The Montana Exception – A Democrat cuts spending. Really – Governor Brian Schweitzer

As Governors deliver their January State of the State addresses, the fiscal lamentations can be heard across the land. Then there’s Montana, where Governor Brian Schweitzer http://governor.mt.gov/ this week ordered a 5% across the board cut in state agency spending.

The Governor, a Democrat, called the spending cuts "pro-active measures to make sure we live within our means." Imagine that. More remarkable is that Montana is one of three states—North Dakota and Texas are the others—without a budget deficit. They are all states that benefit from high oil and energy prices, but Mr. Schweitzer wants to continue his state’s habit of balancing the books during the economic downturn without a tax increase.

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