Cato Institute Gives Crist a 'D' for Taxing, Spending Policies

A Cato Institute report issued last week gave Gov. Charlie Crist a 'D' grade for his policies regarding taxing and spending.

The reported graded and ranked the performance of all governors' efforts on taxing and spending since 2008. Seven governors -- six of them Democrats -- received 'F' grades. Just four (three Republicans, one Democrat) received 'A' grades. The criteria for the grades from the libertarian-minded Cato Institute are simple enough: "governors who have cut taxes and spending the most receive the highest grades, while those who have increased taxes and spending the most receive the lowest grades."

The state head with the highest grade was scandal-plagued Mark Sanford of South Carolina, so maybe Crist and the other poorly performing governors should go "hiking on the Appalachian Trail," as well.