Kansas Governor Earns ‘A’ On Fiscal Report Card; Missouri Governor Gets ‘C’
A Cato Institute fiscal report card gave Kansas Governor Sam Brownback an A while Missouri Governor Jay Nixon received a C. Kansas's grade reflected, among other things, the state's aggressive 2012 tax reductions, efforts to restrain parts of government, and changes to its fiscal structure.
Missouri's middling result illustrated a different approach. The state continued to devote significant attention and money to targeted tax incentives even as broad tax reform remained comparatively modest. That distinction matters: lowering general tax burdens changes the environment for every household and business, while tax credits and subsidies principally reward selected recipients.
The report card was another indication that Missouri's neighbors were competing through structural policy changes and that Missouri risked falling behind if it continued relying on selective economic-development programs.
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