one of the
allows education spending to grow above the
biggest falls from grace in this report card's
TABOR budget cap--and defend the budget
16-year history. He was once regarded by con-
cap against the big spenders who wanted to
servatives as the best governor in the nation;
eviscerate it. Instead, Owens chose to team up
his income tax cuts made supply siders drool.
with the Democrats to lift the cap and
His defense of the state's Taxpayer's Bill of
endorse a $3 billion tax increase. He even
Rights (TABOR) constitutional amend-
made lifting the cap the centerpiece of his
ment--which held the growth of government
final-term fiscal agenda. As a result, Owens
to population plus inflation--was vital to
leaves office with a final overall grade of C.
maintaining an A grade in his first term.
Owens was once on every conservative's short
Today, Owens receives a grade of a D for what
list of possible candidates for higher office.
can only be described as a pathetic second
Now he will probably be long remembered by
term. When faced with a budget deficit,
those same conservatives as a turncoat.
Owens could have asked voters to fix Amend-
Connecticut
Jodi Rell, Republican
Legislature: Democratic
First-Term Grade: D
partly by way of a large hike in the cigarette
The state press has given Jodi Rell high
tax and an increase in the gasoline tax. When
marks for her ability to restore trust in the
a surplus finally materialized, she dropped
governor's office after John Rowland re-
her tax increase plans and proposed eliminat-
signed under threat of impeachment for var-
ing the county car tax and a corporate
ious ethical lapses. Rell's fiscal record, howev-
income tax surcharge. But what Connecticut
er, is not a radical departure from Rowland's.
really needs is bold ideas. Reviving Rowland's
Upon becoming governor, she vowed to keep
abandoned promise to eliminate the Lowell
a leash on government spending, and she has
Weickercreated income tax would be an
mostly succeeded at that. Spending hasn't
excellent start. Sticking to small-bore tax cuts
grown much faster than population and
won't help her grade in the next report card
inflation. On the tax side, though, there is
or substantially improve the tax climate in
ample room for improvement. In her first
Connecticut.
budget, she proposed to balance the budget
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