I don't know Paul LePage personally but I know a few who do and the opinion is the same he is a focused, hard worker who is doing his level best to put Maine back into the green.  Knowing that, and always having how embarrassing his slip of the tongues can be it is was nice to see him recognized for doing something right. Caption photo every dog has his day.

The Cato Institute has released its 2016 Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors, which awarded five governors an “A” based on their taxing and spending records. Governor Paul R. LePage received the highest overall grade among all governors. The full report is available here.

“It’s all about implementing good economic policies that will help the Maine people; this is what I care about,” said Governor LePage.

Five governors, including Governor LePage, received the top honor in this year’s 13th biennial fiscal report card. The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization, whose scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues. Earning an “A” are Republican Governors Paul R. LePage of Maine, Pat McCrory of North Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida, Doug Ducey of Arizona and Mike Pence of Indiana.

The Cato Institute writes:

“Paul LePage of Maine has been a staunch fiscal conservative. He has held down spending growth, and state government employment has fallen 9 percent since he took office,” cited the report. “LePage has been a persistent tax cutter. In 2011 he approved large income tax cuts, which reduced the top individual rate and simplified tax brackets. In 2015 he vetoed a tax-cut plan passed by the legislature partly because the cut was not large enough. The legislature overrode him, and Maine enjoyed another income tax reduction. In 2016 LePage pushed for more reforms, including estate tax repeal and further income tax rate cuts.”

The Fiscal Policy Report Card examined seven tax and spending variables, including two spending variables, one revenue variable and four tax-rate variables. Fiscal policy trends were also examined and notes reductions to individual and corporate income tax rates. There have been substantial rate cuts in Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma in recent years.

Ten governors were awarded an “F”: Robert Bentley of Alabama, Peter Shumlin of Vermont, Jerry Brown of California, David Ige of Hawaii, Dan Malloy of Connecticut, Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota, Brian Sandoval of Nevada, Kate Brown of Oregon, Jay Inslee of Washington and Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania.

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