Arizona Budget Discussions:
Alternative Policies for State Spending
Our policy debates allow major stakeholder groups to clearly articulate their proposals concerning the magnitude of spending cuts required. These proposals are debated by citizens groups with direct knowledge and/or impact from the policy decision.
This policy discussion issues really asks one simple question: “What level of services does Arizona want and need?”
Political Discussion of Reducing Spending
Click to See the Full Political Discussion Including Questions and Responses
Policy Proposal #1A:
Reduce Spending by $2.6 Billion
Asking Voters to Realign Budget Priorities
Jan Brewer
Governor of Arizona
2010 Candidate for Governor
In a statement, Brewer applauded legislative Republicans for approving the bills including HB2001 which cut $650 million of spending and legislation which will ask the voters to OK about $450 million in cuts by repealing two programs they approved to conserve open spaces and provide early education and health care.
Mary K Reinhart
Arizona Guardian
March 18, 2010
"Was it possible to cut spending without repealing voter approved spending for education and health care?"
March 24, 2010
Click to See Spending Cuts in HB2001
Policy Proposal #1B:
Reduce Spending by $1.3 Billion
State Cuts Are Brutal
Tim Schmaltz
Protecting Arizona's Families Coalition
"The governors budget solutions are brutal for children, families and elderly, people with disabilities and vulnerable adults. They are just plain wrong economically and humanely and therefore must be opposed vigorously and not be enacted.
The plan would authorize the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System to make eligibility changes that would drop 310,000 people from the Medicaid program to save $385 million."
Associated Press
March 9, 2010
"Are the budget cuts indeed brutal?
Should everybody share equally in this brutality? Is everybody sharing equally in this brutality?"
March 25, 2010
Economic Discussion of Reducing Spending
Click to See the Full Economic Discussion Including Questions and Responses
Policy Proposal #1A:
Reduce Spending by $2.6 Billion
Reduced Spending: Principled Solution
Darcy Olsen
Goldwater Institute
"The capacity of the private sector to pay higher taxes is at the breaking point. Even with an economic recovery, increased taxes will only feed an even bigger government that will be that much harder to finance in the next inevitable recession.
For now and for the future, reducing government spending is the only principled solution to the problem of shrinking government revenue."
"How has the Arizona Legislature balanced the spending needs of education, healthcare and public safety?"
March 21, 2010
Click to See the Cuts if the Sales Tax Measure Does Not Pass
Policy Proposal #1B:
Reduce Spending by $1.3 Billion
State Cuts Will Inflict State-wide Pain
Peter Fine
CEO, Banner Health
"Arizona has a budget crisis that must be addressed, in part, by raising revenue. Like it or not, this must involve selected tax increases over the next few years.
If we choose to deal with this crisis solely by cuts that decimate our health-care system, we will simply create another crisis of such magnitude that the budget crisis will continue unabated.
Is this state prepared for the economic and public-health impact of that? Are you?"
Arizona Republic
March 9, 2010
"Are there minimum levels of services required by the citizens of the state in the areas of education, health care and public safety? Do these cuts go below these minimum service levels?"
March 27, 2010
Taxes Must Be Raised
John R. Rivers
President, Arizona Hospital and
Health Care Association
"Cutting health care programs to help close Arizona's budget deficit would inflict pain on more state residents than the nearly 400,000 people who stand to lose Medicaid coverage or other services.
The proposed cuts in health care programs would result in 42,000 fewer jobs throughout the economy, and they would burden individuals and businesses with higher health care costs, clog emergency rooms, and generally make the state an unattractive place for people to live and businesses to locate."
Feb 24, 2010
"How can the State of Arizona generate new revenues to invest in health care for the good of all Arizona?"
March 13, 2010
Click to See Budget Measures on the November Ballot
Shifting Spending to Cities & Counties
Ken Strobeck
League of Arizona Cities & Towns
"As budgets continue to be reduced, there is concern about potentially eroding the quality of life in Arizona’s cities and towns.
The vast majority of the state population lives in incorporated communities because they like the amenities, the services and the level of public safety that comes with them.
We are concerned that the Legislature may see cities as a place to find revenue for state programs at the expense of local services."
November 18, 2010
Elizabeth Archuleta
County Supervisors Assoc. of AZ
"We urge all Arizona citizens to join their county elected officials in raising their voice in opposition to efforts by the state of Arizona to place unfunded mandates and cost-shifts onto Arizona’s county governments and the taxpayers we serve."
March 10, 2010
"Is the State of Arizona pushing the budget financial burden to the Arizona Cities and Counties? Is this a good idea? Who wins and who loses from cost shifting?"
March 18, 2010
Social Discussion of Reducing Spending
Click to See the Full Economic Questions Including Questions and Responses
Policy Proposal #1A:
Reduce Spending by $2.6 Billion
The State Is Simply Readjusting
Russell Pearce
Republican Senator, Mesa
Senate Appropriations Chairman Russell Pearce said that even as the Legislature wrestles with record-setting deficits, the budget does not do long-term damage and relies on a boost in sales-tax revenue to protect the state's priorities of education and public safety.
"Nobody's disbanding or dismantling the state", said Pearce, R-Mesa."
Mary Jo Pitzl
Arizona Republic
March 9, 2010
"Wasn’t the sale-leaseback of the state capitol
the first step of dismantling the State government?"
March 26, 2010
Policy Proposal #1A:
Reduce Spending by $2.6 Billion
Must Protect the Needs of the Poor
Christian Leaders of Arizona
"Throughout the history of prophets have warned us that an economic system that shows indifference to the needs of the poor is contrary to God's will and leads to ruin for society.
We bishops and judicatory leaders of Christian communities in the state of Arizona stand together in denouncing Arizona House Bill 2001.
We implore Governor Jan Brewer and the Arizona State Legislature to work harder to develop an appropriations bill that is just and that is not balanced on the backs of the neediest among us."
Letter to Gov. Brewer
March 17, 2010
"How do the concerns of these religious leaders impact the policy preferences of the ‘conservatives’ in the Arizona Legislature?"
March 18, 2010
Click to See Policy Preferences of the Arizona Legislature