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Easley scores a “C”
The Cato Institute recently
released its “Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors: 2004”.
The report assigns each governor a numerical score and a letter grade on
their fiscal policy. Governors who supported lower taxes and responsible
spending earned high scores; those who supported higher taxes and more
spending were given low scores.
North Carolina Governor Mike
Easley received a mediocre “C” grade. His numerical score of 53 ranked
28th among the 50 governors. Easley was given credit for having not
supported a tobacco tax increase. He has since proposed a large hike in
the tobacco tax, and will likely score lower on next year’s report.
Four governors, all Republicans,
earned an “A” grade. Four other governors, three Democrats and one
Republican, received an “F” grade. Florida Governor Jeb Bush scored a
“B”.
Toilet paper tax
Liberals are flush with stupid
ideas. A Florida state Senator has proposed adding a two-cent-per-roll
tax on toilet paper to pay for wastewater treatment and help small towns
upgrade their sewer systems.
The bill has been the butt of
numerous jokes in the legislature. One lawmaker questioned whether
consumers would be squeezed by a tax on Charmin. Another predicted the
proposal would likely end up in the tank.
Spray paint outlawed
Another stupid liberal idea: In an
effort to combat graffiti, New York City recently outlawed the sale of
spray paint. Professional painters and building contractors are exempt
from the ban.
Like “gun control” laws, the spray
paint ban penalizes law-abiding citizens who use a legitimate product
rather than punishing the criminals.
Liberal college profs
It is well established that
college faculties lean to the left. A recent study by George Mason
University professor Robert Lichter surveyed 1,643 full-time faculty at
183 four-year schools.
Of those surveyed, 72 percent
described themselves as liberals and only 15 percent said they were
conservatives. At the most elite institutions, 87 percent of the faculty
said they were liberals. The majority said they rarely or never attended
church or synagogue.
Liberal press
A recent study by the Columbia
School of Journalism documents that media coverage of the Presidential
campaign favored Kerry. The survey found that 36 percent of the reports
on Bush depicted him in a negative light, while 12 percent did the same
to Kerry. Pro-Kerry stories outnumbered pro-Bush stories by 50%.
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