In this Sept. 22, 2010 file photo, Gov. Dave Heineman speaks in Lincoln, Neb. It's recently become an article of faith for many governors as they try to attract jobs: raising taxes during a recession is a nonstarter, choking off growth and damaging a state's fragile economic recovery. In Nebraska, Republican Gov. Heineman has proposed a $16.5 million initiative aimed at attracting jobs while saying he will not raise taxes. The money would be spent on several measures, including an internship program pairing graduates of Nebraska universities with state-based companies, and a fund offering start-up cash and technical assistance to small businesses. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)NEW YORK -- It's recently become an article of faith for many governors as they try to attract jobs: raising taxes during a recession is a nonstarter, choking off growth and damaging a state's fragile economic recovery.
With the notable exception of Illinois, where Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn last month signed a 66 percent temporary personal income tax increase and a separate corporate rate hike to help close a $15 billion budget gap, governors this year mostly are vowing to cut regulations and hold the line on taxes to attract employers and rebuild after a brutal recession.
"We ... hope that every bill you consider passing will be viewed through the lens of its impact on our economic growth," Colorado Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper told lawmakers in his State of the State address, sounding a theme many governors share. "This doesn't mean we compromise our standards or put our land, air or water at risk, but it does mean that we'll keep a fierce and even relentless focus on jobs."
Whether they can hold to that promise will become clearer in the coming months as governors release their budget proposals.
Businesses want amenities
CLOSER TO HOMERepublican governors in Tennessee and Georgia oppose new taxes to offset the loss of nearly $1 billion in federal stimulus funds in each state.Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has asked state departments to prepare for cuts of 1 percent to 2 percent in the fiscal year that starts July 1, in addition to cuts for stimulus-funded programs already planned by former Gov. Phil Bredesen."There is over a billion dollars of cuts that have been made, but we're trying to see are there any of those that we can figure out a way to pay for next year," Haslam said.Hospitals may renew and even increase a tax to leverage more federal Medicaid funds in Tennessee.Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is proposing to cut agency budgets by an average 4 percent this fiscal year and 7 percent more in fiscal 2012. Even the popular HOPE scholarships will need to be curtailed to offset higher tuition and enrollment."HOPE is now on an unsustainable course," Deal said.Deal and the Georgia Legislature are considering a plan to charge state sales tax on food in exchange for cutting business taxes.
But there's a catch to the anti-tax, pro-business rhetoric: Businesses consider a range of factors when deciding where to locate, including the quality of schools, roads and programs that rely on a certain level of public spending and regulation. And evidence suggests there is little correlation between a state's tax rate and its overall economic health.
"Concerns about taxes are overstated," said Matt Murray, a professor of economics at the University of Tennessee who studies state finance. "Labor costs, K-12 education and infrastructure availability are all part of a good business climate. And you can't have those without some degree of taxation."
States' tax rates also do not predict their resilience during an economic downturn.
While high-tax states such as New York, New Jersey and California have been clobbered by the current recession, so, too, have states that pride themselves on low tax rates, including Nevada, Texas and Arizona. The collapse of the housing market and the financial industry meltdown largely drove the current conditions, sparing almost no state regardless of its level of taxes.
Governors agree this is a particularly challenging budget year, with federal stimulus dollars drying up after years of deep state budget cuts. Thirty-four states raised taxes or fees as recently as 2009 to help close budget shortfalls.
Little appetite for increases
Now, chief executives from both parties mostly have little appetite for new tax measures after Republicans successfully ran on tax issues last fall -- they now control 29 governorships, including those in Tennessee and Georgia -- and President Obama and Senate Republican leaders teamed up to extend Bush-era tax cuts, even for the wealthiest Americans.
Illinois' big tax hike is considered an anomaly -- an emergency measure that includes strict spending limits to close a budget hole that is the largest of any state as a percentage of its overall budget.
Neighboring states such as Wisconsin quickly pounced, urging businesses to relocate from Illinois even though its tax rate remains lower than those of many states in the region.
Meanwhile some other governors have opened the door to potential tax increases, insisting the measures are necessary to offset fiscal calamity.
In California, Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has been promoting a package of temporary tax increases as a ballot measure for voters to consider, while also proposing deep cuts to higher education and social services.
Two newly installed New England governors -- Connecticut's Dan Malloy and Rhode Island's Lincoln Chafee -- have told state residents to expect some taxes to go up. Most are pairing their tax increase proposals with targeted spending cuts and promises of fiscal discipline over the long term.
To be sure, several governors, including Republican Chris Christie of New Jersey and Democrat Andrew Cuomo of New York, say they have sworn off tax increases. Some other governors -- such as newly sworn-in Republicans John Kasich of Ohio and Rick Scott of Florida -- say they plan to cut taxes even as they try to bring their budgets into balance. Scott wants to reduce the Sunshine State's corporate income tax despite the fact that Florida faces a projected budget gap next fiscal year of at least $3.5 billion; the corporate income tax now generates about $2 billion a year.
Some to spend more
Other governors, despite tight budgets, want to boost spending on economic development projects to bring jobs to their states.
In Nebraska, Republican Gov. Dave Heineman has proposed a $16.5 million initiative aimed at attracting jobs while saying he will not raise taxes. The money would be spent on several measures, including an internship program pairing graduates of Nebraska universities with state-based companies, and a fund offering startup cash and technical assistance to small businesses.
In an interview, Heineman said his state must spend money on education and job programs to attract economic development.
"We're competing for jobs with other states and other countries, and I'm trying to do it in a healthy and positive way," Heineman said. "The only way I can compete is to have a better tax and regulatory climate, but education and a quality work force are also key to that."
Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback is requesting $105 million for universities in his state to do targeted research in the areas of animal health, cancer and aviation. Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell has proposed a $54 million jobs initiative for the state to compete more aggressively against neighbors North Carolina and Maryland.
The quality of a state's labor market is another significant factor for businesses as they choose where to locate, in some cases mitigating the level of taxes they will have to pay.
"As much as Nevada talks about getting California business because of their low taxes, their population would need a substantial amount of retooling," said Kim Reuben, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center in Washington. "Nevada has survived largely on growth, a place where people without much education could get relatively good jobs in construction and casinos. California is a place that has great intellectual institutions and will always attract talent and overcome its taxes."
But Kail Padgitt, an economist with the conservative Tax Foundation, said a state's tax burden might not have affected its performance during the recession but certainly will affect the pace of its recovery.
"When the economy starts to pick up, that's where you're going to see more the impact of taxes," Padgitt said. "Where businesses are going to expand operations, where new investments are going to be made -- a lot of these companies want to know what their taxes are going to be."
Associated Press writer Don Thompson in Sacramento contributed to this report.