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Iowa

Tom Vilsack, Democrat

Legislature: Republican

Final-Term Grade: C

Final Overall Grade: C

geted to specific interest groups, not the broad-

Tom Vilsack leaves office with the hope of

based, growth-enhancing sort that Iowa needs.

winning the Democratic presidential nomina-

In his second term, Vilsack continually pro-

tion in 2008 on a fiscally moderate record as

posed raising taxes by closing "loopholes" in

governor of Iowa. The reality is that Vilsack was

state business taxes. He eventually endorsed

a chief executive who, if left to his own devices,

lowering the sales tax rate to offset a proposed

would have been a pro-tax Democrat. Vilsack

expansive of the tax base, but he simultaneous-

included some sort of tax increase in almost

ly proposed a tripling of the cigarette tax. In

every budget he proposed as governor. The leg-

reality, the only thing that protected the wallets

islature refused to pass every one he sent to it,

of Iowa taxpayers wasn't Vilsack's supposed fis-

and he in turn vetoed every income tax cut that

cal moderation. It was a legislature unwilling to

the legislature sent to him. The tax cuts that

rubber-stamp his expensive schemes.

Vilsack preferred tended to be small and tar-

Kansas

Kathleen Sebelius, Democrat

Legislature: Republican

First-Term Grade: D

the sales tax rate from 5.3 percent to 5.7 per-

Kathleen Sebelius finishes her first term

cent by 2007, a 5 percent "surcharge" on state

with a grade influenced heavily by her insis-

income taxes, and a property tax increase.

tence on proposing tax hikes on her states'

The legislature killed the governor's propos-

residents who already labor under one of the

al. In November 2004, Sebeliuis set the stage

20 highest tax burdens in the nation. During

for a battle over health care funding by pro-

her campaign, she vowed to veto any tax

posing a 50-cent per pack increase in the cig-

increases. Sebelius's first budget was effective

arette tax. In 2005 she said that she regretted

at keeping spending at a moderate clip, and

not fighting harder the previous year for her

she didn't propose any tax hikes. But over the

tax hikes and planned to redouble her efforts

past two years, general fund spending has

that year. The legislature again rebuffed her.

expanded by an annual average of almost 6

As she runs for reelection this year, Sebelius

percentage points above and beyond popula-

can no longer credibly claim she is the anti-

tion plus inflation. In 2004 Sebelius pro-

tax candidate.

posed a tax hike that included an increase in

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