Shea Andersen: At the Roundhouse

Cato loves Richardson

Just in time for a little national image-boosting, Gov. Bill Richardson is getting huzzahs from the libertarian Cato Institute.

They just adore his tax cuts, and have given him the highest marks of any Democratic governor out there. They gave him a "B" in their biennial fiscal policy report card.

"Bill Richardson is, bar none, the best new Democratic governor in the nation; for that matter, he is one of the best new governors of any party," they gushed in their report.

Richardson's office didn't sit idle when the news came out. They've hustled news releases into the hands of reporters.

"What we've been able to do in New Mexico in a short time is cut taxes, cut waste, and make key investments in education, health care, and economic development," Richardson said in prepared remarks he gave at a news conference in Washington, D.C. "We've done this with bipartisan cooperation and common goals."

Cato notes Richardson's signing of higher cigarette taxes in 2003 was the "one flaw in his fiscal record."

Republican governors got the "A's" from Cato: California's Govinator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, got the highest score.

But it gets even better: The Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial board took note of Richardson's ranking. And the Washington Times also used him as their lead item when they wrote about governors and their fiscal ways.

Posted by sandersen at March 1, 2005 11:07 AM