Both the Kingman and Bullhead City press covered the Tri-City Council meeting that was held at the lovely Hampton Inn in Kingman this past Wednesday and I have to say that the article in today's Kingman Daily Miner comes closest to describing the exchange between myself and BHC Mayor Jack Hakim.
Mayor Hakim wrongly attempted to lay blame for the current budget fiasco on Rep.McLain and myself. He was way off base and truthfully knew not about what he was talking. Mayor Hakim is a FOJ (Friend of Janet), has appeared on a list of Republicans endorsing her,and I believe, even served on her inaugural committee. Hakim refuses to accept that the budget recently enacted is essentially the Governor's budget. (Thanks Senator Bee!)
Read about the meeting here:
Leaders from county's Big 3 meet in Kingman
Read about Hakim's endorsement of Napolitano here:
http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t62694.html
I applaud the leaders and representatives from the three cities for gathering together on a regular basis and working towards common goals. That said, I am disappointed that the mayors of all three cities appear (from their comments at the meeting) to support the Governor-backed TIME Initiative that will be on the ballot in November. This is a tax increase to fund transportation needs primarily for Maricopa County. The passage of this tax increase will free up money currently spent on transportation needs so that the Governor and her lackeys can grow other government programs.
Showing posts with label governor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label governor. Show all posts
Friday, July 25, 2008
Western Governors Offer Greenhouse Emissions Plan
Read this article and then alert every one of your neighbors, friends, and family members who live in Arizona...the horrible farce of a cap and trade system is coming to Arizona. Make no mistake about it, the Governor has joined with other western states in pushing this policy that will cause utility costs to skyrocket!!!! Other policy wonks have named this proposal "cap and spend". Please check past blog posts for further information on this policy and then write and call the Governor's office urging her to put a stop to this nonsense.
Here are some additional links on Cap & Trade articles found on well-respected conservative think-tanks:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Economy/wm1723.cfm
http://www.junkscience.com/Cap_and_Trade_Economic_Analysis_September_2007.pdf
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=26621
http://www.newsweek.com/id/139454
Here are some additional links on Cap & Trade articles found on well-respected conservative think-tanks:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Economy/wm1723.cfm
http://www.junkscience.com/Cap_and_Trade_Economic_Analysis_September_2007.pdf
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=26621
http://www.newsweek.com/id/139454
Friday, May 30, 2008
A Message From State Representative Russell Pearce
Avoiding Arizona’s Fiscal Train Wreck
By Bob Burns and Russell Pearce
Arizona has the largest budget deficit in the country, and the growing gap between state tax revenues and projected spending will soon force the state government into a gigantic fiscal train wreck.
For Fiscal Year 2009, which begins on July 1, Gov. Janet Napolitano and the liberal majority in the Legislature want to spend $11.4 billion. The amount of tax revenue available to spend is $9.4 billion. That leaves a gap of $2.0 billion.
The Governor has proposed a variety of approaches to the deficit, including a $500 million increase in unconstitutional debt, a $90 million increase in traffic-camera fines, and a $60 million shift in prison burdens to Arizona counties.
Combined with a $300 million K-12 rollover and a $200 million payment from the Rainy Day Fund, her approaches would reduce the deficit by roughly $1.2 billion—still nearly a billion dollars short of closing the gap. In the real world, there are only three possible solutions to the deficit:
1) Raise taxes.
This is the worst option. Arizona families and businesses already labor under heavy tax burdens, and a recession is a bad time to make those burdens worse. Even so, the Governor has already proposed increasing state property taxes by $250 million, and is heading up an effort (the TIME Coalition) to increase state sales taxes by 18 percent.
2) Increase (unconstitutional) debt.
This is another bad option. Increasing debt usually means increasing future taxes. Further, the debt service payments required for the Governor’s proposed debt schemes would soon be over $200 million a year—meaning that the fiscal holes in 2010 and beyond would be that much deeper. To climb out of those holes, Arizona would have to see spectacular economic growth, with revenue growth of over 15 percent per year for three years in a row.
3) Reduce spending.
According to the Governor’s budget office, state government spending now consumes 7.01 percent of the state’s economy—more than it has at any time since 1980. Our proposal is to reducing spending to more reasonable levels.
We have identified more than $1.5 billion in reductions to state agencies. Combined with the K-12 rollover and a payment from the Rainy Day Fund, those reductions would balance the budget without increasing debt or taxes.
Although it sounds like a lot, $1.5 billion in operating budget reductions to the Executive’s request would take us back to the overall spending levels we had in FY 2007—not exactly the end of the world. Government spending as a portion of the state economy would still be larger than it was in FY 2003, before the Governor and Legislature went on a five-year spending binge.
Further, many of the agency reductions we propose could be avoided if a majority in the Legislature would refer to the November ballot a measure (HCR 2044) by which the voters could give the Legislature emergency discretion to temporarily suspend voter-protected spending mandates. As it is, much of the state budget is on autopilot, with automatic spending increases of over $500 million a year.
Sadly, there may not be enough fiscal conservatives in the Legislature to get $1.8 billion in spending reductions to the Governor’s desk, or to refer HCR 2044 to the ballot. That means large increases in unconstitutional debt. And, if the fiscal train really goes off the tracks, it could mean large tax increases and heavy long-term damage to our economy.
As Americans for Prosperity (http://www.aztaxpayers.org/) has explained, the only good card fiscal conservatives hold in this year’s fiscal-policy poker game is the wild card of grassroots taxpayer activism. With strong grassroots pressure on liberal legislators from both parties, the Legislature would be able to bargain harder with the Governor for spending reductions and refer HCR 2044 to the ballot.
To avoid future fiscal train wrecks, voters must enact a firm constitutional spending limit that will keep the government from growing faster than the economy. As the current train wreck shows, the Governor and the liberal majority in the Legislature simply do not have the will to restrain themselves when it comes to spending our tax dollars.
Rep. Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) is the Appropriations Chairman of the Arizona House of Representative, Sen. Bob Burns (R-Peoria) is the Appropriations Chairman of the Arizona Senate.
By Bob Burns and Russell Pearce
Arizona has the largest budget deficit in the country, and the growing gap between state tax revenues and projected spending will soon force the state government into a gigantic fiscal train wreck.
