Gov. Kenny Guinn's performance rating from the CATO Institute dropped to a "D" this past year.
"Kenny Guinn went from being one of the best new governors in 2000 - when he received an 'A' - to one of the worst governors in the nation today," according to the Institute's annual report card on the nation's governors.
The biggest issue was Guinn's support for what the study termed "massive spending hikes and his pursuit of nearly $800 million in tax increases."
The institute gave its highest rankings to governors it says reined in spending and cut taxes. The highest score this past year went to California's Arnold Schwarzenegger for cutting taxes by more than $2 billion.
New Mexico's Bill Richardson scored highest among Democrats and was named one of the best governors overall.
The CATO Institute describes itself as a nonpartisan public policy research foundation.
n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.
