Gov. Ron DeSantis’ storied Free State of Florida falls in the middle of the pack when it comes to fiscal policy.
And tax gimmicks are the reason why, claims a libertarian think tank in its annual report on how the nation’s Governors are managing the public financial trust.
The Cato Institute gives the Sunshine State’s chief executive a Gentleman’s C.
Temporary tax breaks strike the scholars as performative half-measures, essentially, despite Florida being the “second freest state” in its reckoning.
“DeSantis approved a temporary reduction in the corporate tax rate and a bill to avoid business tax increases related to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. DeSantis has frequently signed legislation providing temporary tax breaks, including annual sales tax holidays, rebates, a suspension of the gas tax, and similar sorts of breaks. Using budget surpluses for temporary tax breaks has reduced funds available for spending, but it would have been better to enact permanent tax reforms.”
Cato does credit DeSantis for his vetoes of legislative budget items, saying he does not “shy away” from making cuts. Left unsaid is that many of his cuts are politically retributive rather than driven by a strict profit and loss perspective.
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