For Fiscal Year 2009, which begins on July 1, Gov. Janet Napolitano and the liberal majority in the Legislature want to spend $11.4 billion. The amount of tax revenue available to spend is $9.4 billion. That leaves a gap of $2.0 billion.
The Governor has proposed a variety of approaches to the deficit, including a $500 million increase in unconstitutional debt, a $90 million increase in traffic-camera fines, and a $60 million shift in prison burdens to Arizona counties.
Combined with a $300 million K-12 rollover and a $200 million payment from the Rainy Day Fund, her approaches would reduce the deficit by roughly $1.2 billion—still nearly a billion dollars short of closing the gap. In the real world, there are only three possible solutions to the deficit:
1) Raise taxes.
This is the worst option. Arizona families and businesses already labor under heavy tax burdens, and a recession is a bad time to make those burdens worse. Even so, the Governor has already proposed increasing state property taxes by $250 million, and is heading up an effort (the TIME Coalition) to increase state sales taxes by 18 percent.
2) Increase (unconstitutional) debt.
This is another bad option. Increasing debt usually means increasing future taxes. Further, the debt service payments required for the Governor’s proposed debt schemes would soon be over $200 million a year—meaning that the fiscal holes in 2010 and beyond would be that much deeper. To climb out of those holes, Arizona would have to see spectacular economic growth, with revenue growth of over 15 percent per year for three years in a row.
3) Reduce spending.
According to the Governor’s budget office, state government spending now consumes 7.01 percent of the state’s economy—more than it has at any time since 1980. Our proposal is to reducing spending to more reasonable levels.
We have identified more than $1.5 billion in reductions to state agencies. Combined with the K-12 rollover and a payment from the Rainy Day Fund, those reductions would balance the budget without increasing debt or taxes.
Although it sounds like a lot, $1.5 billion in operating budget reductions to the Executive’s request would take us back to the overall spending levels we had in FY 2007—not exactly the end of the world. Government spending as a portion of the state economy would still be larger than it was in FY 2003, before the Governor and Legislature went on a five-year spending binge.
Further, many of the agency reductions we propose could be avoided if a majority in the Legislature would refer to the November ballot a measure (HCR 2044) by which the voters could give the Legislature emergency discretion to temporarily suspend voter-protected spending mandates. As it is, much of the state budget is on autopilot, with automatic spending increases of over $500 million a year.
Sadly, there may not be enough fiscal conservatives in the Legislature to get $1.8 billion in spending reductions to the Governor’s desk, or to refer HCR 2044 to the ballot. That means large increases in unconstitutional debt. And, if the fiscal train really goes off the tracks, it could mean large tax increases and heavy long-term damage to our economy.
As Americans for Prosperity (http://www.aztaxpayers.org/) has explained, the only good card fiscal conservatives hold in this year’s fiscal-policy poker game is the wild card of grassroots taxpayer activism. With strong grassroots pressure on liberal legislators from both parties, the Legislature would be able to bargain harder with the Governor for spending reductions and refer HCR 2044 to the ballot.
To avoid future fiscal train wrecks, voters must enact a firm constitutional spending limit that will keep the government from growing faster than the economy. As the current train wreck shows, the Governor and the liberal majority in the Legislature simply do not have the will to restrain themselves when it comes to spending our tax dollars.
Rep. Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) is the Appropriations Chairman of the Arizona House of Representative, Sen. Bob Burns (R-Peoria) is the Appropriations Chairman of the Arizona Senate.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Straight Shoot'n from RepGroe
Good Wednesday Afternoon!
Well, my decision to stay in town versus attending the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon this afternoon was the correct decision, as it turns out. Jodi Jerich, the Speaker's Chief of Staff called me last night, inquiring of my plans for today. It turns out that because of the many absences of House members some important legislation was either being held or had failed to pass initially and my attendance was needed today.
Today was a day where we actually did some good on behalf of the Arizona citizen! The House of Representatives approved three bills that expand the rights of gun owners and I voted in support of all three proposals.
The first measure (HB2629) would allow a person to defensively display a firearm if threatened. The Senate already voted on this proposal so now it is transmitted to the Governor. This is a bill that she will most likely veto. Call the Governor's office if this is a concept that you support.
The second bill (SB1070) allows firearms-safety training courses to be taught by NRA instructors certified in pistol and personal protection and allows said courses to be used to obtain a concealed-weapons permit . This bill now goes to the Senate for a vote and upon its passage proceeds to the Governor.
The last gun-related bill (SB1106) allows the holder of a concealed-weapons permit to apply for a lifetime permit. Currently, the law requires such permits to be renewed every five years. This bill now goes to the Governor. I am unsure of how the Governor will respond to this bill but the majority of the Democrats did not like this bill so I urge a call to the 9th Floor on this bill also.
The Governor's contact information, for your convenience, is listed below.
Governor Janet Napolitano
Telephone: (602) 542-1318
Toll Free 1(800) 253-0883Fax: (602) 542-1381
E-mail address: azgov@az.gov
Well, my decision to stay in town versus attending the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon this afternoon was the correct decision, as it turns out. Jodi Jerich, the Speaker's Chief of Staff called me last night, inquiring of my plans for today. It turns out that because of the many absences of House members some important legislation was either being held or had failed to pass initially and my attendance was needed today.
Today was a day where we actually did some good on behalf of the Arizona citizen! The House of Representatives approved three bills that expand the rights of gun owners and I voted in support of all three proposals.
The first measure (HB2629) would allow a person to defensively display a firearm if threatened. The Senate already voted on this proposal so now it is transmitted to the Governor. This is a bill that she will most likely veto. Call the Governor's office if this is a concept that you support.
The second bill (SB1070) allows firearms-safety training courses to be taught by NRA instructors certified in pistol and personal protection and allows said courses to be used to obtain a concealed-weapons permit . This bill now goes to the Senate for a vote and upon its passage proceeds to the Governor.
The last gun-related bill (SB1106) allows the holder of a concealed-weapons permit to apply for a lifetime permit. Currently, the law requires such permits to be renewed every five years. This bill now goes to the Governor. I am unsure of how the Governor will respond to this bill but the majority of the Democrats did not like this bill so I urge a call to the 9th Floor on this bill also.
The Governor's contact information, for your convenience, is listed below.
