3/11/2010 6:00:00 AM
Governor says tax hike is necessary
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Courtesy
Gov. Jan Brewer spoke to a packed house at the Kingman Republican Men’s Forum Tuesday night. The governor pushed her 1-cent sales tax and answered questions about the state’s budget issues.
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KINGMAN - Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer told the Miner Tuesday that she expects a budget bill from the Legislature to be on her desk Friday. The bill is expected to include a measure that would put a 1-cent sales tax on the May ballot.
"I'm very encouraged that it has made its way out of the House Appropriations Committee by a party-line vote," she said. Brewer was in Kingman Tuesday to meet with the Mohave County Republican Men's Forum and local officials to pound home the need for a temporary sales tax and a bill to fix the state's current budget problems. She also stopped by the Miner.
"This is a very difficult time for the people of Arizona," she said. "This budget is going to be very difficult for people. I don't say this lightly, everyone will be affected." The current cuts to the state budget will trickle down and affect all residents by some time in August or September, she said.
According to the Associated Press, the current bill would cut $218.3 million from education for full-day kindergarten, dropping more than 310,000 people from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, divert more than $450 million from voter initiatives, abolish the Arizona Juvenile Corrections Department and cut state employee's pay by 5 percent.
Some of those programs were unsustainable in the state's current budget crisis, she said.
Brewer blamed the state's current problems on the former Legislature and Gov. Janet Napolitano. Both the Legislature and Napolitano overspent the state's revenue on new programs and services during the boom in the economy. They even raided the state's "Rainy Day Fund" to fuel their spending.
Brewer said she and the state were left holding the bag when Napolitano left for her new position as President Barack Obama's Secretary of Homeland Security, she said. "The state was on the brink of collapse," she said. When she took office, Brewer tried everything to avoid raising taxes. She cut the state budget by $1 billion and then looked for more cuts.
"In my 28 years as an elected official, I have never once voted to raise taxes," she told a packed house at the Mohave County Republican Men's Forum.
"The problem was worse than imagined. We were headed into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. I resisted it as long as I could, but I had to face reality. There was no other way," she said. "The depth of the problem is so severe it cannot be solved by cuts alone. Doing the right thing almost always means doing the hard thing."
She promised that the 1-cent sales tax was a temporary tax. It is designed to go into effect June 1 and end May 31, 2013.
If the sales tax does not pass the May ballot, the state will have to make $1 billion more in cuts and the state could be in this mess for another eight to nine years, she said.
Education, public safety and home healthcare would be at the top of the list.
Cutting spending across the board won't work, she said. The state has more students, inmates and residents in need of Medicare. Plus there are voter-mandated programs that have to be funded.
"I have to present a balanced budget to the state. It's all got to fit perfectly," she said.
She did not expect and would not ask for another tax if this one passed, Brewer said.
The sales tax won't be a cure-all, she said.
A good education system is desperately needed in this down economy, Brewer said. Businesses won't move to a state that doesn't have a skilled workforce. The state can't have a skilled workforce without a good education system.
The state also needs to become more attractive to businesses.
"They (businesses) have other choices," she said.
"We have to reward businesses who stay here. We can't tax them to death, and we have to be competitive with other states."
She hated some of the budget solutions passed by the Legislature and her office so far, especially the sale and lease back of state buildings and the closing of rest stops on Arizona highways.
She also didn't like shifting costs to cities and counties by closing the Juvenile Corrections Department, but there was no choice, she said.
Even with a budget bill and a 1-cent sales tax, there are still tough times ahead, Brewer said.
"Revenue is still depressed, spending must be further reduced. Jobs will be shed and services will be curtailed or lost," she said.
"I did not create this, but I intend to resolve it," Brewer said.
"Challenges arise to show us what we're made of. They're a test of our values."
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Posted: Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Article comment by:
Aliass Spitzer
No increase in taxes!!!!!! NEVER.
Nip the taxing and spending in the bud.
I had to move here from New York because of this government spending craziness.
I know how to spend my money better than you do. [Deleted].
Posted: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Article comment by:
Christy Tinsley
I want to know why we have to sacrifice education so that our government officials only have to take a 5% pay cut. I believe that we need to crack down harder on the illegal aliens in Arizona, open up the jobs they are taking so that the citizens can go back to work. We need to free up health care cost that we are spending on making the illegal aliens healthy. I believe we need to get rid of the unessential government officials, and that they should offer up more of a pay cut. I don't think their wallets are more important then the education of out children. In the long run they are not giving the people of Arizona a choice but to vote for this tax increase, because if you don't you better pray the school your child goes to is open tomorrow. I also think that the state needs to stop dumping all this money in expanding roads that don't need to be expanded and build dorms, and apartment complexes for college students. They need to take that money and back up the companies that are still being forced to lay off and close down. they want more spending then find jobs for people get them off unemployment and cash assistance, we can't spend what we don't have. Raising taxes is going to force people to buy less and possibly in the long run raise health care cost because people are going to be malnourished because they can't afford to buy what they need. It is also ridiculous for a single black female with little to no bills to be getting over $200 in food stamps while a white single mom with rent, car payment, and insurance to pay to only get $99 in food stamps. I listened to a DES worker tell someone over they phone that she was doing everything to raise her food stamps when she was already getting 200 plus dollars a month. Maybe if the government balanced things out and stop sitting on their thumbs we would not be in as much trouble as we are in.
