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(The Center Square)—A newly released analysis of fiscal policy ranked all 50 states with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ state coming in first and Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in last.
The libertarian Cato Institute released the report, which graded states by spending, revenue and taxes. The top ten states in the rankings starting at the top are Iowa, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, South Dakota, Montana, Hawaii, Georgia, Idaho, and Vermont.
The bottom ten states, according to the analysis, are New Mexico, Missouri, Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin, Delaware, Washington, Maine, New York and lastly, Minnesota.
The bottom six states received a grade of “F.”
Walz’ poor rating comes just weeks before the presidential election where he and his running mate Vice President Kamala Harris are in a nearly tied race with former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio.
The report explains the reasoning for Walz’ low score, pointing to a series of tax hikes under his leadership as well as spending increasing by 36% since 2022, from from about $52 billion to nearly $71 billion.
From the report:
In 2019, Walz’s budget would have added ‘$2 billion more in new spending and taxes would increase by $1.3 billion to pay for it, with the rest of the money coming from an existing surplus.’ But he compromised with the legislature, and the final tax increase was about $330 million annually. Walz also pushed for higher gas taxes and higher vehicle fees to raise about $1 billion annually for transportation, but those increases were rejected.
Walz pushed for more tax hikes in 2021. He proposed adding a new individual income tax rate of 10.85 percent above the current top rate of 9.85 percent, a surtax on capital gains and dividends, and a hike to the corporate tax rate from 9.8 percent to 11.25 percent. The proposals—which would have raised about $1.6 billion annually—were rejected by the legislature…
Walz hit the middle class with HF 2887, which raised taxes and fees on vehicles and transportation. The increases included indexing the gas tax for inflation, increasing vehicle registration taxes, raising fees on deliveries, and raising sales taxes in the Twin Cities area.
Does Donald Trump REALLY Have This Election “In the Bag”?
by JD Rucker
No. Stop it. Remember 2020. Remember the tens of millions of illegal aliens, 14% of whom are apparently registering to vote. Remember that while most states can report results in less than a day, for some reason battleground states like Pennsylvania and Georgia are incapable of reporting for days or…
Daniel Penny Subway Chokehold Trial Begins
by Zero Hedge
Jordan Neely’s death in a crowded Manhattan subway car made worldwide headlines in May 2023, after bystander footage showed former Marine Daniel Penny restraining the erratic homeless man in a fatal chokehold. The case is finally set to go to trial, with jury selection beginning Monday. Penny, who has argued…
You Can’t Get Blood Out of a Stone: U.S. Consumers Have Been Squeezed Bone Dry as the U.S. Economy Falters
by Michael Snyder
(The Economic Collapse Blog)—A recent survey discovered that 79 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. is on the wrong track right now. As a nation, we may not agree on much, but this is one thing that almost all of us can agree on. Needless to say, the economy is…
US Investigating Leak of Israeli Attack Plans for Iran
by Publius
The United States government is currently engaged in an investigation concerning the unauthorized release of classified documents that detail Israel’s planned military attack against Iran, as reported by The Associated Press. These sensitive documents, attributed to both the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, indicate that Israel…
Bank of America Sees Gold Breaking $3,000 Sooner Rather Than Later
by Sponsored Post
Gold has recently experienced a remarkable resurgence, setting record highs and drawing renewed attention from both retail and institutional investors. This shift comes as traditional safe-haven assets are increasingly perceived to be under threat. Strategists at Bank of America suggest that investors, including central banks, should consider reallocating into gold…
Texas DPS Encounter Group of 30 Illegal Aliens with 3 Unaccompanied Minors and 3 Special Interest Illegals
by The Gateway Pundit
Texas DPS apprehended a group of 30 illegal aliens on Sunday in Maverick County. In the group were 3 unaccompanied minors and 3 illegals from the “special interest” countries of Iran and Guinea. Special interest refers to countries that pose a threat to United States national security including potential terrorist…
‘Nightmarish Scenario:” Creeps Can Produce AI-Generated Deepfake Nudes of Anyone With a Few Clicks
by Breitbart
Online AI chatbots are enabling users to generate explicit nude photos of real people with just a few clicks, raising alarms among experts about a looming “nightmarish scenario.” A recent investigation by Wired has uncovered a disturbing trend on the messaging app Telegram, where dozens of AI-powered chatbots are allowing…
Elon Musk Goes All-in for Trump at Huge Pittsburgh Rally, Says ‘Stakes Are Too High’ to Remain Politically Neutral
by The Post Millennial
Elon Musk was in Pennsylvania Sunday along with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to tell Keystone State voters that although he might “hate politics” he’s engaging in it right now because “the stakes are too high that … I feel I have no choice.” “Yeah, anyway, so I’m dramatically increasing…
Fake Meat Industry Now Demanding Public Subsidies Due to Lack of Customer Interest
by Ramon Tomey
(Natural News)—The fake meat industry is now demanding public subsidies to prop itself up, given that customers have spoken with their wallets and said “no” to lab-grown meat. Data from AgFunderNews cited by the National Pulse reveals that the industry is in dire straits due to dwindling money. Funding for the lab-grown meat sector peaked…
Dominion Voting Systems Issues a Chilling Warning to Conservatives Weeks Before the Election
by The Gateway Pundit
Dominion Voting Systems has issued a chilling warning to conservatives just weeks before the all-important presidential election. In a post on the X platform, the company said that it was “closely monitoring” claims that its machines may be compromised. “Dominion is closely monitoring claims around the Nov. 2024 election and…
Coward: Hamas Chief’s Bunker Loaded With UN Food, Millions in Cash, Weapons and More
by Red State
The one constant in the entire “Islamist terrorist” issue is that their leaders 1) never place themselves in any direct danger, although sometimes danger in the form of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) manages to find them anyway, and 2) they generally live in wealth and luxury while their fighters…
Fire Departments Sued by Biden-Harris for Requiring Job Candidates to Learn How to Fight Fires
by The Gateway Pundit
Thank heavens for the Biden-Harris administration and its steadfast determination to root out institutional racism wherever it may hide. And it hides in the strangest places, too. For instance, do you know it’s institutionally racist to expect a firefighter to know enough to fight fires? I know, I’d been too…
“The Epitome of Evil” Is Running Operations Out of Government Facilities “Established to Provide Assistance” to Illegals
by Michael Snyder
(End of the American Dream)—Are you ready for the truth? Since Joe Biden entered the White House, we have witnessed a tsunami of migration that is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Millions upon millions of people that are not being properly screened are taking advantage of our deeply…
Iran Deserves Listing on Global Terror Finance and Money-Laundering Blacklist
by WND
On Oct. 21, the plenary of the Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, will convene in Paris. Should the organization that sets global standards for countering money laundering and terror finance consider removing the Islamic Republic of Iran from its blacklist, as Tehran hopes, the answer should be a resounding…
The All-Too-Short List of Conservative, Anti-Globalist Leaders
by The Gateway Pundit
As the world shifts leftward and increasingly embraces globalism, a handful of leaders remain as holdouts—conservative, anti-globalist figures who advocate for national sovereignty, economic protectionism, and opposition to globalist institutions such as the United Nations, the European Union, or multinational trade agreements. They frequently push for secure borders and immigration…