Governor Janet Napolitano
Telephone: (602) 542-1318
Toll Free 1(800) 253-0883Fax: (602) 542-1381
E-mail address: azgov@az.gov
Monday, May 19, 2008
Catching Up ~ The Calm Before The Storm
Today (Monday) was a short work day. I drove the 3 1/2 hours from Lake Havasu City to Phoenix in order to make it to the floor today at 1:00 pm. We voted on several bills, none of them very controversial, (one bill dealing addressing gun rights and self-defense was held) and then adjourned until tomorrow at 10:00 am. There were nine legislators absent today and I expect that to be typical for the rest of the session.
The activity at the Capitol has slowed to a snail's pace and there just isn't a lot for the rank and file members to work on while leadership formulates a plan of action to address the $2 Billion dollar shortfall so some members choose to stay in their district (if they are out-of-county) and address constituent concerns. Other members put in a little extra time at their paying jobs while all is quite at the Capitol.
Tomorrow, after floor at 10:00 we have a caucus of the House Republicans. I should have a bit more information to share about the timeframe and direction of the budget. I also have been invited to attend a budget meeting with House Majority Leader, Representative Tom Boone and House Whip, John McComish. From all that I have been reading via the Internet (blogs and newspaper) the subject of borrowing will be the topic of discussion. That, in addition a new tax increase being proposed by my colleague Andy Tobin. I do not have the details of his proposal...another colleague of mine just mentioned it to me briefly. As usual, as soon as I am clear on the details, I will post them here,
Wednesday, the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Governor's Luncheon at Shugrue's. Representative McLain and I were entertaining with the idea of attending (Gould flat out said no) since the Speaker of the House, Representative (Jim) Weiers mentioned that he would like for us to be there. As much as I like to support our local chamber, I am having second thoughts about attending. I really do not have the patience or fortitude to stomach the Governor's spin/perspective/lies on the state of Arizona, it's economy, and future without having an opportunity at the luncheon to rebut her statements. Having to sit silent while she spins reality into what I have come to know as her parallel universe is about as fun to me as a trip to the dentist. That, coupled with the hope that we could have some movement on the budget this week gives me a valid excuse to skip the lunch. (Yay! Thanks for sticking with me while I worked that decision out as I typed.) I echo the feeling of Senator Gould when I told him about the $30.00 per person cost of the luncheon. He said, "Yikes! You'd have to pay me at least double to listen to her!" Amen Senator Gould!
In closing, please send an email to Senate President Tim Bee respectfully encouraging him to bring to a vote of the Senate the measure that would constitutionally define marriage as a union solely between one man and one woman. Senator Bee's email address is tbee@azleg.gov.
REMINDER: I still need signatures on petitions for my re-election. If you would like to have a petition mailed to you, please call 928-855-5413 and speak to my biggest supporter and #1 fan, my husband, Frank Groe. He will be more than happy to mail you a petition with a stamped return envelope, or, if you live in LHC, he will drop one off at your house. As always, thank you for allowing me to be your conservative voice here at the Capitol!
The activity at the Capitol has slowed to a snail's pace and there just isn't a lot for the rank and file members to work on while leadership formulates a plan of action to address the $2 Billion dollar shortfall so some members choose to stay in their district (if they are out-of-county) and address constituent concerns. Other members put in a little extra time at their paying jobs while all is quite at the Capitol.
Tomorrow, after floor at 10:00 we have a caucus of the House Republicans. I should have a bit more information to share about the timeframe and direction of the budget. I also have been invited to attend a budget meeting with House Majority Leader, Representative Tom Boone and House Whip, John McComish. From all that I have been reading via the Internet (blogs and newspaper) the subject of borrowing will be the topic of discussion. That, in addition a new tax increase being proposed by my colleague Andy Tobin. I do not have the details of his proposal...another colleague of mine just mentioned it to me briefly. As usual, as soon as I am clear on the details, I will post them here,
Wednesday, the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Governor's Luncheon at Shugrue's. Representative McLain and I were entertaining with the idea of attending (Gould flat out said no) since the Speaker of the House, Representative (Jim) Weiers mentioned that he would like for us to be there. As much as I like to support our local chamber, I am having second thoughts about attending. I really do not have the patience or fortitude to stomach the Governor's spin/perspective/lies on the state of Arizona, it's economy, and future without having an opportunity at the luncheon to rebut her statements. Having to sit silent while she spins reality into what I have come to know as her parallel universe is about as fun to me as a trip to the dentist. That, coupled with the hope that we could have some movement on the budget this week gives me a valid excuse to skip the lunch. (Yay! Thanks for sticking with me while I worked that decision out as I typed.) I echo the feeling of Senator Gould when I told him about the $30.00 per person cost of the luncheon. He said, "Yikes! You'd have to pay me at least double to listen to her!" Amen Senator Gould!
In closing, please send an email to Senate President Tim Bee respectfully encouraging him to bring to a vote of the Senate the measure that would constitutionally define marriage as a union solely between one man and one woman. Senator Bee's email address is tbee@azleg.gov.
REMINDER: I still need signatures on petitions for my re-election. If you would like to have a petition mailed to you, please call 928-855-5413 and speak to my biggest supporter and #1 fan, my husband, Frank Groe. He will be more than happy to mail you a petition with a stamped return envelope, or, if you live in LHC, he will drop one off at your house. As always, thank you for allowing me to be your conservative voice here at the Capitol!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Napolitano Extortion Racket Leads to Secret Deal
From the Americans for Prosperity website:
"In addition to covering the state’s budget deficit crisis (to which Napolitano was the #1 contributor), the interview will get the Governor’s comments on the recently-uncovered scandal concerning a secret deal between Napolitano, the TIME Coalition, and the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona."
"In addition to covering the state’s budget deficit crisis (to which Napolitano was the #1 contributor), the interview will get the Governor’s comments on the recently-uncovered scandal concerning a secret deal between Napolitano, the TIME Coalition, and the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona."
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Coyote Blog: Taking A Peak Inside the Sausage Factory
~another blogger's take on the Governor's suggested sales tax increase for Transportation and the deal she struck with the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Voters Can Trump Spending
By Tom Jenney
You play the hand you’ve been dealt, and in this year’s fiscal-policy poker game, fiscal conservatives in Arizona have a lot of bad cards.