Posted: Sunday, March 14, 2010
Article comment by:
nnp nnp
Why are you people talking about penny taxes? Why are you not talking about the issues that are costing Arizona citizens a fortune, bankrupting this state and others CA, NV, FL and others.
I want our state government to clearly identify the problems without hiding behind political correctness and I expect the same from the media.
A huge portion of tax problem can be cut by eliminating costs spent on illegal aliens. A big part of budget crisis comes from illegal aliens that are draining our taxes in many ways. It is their cost of health care, their massive numbers in our schools, IE having 4,5, 6 kids that live in one & 2 bedroom house holds. And the massive amounts of crime they produce.
Hospital's: In Florida, just last week, it was reported that illegal aliens cost the state $100,000,000 a YEAR. Why the news in Arizona refuses to report the cost of medical care to illegals is negligence and a liberal stance to keep the public from getting angry.
Schools: As far as proof goes for the number of Mexican offspring in our Arizona schools just look at any morning news report on the morning news. Every time they go to a school to entertain the kids the schools are almost all Mexican students.
Crime: The police, courts, jails and prisons are overwhelmed with illegals. The PRISONS are 75% Hispanic.
It is irresponsible, and negligent for the politician's to not bring this to the attention of the news, and it is equally so for the media.
I have wrote a post to this news article, Friday, March 13, 2010, bring the above to the attention of the public, and it has not been posted as of yet. These costs are serious issues, of the utmost importance, and they must be brought out in the light. If this newspaper refuses to do it's "Duty" to inform the public then they are failing us. What must citizen's do to wake up the media. Must we come to your facility and protest. It seems so.
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Article comment by:
Jane Misczuk
Skelator oops! I mean Jan Brewer can take a pay cut like the law inforcement and other state workers had to do. Everything has gone down hill since she took over. Not saying she is responsible but if she is going to go around passing blame then she should at least accept some of it. I can't waite till she is out of office I think she is a detriment to this state.
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Article comment by:
Resolution Resolution
NOW, the resolution is to get these people OUT OF OFFICE.
Of course "it's someone else's fault" that is the statement of all the inmates in jail & prison.
The tax increase is temporary...... YEAH, RIGHT!
So were any if the real citizens permitted to ask direct questions, or receive a direct answer? I don't think so! Has the gov. or any of her staff taken ANY cut in pay?
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Article comment by:
nnp nnp
I would like to thank Gov. Brewer for coming to our out of the way town and sharing with us the states serious problems. The following are the main costs that are plaguing us.
We have three main costs that have put Arizona into bankruptcy. All of them are do to illegal aliens. They are school's, hospital, and all aspects of law enforcement, police, courts, jails, and prisons. Just imagine these costs.
Huge costs are incurred from massive numbers of illegal aliens in Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson have massive numbers Mexican's. And very few people are willing to point SQUARELY at this problem. The media has failed to point out the massive problems.
The schools are filled with illegal alien's off spring. Just look at the Phoenix news reports. Everytime they go to a school the kids in the background are almost all Mexican. This is costing Arizona and American citizen's a fortune in taxes, and has driven us into bankruptcy. They use the school as a place for free babysitting. Gov. Napaltano made life even better for them with more free babysitting, by giving them all day kindergarten which we have to pay for. Thank you Gov. Brewer for stopping this kindergarten babysitting ripoff. Teachers are blamed for students not learning. This is crazy talk. Students are responsible for learning. Many can't speak English. (They must know English. We as a country and a people have no responsibility to teach them English. This is just another political correctness TRAP). Students are also to concerned about fashion and other things rather than paying attention in school.
People should not have offspring unless they have a decent job, that pays enough money for a house that is big enough for the number of kids one has, plus all the other expenses, gas to get to work, insurance, clothing, babysitter's, etc. This requires much more than min. wage. It is ridiculous for me to EVEN have to say this. It should be a given. Our government is suppose to protect it's citizen's instead they are driving us broke, AND then making us pay.
The hospitals have to care for the illegals, and it's free to the illegal aliens. They use the emergency room for free health care. This cost is passed on to American citizens, by putting there cost of care, on OUR medical bills, raising our heath care costs sky high.. Who is responsibly for this? Who benefits? The illegal's, AND the employers who hire them. The employers, then, don't have to pay for there medical insurance, we do! Our own government has insured that illegal's are provided health care. And guess what? Corporations and business have overthrown our government. (Remember the recent Supreme court decision to give corporations more power in our gov. process).
