Maine gets low score for government

Portland Press Herald, March 4, 2008

(excerpt) Utah, Virginia and Washington state have the most effective state governments in the country, according to a scorecard released Monday by The Pew Center on the States.

The center ranked the states based on how well they manage their budgets, staffs, infrastructure and information.

Maine received one of the lowest grades, a C.

New Hampshire got a D+, the lowest score. The state is not closely monitoring its costs and performance, Pew said in a press release.

The states with the highest scores have made accountability and innovation a priority, the report said.