Instead of an ace in the executive branch of state government, fiscal conservatives have a two.
Back in the fall, when Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 revenues began falling below the revenues for FY 2007, a fiscally conservative Governor would have made modest reductions in agency spending to bring expenditures in line with revenue. Instead, Gov. Janet Napolitano continued to spend FY 2008 money as if there were no shortage of revenue. She also failed to call the Legislature into a mid-year special session to correct the over-optimistic FY 2008 budget passed in June.
For the FY 2009 budget, Napolitano will likely continue doing what she has done for the last five years, which is to bargain shrewdly so as to maximize government spending. According to her budget office, state government spending now takes up 7.01 percent of the state’s economy—the biggest slice for government since 1980.
Napolitano’s deficit plan involves financing current spending levels with huge amounts of (unconstitutional) debt. And with her recent veto of House Bill 2220, she has promoted the fiction that a property tax increase is necessary to close the budget deficit.
Instead of an ace in the judicial branch, fiscal conservatives have a three. The Arizona Supreme Court in past years has refused to enforce the constitutional prohibition on state debt, and it is unlikely to start doing so now.
A third ace would be a solid majority of fiscal conservatives in the Legislature, but instead, fiscal conservatives have a seven (in other words, less than half). Most of the time, they do not have the votes to get fiscally conservative bills onto the Governor’s desk, or to send those bills to the ballot via referenda (a move that bypasses the Governor’s veto pen). (GROE NOTE: Remember this when election time comes around in the fall!)
With a solid majority of fiscal conservatives in the Legislature, Arizona would not have overspent during the last five years, and we would not have the largest budget deficit in the nation. In any case, a fiscally conservative majority (with some cooperation from the Governor) would make short work of current deficits, holding FY 2008 and FY 2009 spending constant at FY 2007 levels ($9.8 billion). Modest transfers of cash from the Rainy Day Fund could easily balance those budgets—without accounting gimmicks, and without taking on debt.
Although most of Arizona’s fiscally profligate legislators are Democrats, this is not a strictly partisan problem. In the recent Senate battle over HB 2220, Republicans Carolyn Allen of Scottsdale and Tom O’Halleran of Prescott voted to increase property taxes, while Democrat Ken Cheuvront of Phoenix provided the 16th vote to get tax relief out of the Senate. In the House, Democrat Mark DeSimone crossed party lines to vote for property tax relief, while Republicans Pete Hershberger and Jennifer Burns chose to snub homeowners and businesses.
A fourth ace would be legislative leadership strong enough to bargain hard with the Governor and put petty bills on hold until the budget crisis is resolved. Individually, some of our legislative leaders are face cards, but collectively, they’re more like a six—easily beaten by the Queen of Spending.
The only good card fiscal conservatives hold this year is the wild card of grassroots taxpayer activism. Taxpayer activists must work hard to push to balance the FY 2009 budget without tax increases, accounting gimmicks or debt, put strong property tax and budget reforms on the November ballot, and support fiscally conservative candidates in September and November. If they do those things, the grassroots wild card could turn out to be the missing ace fiscal conservatives need to play a winning hand this year.
The stakes of the fiscal-policy poker match are high. Arizona can choose the path of strong economic growth and prosperity, or it can slide into high-tax, high-spending sluggishness. Grassroots taxpayer activists will decide.
--Tom Jenney is the Arizona director of Americans for Prosperity (https://owa.azleg.state.az.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.aztaxpayers.org)
You play the hand you’ve been dealt, and in this year’s fiscal-policy poker game, fiscal conservatives in Arizona have a lot of bad cards.
Instead of an ace in the executive branch of state government, fiscal conservatives have a two.
Back in the fall, when Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 revenues began falling below the revenues for FY 2007, a fiscally conservative Governor would have made modest reductions in agency spending to bring expenditures in line with revenue. Instead, Gov. Janet Napolitano continued to spend FY 2008 money as if there were no shortage of revenue. She also failed to call the Legislature into a mid-year special session to correct the over-optimistic FY 2008 budget passed in June.
For the FY 2009 budget, Napolitano will likely continue doing what she has done for the last five years, which is to bargain shrewdly so as to maximize government spending. According to her budget office, state government spending now takes up 7.01 percent of the state’s economy—the biggest slice for government since 1980.
Napolitano’s deficit plan involves financing current spending levels with huge amounts of (unconstitutional) debt. And with her recent veto of House Bill 2220, she has promoted the fiction that a property tax increase is necessary to close the budget deficit.
Instead of an ace in the judicial branch, fiscal conservatives have a three. The Arizona Supreme Court in past years has refused to enforce the constitutional prohibition on state debt, and it is unlikely to start doing so now.
A third ace would be a solid majority of fiscal conservatives in the Legislature, but instead, fiscal conservatives have a seven (in other words, less than half). Most of the time, they do not have the votes to get fiscally conservative bills onto the Governor’s desk, or to send those bills to the ballot via referenda (a move that bypasses the Governor’s veto pen). (GROE NOTE: Remember this when election time comes around in the fall!)
With a solid majority of fiscal conservatives in the Legislature, Arizona would not have overspent during the last five years, and we would not have the largest budget deficit in the nation. In any case, a fiscally conservative majority (with some cooperation from the Governor) would make short work of current deficits, holding FY 2008 and FY 2009 spending constant at FY 2007 levels ($9.8 billion). Modest transfers of cash from the Rainy Day Fund could easily balance those budgets—without accounting gimmicks, and without taking on debt.
Although most of Arizona’s fiscally profligate legislators are Democrats, this is not a strictly partisan problem. In the recent Senate battle over HB 2220, Republicans Carolyn Allen of Scottsdale and Tom O’Halleran of Prescott voted to increase property taxes, while Democrat Ken Cheuvront of Phoenix provided the 16th vote to get tax relief out of the Senate. In the House, Democrat Mark DeSimone crossed party lines to vote for property tax relief, while Republicans Pete Hershberger and Jennifer Burns chose to snub homeowners and businesses.
A fourth ace would be legislative leadership strong enough to bargain hard with the Governor and put petty bills on hold until the budget crisis is resolved. Individually, some of our legislative leaders are face cards, but collectively, they’re more like a six—easily beaten by the Queen of Spending.