This heath care battle taking place in our government right now is about making American citizens pay for the health care of these irresponsible illegal alien's who our using our own system, government to out populate us. If you need proof go to CALIFORNIA and look around. It is almost all Mexican. And the threat is that you or your children will find it very difficult if not impossible to get a job in the most important industries, construction and warehousing.
A report this week identified that illegal aliens in Florida are cost us American citizen's $100,000,000 last year. We are being invaded by Mexico and other countries and our government is enabling it. And we are paying out money to be replaced by Mexican's. This is crazy.
I won't speak to every aspect of illegal aliens as it puritan's to crime but the costs are huge. Just the imprisonment alone costs $65.00 a day for each prisoner and 75% of prisoners are Mexican or of Mexican decent. I say it again, this is crazy. And I might add that the gangs are a terrorist army spreading throughout our country making way for more of their own people. A recent report out of Philadelphia states that good citizens are fleeing in the wake of Mexican gang crime. If this is not a call to action I don't know what is. Again the media has, in the past, been hiding this news and information from the public. Other wise people would have been informed about the take over of California by Mexico.
A number of years ago corporations had the gall to turn their backs on the American citizen's, that made there companies possible, by moving out of the country to gain even more profit through 50 cent a day labor and the ability to avoid paying taxes in the United States. This is treason. They have abandoned there own people.
Allow me to point out something. The civil war was not all about the noble task of freeing slaves as so many have been trained to believe. It was a fight to eliminate cheap/free slave labor which presented a threat to American wage earners and viewed as unfair labor practices by the Northern Industrial companies who had to pay wages to their employee's. This was the cause of the civil war.
If our government is complicit with corporations who have moved out of the country, to use cheap labor, which really presents little cost to them, is this not a form of slavery. If so what should our response be?
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Article comment by:
Government Workers Do Earn More Than Their Private Sector Counterparts
A recent USA Today study shows that government employees earn about $7,000 more than their private-sector counterparts. If government employees are yelling poverty, what about the private sector employees.
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Article comment by:
Finally A Solution
Excellent idea of Mayor Goodman. Our city and state needs to do exactly the same. There are so many qualified workers out there that will work for 1/3 less. And there is just no other way of bringing down these government salaries.
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Article comment by:
george f
I couldn't agree more with the fact that we need an educated work force.
Draining huge amounts of money away from public education and giving it to private schools like our own little charter haven is much of the reason for public education being so strapped.
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Article comment by:
We Know it's Tough Times, There's Still More to Cut
Yea, we know how that tax-will-end-May 31, 2013 will work. Just like that lottery money for education was handled.
We no longer believe any elected official. We are tired of being overtaxed and under serviced. Instead of banking on the sales tax passing, just cut that extra $1 billion.
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Article comment by:
We Need More Choices Election Time
Al the original has a point. Time we launch a grassroots party, put our own people in these cushy jobs.
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Article comment by:
Hypocrites Brewer, Gould, Goodall
State employee, thanks for pointing out legislator and governor's staff aren't treated like other state workers. We know that the scum in all offices never pass laws that hurt them - only those that they benefit from.
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Article comment by:
Frank Lee Speaking
@another state employee none
Yeah, I know how state employees suffer with all that built in job security. When you are subject to being laid off as quickly as someone in the private sector because of a downturn in the economy....... get back to me
Posted: Friday, March 12, 2010
Article comment by:
been there done that
just out of curiosity.....how will it be determined just who will be one of the 310,000 +/- to be taken off AHCCCS? will it be someone like me, who has medicare but not the ability to pay the 20% cost of a medical bill, or will it be someone who has never paid a single penny into taxes, yet benefits from all of the taxes that i have paid.
Posted: Friday, March 12, 2010
Article comment by:
DARYL PATCH
I'm not against a extra penny sales tax but if this state really wants to get out of debt start makeing it mandatory to re-issue a new drivers license every 4 to 5 years . I know when mine expires in 40 years I will not look the same as the day I got it . My son is 22 and his does not expire until 2050 !!! He will not look 22 in 40 years!! Do you realize how much money this state would make by showing peoples real picture every 4 to 5 years ? It's a good way to save this state from a big deficit and back in the black instead of staying in the red for many years to come . Besides it is no different than most other states that make it mandatory or your insurance goes up and you get a ticket if you wait too long to renew it . It will also makes a person add a new face to their drivers license so they will look the age they belong and not a young face that could cause a doubt in recononition .Let the governor ponder on this before any law is past for a simple 1 cent sales tax and have to wait years to get out of debt I know it wouldn't bother me to pay for a new license every 4 or 5 years
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