Utah
Jon Huntsman Jr., Republican
Legislature: Republican
Midterm Grade: B
islature delivered a halving of the food tax but
Former Reagan staff assistant Jon Hunts-
deadlocked on an income tax plan, Huntsman
man Jr. ran for governor of Utah in 2002 at
announced that he intended to call the legisla-
least in part on a very Reaganesque platform:
ture into a special session in September to fin-
reforming the state's "dilapidated and
ish the job. Where Huntsman fails utterly is on
anachronistic" tax system. Upon being inaugu-
spending. He has proposed an annual average
rated, he told a taxpayer activist group that one
hike in spending of close to 6 percent in real per
of his main goals would be to eliminate the cor-
capita terms, which substantially outstrips per-
porate franchise tax and the capital gains tax.
sonal income growth in Utah, and makes him
He admitted that he couldn't achieve those
one of the biggest spending governors in the
goals right off the bat, so he tackled the per-
nation. Jon Huntsman is one of the best gover-
sonal income tax first. He proposed an excel-
nors in the nation when it comes to tax policy.
lent plan: a flat income tax of 5 percent that
But he cannot be considered one of the most
would be an alternative to the current system
fiscally conservative overall until he gets spend-
with a top rate of 7 percent. He even threw in a
ing under control.
plan to end the sales tax on food. When the leg-
Vermont
James Douglas, Republican
Legislature: Democratic
Second-Term Grade: C
the Howard Deanimposed property tax. The
James Douglas continued to propose bud-
legislature ignored the income tax cuts and gave
gets that kept spending relatively flat, on aver-
the governor a smaller property tax cut package.
age, in real per capita terms--just as he did in his
Yet Douglas also signed into law a 50 percent
first term. However, the legislature has remained
increase in the cigarette tax rate to pay for an
opposed to budget cuts and overridden
expansion in Medicaid and a new universal
Douglas's vetoes. Actual real per capita spending
health insurance program. Douglas has lost
has ballooned by an annual average of 8 percent
ground against other governors in this report
since 2004--almost twice as fast as it grew dur-
card partly because he is stuck with a big-spend-
ing Douglas's first two years. In the area of tax
ing legislature. However, he hasn't helped his
cut proposals, Douglas has improved. He
record by agreeing to some of the legislature's
expanded his agenda to include cuts in the per-
big-government schemes.
sonal income tax, the corporate income tax, and
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