The only good card fiscal conservatives hold this year is the wild card of grassroots taxpayer activism. Taxpayer activists must work hard to push to balance the FY 2009 budget without tax increases, accounting gimmicks or debt, put strong property tax and budget reforms on the November ballot, and support fiscally conservative candidates in September and November. If they do those things, the grassroots wild card could turn out to be the missing ace fiscal conservatives need to play a winning hand this year.
The stakes of the fiscal-policy poker match are high. Arizona can choose the path of strong economic growth and prosperity, or it can slide into high-tax, high-spending sluggishness. Grassroots taxpayer activists will decide.
--Tom Jenney is the Arizona director of Americans for Prosperity (https://owa.azleg.state.az.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.aztaxpayers.org)
Catching Up
Dear Republican Friends,
Session is winding down & for the most part the majority of bills have been voted on & sent to the Governor. The House & Senate bodies continue to meet each day to Third & Final read a handful of bills that could probably be voted on in one or two days but the bills are being spaced out over the remainder of the session in order to have business to address when we convene each day. The House and Senate are not meeting tomorrow so the majority of members have the day off...most of them will get an extra day to work at their "regular" job or spend time gathering signatures for re-election. I will not have this luxury, though I cannot complain as I am doing what I love...assisting in the creation of a potentially conservative budget. Is that laughter I hear? No, don't laugh...it helps to have hope (and a strong dose of faith) with this job.
As I have mentioned before, Senator Gould & I are participating in lengthy daily budget meetings to create an acceptable, responsible solution to address the $2 Billion Dollar shortfall. The other participants (all Republicans) include House & Senate Leadership, the appropriations chairmen, & a variety of rank & file members who represent various ideological views. We have made some progress in the meetings, making slight cuts in a variety of government programs, attempting to stem the bleeding but unfortunately the bloodletting is still to come. Trimming $1 Million here or $13 Million there hardly makes a dent in this fiscal crisis. At this point though, personalities have taken a backseat to policy & for that I am thankful.
In other news, the Governor & her Regulatory Review Council have overstepped their authority by requiring automobiles in Arizona to meet new standards for greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2011. Besides the fact the Governor & her council have side-stepped the legislature (& therefore, the people) once again, she has followed California in this endeavor & The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has so far refused to give California the power to enact its own greenhouse gas emission standards. Many of the Phoenix area papers have written articles detailing this decision so check out my "reading room" feature for more information.
Session is winding down & for the most part the majority of bills have been voted on & sent to the Governor. The House & Senate bodies continue to meet each day to Third & Final read a handful of bills that could probably be voted on in one or two days but the bills are being spaced out over the remainder of the session in order to have business to address when we convene each day. The House and Senate are not meeting tomorrow so the majority of members have the day off...most of them will get an extra day to work at their "regular" job or spend time gathering signatures for re-election. I will not have this luxury, though I cannot complain as I am doing what I love...assisting in the creation of a potentially conservative budget. Is that laughter I hear? No, don't laugh...it helps to have hope (and a strong dose of faith) with this job.
As I have mentioned before, Senator Gould & I are participating in lengthy daily budget meetings to create an acceptable, responsible solution to address the $2 Billion Dollar shortfall. The other participants (all Republicans) include House & Senate Leadership, the appropriations chairmen, & a variety of rank & file members who represent various ideological views. We have made some progress in the meetings, making slight cuts in a variety of government programs, attempting to stem the bleeding but unfortunately the bloodletting is still to come. Trimming $1 Million here or $13 Million there hardly makes a dent in this fiscal crisis. At this point though, personalities have taken a backseat to policy & for that I am thankful.
In other news, the Governor & her Regulatory Review Council have overstepped their authority by requiring automobiles in Arizona to meet new standards for greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2011. Besides the fact the Governor & her council have side-stepped the legislature (& therefore, the people) once again, she has followed California in this endeavor & The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has so far refused to give California the power to enact its own greenhouse gas emission standards. Many of the Phoenix area papers have written articles detailing this decision so check out my "reading room" feature for more information.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Photo Radar Monies & A Rant
UPDATE: The $165.00 fine from a photo radar ticket is now directed to the state's general fund~this is part of the governor's attempt to generate money in order to continue to grow government despite facing a $2.3 Billion Dollar deficit.
In response to a couple of snide comments in the Today's News Herald discussion forum let me make the following clarification:
Monies generated by photo radar goes to the General Fund of the Cities from the City Courts and to the County general fund from the JP Courts. The surcharges go to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Fund (that goes to about 14 different entities in the criminal justice system) and then to the Clean Elections Commission. None of it goes to the state except through the surcharges.
I am always amazed that folks like to snap back and forth with accusing remarks over issues that they know nothing about. I must state again that the online discussion forum of the Today's News Herald is a disgrace to the paper and a poor reflection on the citizens of Lake Havasu City. I truly wish TNH would shut the feature down.
In response to a couple of snide comments in the Today's News Herald discussion forum let me make the following clarification:
Monies generated by photo radar goes to the General Fund of the Cities from the City Courts and to the County general fund from the JP Courts. The surcharges go to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Fund (that goes to about 14 different entities in the criminal justice system) and then to the Clean Elections Commission. None of it goes to the state except through the surcharges.
I am always amazed that folks like to snap back and forth with accusing remarks over issues that they know nothing about. I must state again that the online discussion forum of the Today's News Herald is a disgrace to the paper and a poor reflection on the citizens of Lake Havasu City. I truly wish TNH would shut the feature down.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Digging Deeper into Debt?
With a current deficit of $1.8 Billion dollars in fiscal year 2009, the Governor and the Democrats want to "fix" the problem by driving us into further debt by borrowing Now comes the announcement straight from the horse's mouth that she wants to dig the hole a little deeper. The Governor testified in front of the Legislature today to make a pitch for the state to borrow an additional $1.4 billion for university construction and maintenance projects.
I will try to see if I can come up with a news article about this and provide a bit more of the details.
I will try to see if I can come up with a news article about this and provide a bit more of the details.
A Word About HB 2017
From one of my colleagues:
Late last year, a bi-partisan majority of Congress passed and the president signed into law H.R. 6, which requires that fuel economy standards be increased by a minimum of 40% between now and 2020. Last week, the U. S. Department of Transportation opened a rulemaking proceeding that proposes an increase from the present 27.5 miles per gallon (MPG) for cars to 35.7 MPG by 2015, and from 23.5 MPG for light trucks to 28.6 MPG by 2015.
