The libertarian Cato Institute slots Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal in the middle of the country’s governors in terms of holding down state spending and cutting taxes.
The group gave Deal a “C” grade on its fiscal scorecard, released Thursday. All of the “A” grades went to Republican governors. California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, received the lowest overall score.
Deal received the middling grade despite other reports showing Georgia has the lowest state taxes per capita in the country.
However, state spending has increased under Deal as Georgia’s economy has recovered and the governor and lawmakers were able to fill holes in the state budget. Deal is running for re-election touting a large increase in school spending this year, much of it designed to eliminate teacher furloughs and add school days that had been slashed during the recession.
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