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Wisconsin

James Doyle, Democrat

Legislature: Republican

First-Term Grade: D

slightly more than Doyle's proposed budgets

While running for governor, James Doyle

for that period. In fact, Doyle seems to have lit-

pledged to hold the line on taxes, scale back the

tle interest in really restraining government

state payroll, and cut corporate taxes by chang-

spending. He has consistently expressed his

ing complex rules that taxed companies on

opposition to a substantial cap on the state

their payroll and property, not their in-state

budget. On the tax side, Doyle doesn't seem

sales. Once in office, Doyle was able to deliver

interested in even holding the line on taxes any-

on the corporate tax cut, and he eliminated

more. He vetoed a plan from the legislature to

around 2,000 government jobs. Yet the state

freeze property taxes. Wisconsin still has the

budget still grew in his first year by nearly 5 per-

seventh-highest state and local tax burden in

cent in real per capita terms according to

the nation. James Doyle has done very little in

Census Bureau data. The general fund budget

his first term to change that or to enact policies

has grown, on average, by more than 5 percent

that might get government under control.

in real per capita terms the past two years--only

Wyoming

Dave Freudenthal, Democrat

Legislature: Republican

First-Term Grade: D

to deliver budgets that have been slightly larger

Dave Freudenthal became governor at a

than the governor proposed. At least

time when he must have been the envy of all

Freudenthal proposed cutting the sales tax rate

other governors: He inherited a budget surplus

by half a percentage point, a proposal that

instead of a budget deficit. But Freudenthal

saved his grade from dipping to an F. Yet it was

has been eager to spend that surplus, too, and

hardly an audacious proposal since current law

the legislature has been happy to help him.

states that the tax rate will go down by that

State government has exploded in Wyoming.

amount anyway once the state reaches fiscal

The general fund budget (which includes the

solvency. In the meantime, most of the $1.8 bil-

budget reserve account) was around $2.2 bil-

lion surplus will not be returned to taxpayers

lion when Freudenthal assumed office. Today,

and will go instead to expanding government.

it's over $3.5 billion--close to a 60 percent

Wyoming taxpayers deserve better than what

increase. The legislature hasn't been a check on

Freudenthal has given them thus far.

Freudenthal's fiscal plans, since it's been happy

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