Here is the link to the federal rulemaking now underway:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.43ac99aefa80569eea57529cdba046a0/
This is the type of information Arizona should take into account in deciding what measures should be undertaken - and is information that was not available when the Governor's Climate Change Advisory Group discussed adopting California fuel economy standards in 2006. Additionally, the State must have a very clear understanding of the costs of these measures, and the relationship of those costs to the alleged benefits. A great deal of important information of this nature is being ignored in the ADEQ rulemaking package scheduled for review by the Governor's Regulatory Review Council next Tuesday, May 6, in which it is proposed that Arizona adopt California's fuel economy standards. In contrast, the legislative process is designed to thoughtfully surface and address these types of relevant and timely points of information.
HB2017 simply assures the opportunity for the Legislature to perform its constitutional responsibilities on this important subject.
Late last year, a bi-partisan majority of Congress passed and the president signed into law H.R. 6, which requires that fuel economy standards be increased by a minimum of 40% between now and 2020. Last week, the U. S. Department of Transportation opened a rulemaking proceeding that proposes an increase from the present 27.5 miles per gallon (MPG) for cars to 35.7 MPG by 2015, and from 23.5 MPG for light trucks to 28.6 MPG by 2015.
Here is the link to the federal rulemaking now underway:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.43ac99aefa80569eea57529cdba046a0/
This is the type of information Arizona should take into account in deciding what measures should be undertaken - and is information that was not available when the Governor's Climate Change Advisory Group discussed adopting California fuel economy standards in 2006. Additionally, the State must have a very clear understanding of the costs of these measures, and the relationship of those costs to the alleged benefits. A great deal of important information of this nature is being ignored in the ADEQ rulemaking package scheduled for review by the Governor's Regulatory Review Council next Tuesday, May 6, in which it is proposed that Arizona adopt California's fuel economy standards. In contrast, the legislative process is designed to thoughtfully surface and address these types of relevant and timely points of information.
HB2017 simply assures the opportunity for the Legislature to perform its constitutional responsibilities on this important subject.
Kingman Daily Miner - Public defender cuts red tape, govt. spending
Senator Gould and I sponsored this bill that the Governor recently signed into law. Though it is a fairly innocuous bill, the practice should make a small difference and save some money. That is what we are all about!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
azcentral.com blogs | LaurieRoberts
LR posts about the Governor's recent veto of a DUI-related bill.
What is your take on this particular post of Mrs. Roberts?
What is your take on this particular post of Mrs. Roberts?
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
HB 2017~A Sound Start to State Policy on Greenhouse Gas Emission
HB 2017 (S/E on greenhouse gases; fuel economy) ensures that the Legislature determines Arizona's policy on greenhouse gas emissions.
It would provide critical session law that prescribes a clear and certain process, whereby the ADEQ Director submits recommendations to the Legislature, the Arizona Corporation Commission and the Governor. The bill specifies that no state agency (e.g. DEQ, Commerce) could proceed with rulemaking for a greenhouse gas or motor vehicle fuel economy program without explicit legislative authorization enacted in the future.
This legislation reflects the Constitutional requirement that there is a separation of powers between the responsibilities of the Legislature to determine public policy, and the responsibilities of the Executive to implement that policy. Because of the magnitude of this policy proposal, and the cross-over into jurisdiction of the elected members of the Arizona Corporation Commission, it is especially important that this legislation be enacted.
BACKGROUND: The Western Climate Initiative ("WCI") is a group of several western and Mexican states, and Canadian provinces that have committed to reducing the emission of greenhouse gases ("GHG"). The WCI is divided into two groups: partners who have, by agreement, committed to specific GHG reductions and; observers who are monitoring the process.
The committed partners are Arizona, British Columbia, California, Manitoba, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington. These states are in the process of developing an economy-wide regional cap-and-trade program. A cap-and-trade program is a market mechanism in which carbon emissions are capped and entities participating can trade allowances to meet the emissions limit or to grow. The observers are Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, Wyoming, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sonora and Tamaulipas.
WCI has been meeting since October with a goal of making design recommendations for a regional cap-and-trade program by August of this year. Each state would then be eligible to implement its own cap-and-trade program consistent with those recommendations.
The Director of ADEQ has stated that the recommendations for a cap-and-trade program can be implemented without additional legislative authorization. In contrast, other states such as Washington have recently enacted legislation requiring their lead agency to obtain authority from their legislature to implement the WCI recommendations.
Such a program will have a significant impact on Arizona's economy and could worsen the State's budget crisis.
A policy proposal of such magnitude is complicated. Determining the regulatory structure of a cap-and-trade program requires detailed decisions, including determinations as to which state agency is most qualified to oversee/regulate the market trades that would occur, should allowances be auctioned to entities or distributed for free, if they are auctioned, how the significant amounts of money collected from auctions will be spent, how do you mitigate the costs impacts of such a program to low income families and whether sources of carbon not currently included in the WCI's scope of regulations (e.g. agriculture) should be eligible to provide credits to offset required reductions. These are just a few of the many policy decisions that are the responsibility of the Legislature to determine. A number of parties are concerned that bypassing the legislature on such an important policy question is wrong.
- Making cap-and-trade program decisions through State agency rulemaking, for example by ADEQ, is problematic:
- Program choices must be based on consensus-driven, well-researched decisions and a process that includes all stakeholders.
- ADEQ does not have the resources or expertise to administer a market-based program.
- No state agency has the legal authority to adopt and administer a cap-and-trade program.
- Agency rule-makers are at least a layer removed from accountability to elected officials.
- Agency rulemaking excludes indispensable stakeholders – State Legislature, Corporation Commission.
- If the cap-and-trade program includes the auctioning of allowances, revenue will be generated from the auction proceeds. The state legislature should determine how this revenue will be distributed.
- It is expected that the federal government will enact climate change legislation next Congress. All three presidential candidates support climate change legislation. Jumping the gun before there is national legislation with state or regional program has disadvantages including:
- a limited number of market participants are available for trading;
- California values will dominate the program;
- risk of checkerboard of programs nationwide with no ability to move allowances between programs;
- Arizona is more reliant upon coal based generation resources than other states and the design of the program could result in transfer of wealth to other states;
- and Arizona companies will be at a competitive disadvantage if other states fail to participate.
- The WCI has just started the process of conducting an economic analysis of the proposals under consideration. But we know from analysis of similar programs at the federal level that economic impacts are significant. The economic estimates vary greatly depending upon the assumptions used, the reduction strategies employed and the available technology. Some examples of the potential costs are:
- The Electric Power Research Institute (an independent, nonprofit center for public interest energy and environmental research) estimates that cost to reduce carbon emissions could result in electricity rate increases of 45% to 260%, depending on the strategies employed to reduce emissions and the available technologies.
- EPA analysis of federal legislation to reduce GHG sponsored by Senators Lieberman-Warner also concluded electric utility rates could increase by as much as 44% by 2030.
- Costs increases will be felt even more by lower income households. The Oregon Center for Public Policy recently noted that the cost of reducing carbon emissions by 15% would cost the poorest one-fifth of households $750 to $950 yearly. These are households where the average annual income is $13,000.
- An EPA analysis of Lieberman-Warner concluded that it would reduce our nation's GDP in 2050 by 2.37%.
###
Catching Up
- Budget talks are still ongoing. Our group of Republican legislators meeting daily at JLBC is growing. Progress on finding responsible solutions to the $1.8 Billion dollar budget shortfall is slow going but at least progress is being made. I am unable to share the details at this point and frankly, it would be premature as nothing is set in stone, despite any apparent concensus by group members.
- The Governor vetoed HB 2395, a bill would have imposed tougher mandates and penalties against drunk boaters and drivers, but also halved to six months the requirement that first-time DUI offenders use ignition interlocks for a year. This bill contained important provisions such as: 1) a fix to a conflict in state law regarding jail time for people convicted of extreme DUI so that they must serve 30-day sentences, 2) required that first-time offenders convicted of operating a boat while intoxicated must generally serve 10 consecutive days in jail, 3) expanded circumstances in which a drunken driver's license is suspended for 90 days after a fatal accident.
Personally, I was very conflicted on this bill...MADD opposed this legislation because of the reduction of time required for the interlock device but like my colleagues, I agree of the importance of the remaining provisions. This one bill was a combination of three original bills; unfortunately the three bills were combined. Because the conflict in the statute will remain due to the Governor's veto, we will take up this issue again next session. Perhaps next year we will get this right.
- Tomorrow the House will vote on SB1450, the bill that basically gives taxing authority to a private corporation. On a voice vote today, the House agreed to let the developers create a special taxing district. In essence, SB1450 would give the board of this district one of the key powers of a city: impose sales taxes to finance construction of the park in Eloy...a horrible idea I oppose. Read about this further in my next post.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Letter from Americans for Prosperity Director Tom Jenny
April 16, 2008
Dear Legislative District 3 Taxpayer:
The bad news is that Gov. Janet Napolitano’s veto today of House Bill 2220 will likely result in the return of a $250 million property tax, for an average property tax increase of $100 per year for the Arizona homeowner. Combined with likely increases by city, county, and local special taxing districts, the Governor’s tax increase may contribute to significant increases in the overall property tax bills of home and business owners.
The silver lining in the cloud created by Napolitano is that there is still a small chance of repealing the $250 million state-imposed education equalization property tax, as a part of budget negotiations later in the legislative session.
And the really good news is that all of your LD 3 Legislators—Sen. Ron Gould, Rep. Trish Groe, and Rep. Nancy McLain—are part of the slim majority in the Arizona Senate that wants to help Arizona property taxpayers by repealing the tax.
In the House in March, 32 Arizona Representatives (31 Republicans and 1 Democrat) voted for the HB 2220 property tax relief bill. We have listed the names and districts of the House Good Guys here:
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/includes/filemanager/files/az/goodguyshb2220.pdf
At the same time, 28 Representatives (26 Democrats and 2 Republicans) voted against HB 2220. We have listed the names and districts of the House Bad Guys here: http://www.americansforprosperity.org/includes/filemanager/files/az/badguyshb2220.pdf
Last week, 16 Arizona Representatives (15 Republicans and 1 Democrat) voted for HB 2220. 14 Arizona Representatives (12 Democrats and 2 Republicans) failed to vote to protect property taxpayers. Here is the list of Good Guys and Bad Guys for the Senate:
http://includes/filemanager/files/az/hb2220senategoodbad.pdf
Stay tuned—we will keep you posted on property tax reforms and other taxpayer-related action as the legislative session goes on.
Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity
http://www.aztaxpayers.org/
tjenney@afphq.org
Dear Legislative District 3 Taxpayer:
The bad news is that Gov. Janet Napolitano’s veto today of House Bill 2220 will likely result in the return of a $250 million property tax, for an average property tax increase of $100 per year for the Arizona homeowner. Combined with likely increases by city, county, and local special taxing districts, the Governor’s tax increase may contribute to significant increases in the overall property tax bills of home and business owners.
The silver lining in the cloud created by Napolitano is that there is still a small chance of repealing the $250 million state-imposed education equalization property tax, as a part of budget negotiations later in the legislative session.
And the really good news is that all of your LD 3 Legislators—Sen. Ron Gould, Rep. Trish Groe, and Rep. Nancy McLain—are part of the slim majority in the Arizona Senate that wants to help Arizona property taxpayers by repealing the tax.
In the House in March, 32 Arizona Representatives (31 Republicans and 1 Democrat) voted for the HB 2220 property tax relief bill. We have listed the names and districts of the House Good Guys here:
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/includes/filemanager/files/az/goodguyshb2220.pdf
At the same time, 28 Representatives (26 Democrats and 2 Republicans) voted against HB 2220. We have listed the names and districts of the House Bad Guys here: http://www.americansforprosperity.org/includes/filemanager/files/az/badguyshb2220.pdf
Last week, 16 Arizona Representatives (15 Republicans and 1 Democrat) voted for HB 2220. 14 Arizona Representatives (12 Democrats and 2 Republicans) failed to vote to protect property taxpayers. Here is the list of Good Guys and Bad Guys for the Senate:
http://includes/filemanager/files/az/hb2220senategoodbad.pdf
Stay tuned—we will keep you posted on property tax reforms and other taxpayer-related action as the legislative session goes on.
Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity
http://www.aztaxpayers.org/
tjenney@afphq.org
Friday, April 11, 2008
Chambers of Commerce Letter to the Governor Re: HB 2220 Property Tax Repeal
UPDATE: The Governor vetoed this bill.
NOTE: I am so pleased to see that both the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bullhead City Chamber of Commerce signed on in support of the bill. I wonder where the Kingman Chamber of Commerce stands.
April 11, 2008
The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Office of the Governor
1700 W. Washington Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Dear Governor Napolitano:
As chambers of commerce across Arizona, we encourage you to sign HB 2220 to
permanently repeal the state equalization property tax. Signing this legislation would
prevent an approximately $250 million annual tax hike on businesses and residential
property owners during a time when Arizonans are experiencing economic strain.
The statewide business community has made permanent repeal of the state equalization
rate a top priority for the 2008 legislative session. Currently, commercial property owners in Arizona pay more than twice the amount in taxes that residential property owners pay. That places Arizona in the top highest for commercial property taxes and far above our neighboring states, thus harming our competitiveness.
The business community recognizes the severity of the state’s fiscal crisis. We remain
convinced; however, that the economy is best stimulated by private enterprise. Creating an environment in which businesses can flourish will allow companies to make additional investments that will advance our economy in a powerful way. During this economic crisis, we have an opportunity to put policies in place that position us for future success. Permanently repealing the statewide equalization rate is one important step in that direction.
Sincerely,
Ajo District Chamber of Commerce
Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce
Benson-San Pedro Valley Chamber of Commerce
Camp Verde Chamber of Commerce
Chino Valley Area Chamber of Commerce
East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance:
Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce
Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce
Chandler Chamber of Commerce
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce
Mesa Chamber of Commerce
Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce
Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce
Tempe Chamber of Commerce
Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce
Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce
Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
Pinetop-Lakeside Chamber of Commerce
Prescott Chamber of Commerce
Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce
Sedona Chamber of Commerce
Southern Arizona Chambers of Commerce Alliance:
Marana Chamber of Commerce
Nogales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce
Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce
Rio Rico Chamber of Commerce
Greater Sierra Vista Area Chamber of Commerce
Tucson Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Chamber of Commerce
Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
St. John’s Regional Chamber of Commerce
Tri-City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
West Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance:
Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce
Glendale Chamber of Commerce
Peoria Chamber of Commerce
Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce
Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce
Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce
Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce
Yuma County Chamber of Commerce
NOTE: I am so pleased to see that both the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bullhead City Chamber of Commerce signed on in support of the bill. I wonder where the Kingman Chamber of Commerce stands.
April 11, 2008
The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Office of the Governor
1700 W. Washington Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Dear Governor Napolitano:
As chambers of commerce across Arizona, we encourage you to sign HB 2220 to
permanently repeal the state equalization property tax. Signing this legislation would
prevent an approximately $250 million annual tax hike on businesses and residential
property owners during a time when Arizonans are experiencing economic strain.
The statewide business community has made permanent repeal of the state equalization
rate a top priority for the 2008 legislative session. Currently, commercial property owners in Arizona pay more than twice the amount in taxes that residential property owners pay. That places Arizona in the top highest for commercial property taxes and far above our neighboring states, thus harming our competitiveness.
The business community recognizes the severity of the state’s fiscal crisis. We remain
convinced; however, that the economy is best stimulated by private enterprise. Creating an environment in which businesses can flourish will allow companies to make additional investments that will advance our economy in a powerful way. During this economic crisis, we have an opportunity to put policies in place that position us for future success. Permanently repealing the statewide equalization rate is one important step in that direction.
Sincerely,
Ajo District Chamber of Commerce
Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce
Benson-San Pedro Valley Chamber of Commerce
Camp Verde Chamber of Commerce
Chino Valley Area Chamber of Commerce
East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance:
Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce
Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce
Chandler Chamber of Commerce
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce
Mesa Chamber of Commerce
Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce
Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce
Tempe Chamber of Commerce
Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce
Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce
Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
Pinetop-Lakeside Chamber of Commerce
Prescott Chamber of Commerce
Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce
Sedona Chamber of Commerce
Southern Arizona Chambers of Commerce Alliance:
Marana Chamber of Commerce
Nogales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce
Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce
Rio Rico Chamber of Commerce
Greater Sierra Vista Area Chamber of Commerce
Tucson Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Chamber of Commerce
Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
St. John’s Regional Chamber of Commerce
Tri-City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
West Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance:
Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce
Glendale Chamber of Commerce
Peoria Chamber of Commerce
Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce
Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce
Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce
Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce
Yuma County Chamber of Commerce
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Governor Vetos Spending Freeze ~ Veto Letter on HB 2857
Gov. Janet Napolitano has vetoed a spending freeze approved last week by the Legislature that would have prevented state agencies from spending about $580 million already assigned to them.
AZ Free Enterprise Club Press Release
Gov. Napolitano Sets Stage for Property Tax Increase
Recent comments conflict with “no tax increase” commitment
Recent comments conflict with “no tax increase” commitment
Phoenix, AZ – The Arizona Free Enterprise Club, a pro-economic growth advocacy group, today called on lawmakers to pass the permanent repeal of the state equalization rate, which, if not passed, will increase taxes on all Arizona taxpayers next year by about $250 million.
According to The Arizona Republic, Gov. Napolitano told an audience of educators that legislative efforts to prevent this tax increase are misguided because the state faces billions in deficits.
“The governor’s support for this tax increase is a direct departure from what she wrote in her 2009 budget plan, where she pledged not to raise taxes,” said Steve Voeller, president of the Club.
In trying to sell the tax increase, the governor told the group that the tax equates to “two lattes a year.”
“Points should be deducted for unoriginality,” Voeller said. “When politicians justify tax increases by calculating them as lattes or steak dinners, they imply that we can’t figure out what’s really going on.”
“Property tax increases affect everyone, including those who can’t afford to drink lattes in the first place.”
“Property taxes continue to rise as valuations fall, so whether it’s one, two or 200 lattes, tax increases in today’s market will hurt everyone’s bottom line.”
“This is especially perplexing since the governor recently argued that people need help with their rising adjustable rate mortgages. Wouldn’t one way to do that include preventing property taxes from going up?”
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