Posted on 12/24/2009 1:43:11 PM PST by Lorianne
Dear Fellow Arizonan,
We face a state fiscal crisis of unparalleled dimension – one that is going to sweep over every single person in this state as well as every business and every family.
That is why I held an emergency cabinet meeting yesterday morning where I outlined for our state’s elected leaders and business leaders the ills our state faces. As I told them yesterday, we ARE faced with some of the worst days in our 97-year history.
We can debate how we got here, but we CANNOT remain paralyzed in our efforts to address the situation. We must set aside partisan politics and face the problem head on.
We must accept that we ARE where we ARE.
So here’s the TRUTH: · The state has a budget deficit for the current fiscal year of $1.5 billion. · Next fiscal year, 2011 -- a budget year that begins in just six months -- is even worse. Next year’s budget deficit stands at $3.4 billion. As of today -- right now, that MUST change.
Even though my Administration has already cut $1 Billion in state government spending, we must redouble our efforts to create a leaner, more fiscally responsible Arizona.
I have asked all 90 members in the State Legislature to cooperate by submitting a reasonable plan. On behalf of citizens across our state, I expect them to become active participants in the budget process.
This problem did not happen overnight. · Five years of spending nearly doubled state government. · The economic recession has reduced state revenues by almost 40 percent in just 3 years. · Population growth in school children, university students, health care and welfare populations and inmates in our state prisons has fundamentally ruled out simplistic solutions like rolling the state budget back to levels from five, six, or more years ago. · Federal and voter mandates prevent us from touching nearly two-thirds of the state budget. · And procrastination, denial, and lack of will have allowed these problems to fester.
We must solve these problems and we must solve them now. More than calling for cooperation, today I had state government implement various emergency measures meant to ensure Arizona’s fiscal solvency. Among them: · I ordered the Arizona Department of Corrections to return to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) -- as soon as possible -- all non-violent criminal aliens as is allowed under existing law. These inmates are the responsibility of the federal government (as is securing our border with Mexico). Arizona should not have to bear this cost. · I am restating my Arizonans-only directives to state agencies to ensure that public benefits are provided only to those who are legally in this country and who reside in this state. · Effective immediately, I have ordered all state agencies who benefits to citizens to implement means testing and sliding fee schedules. While the government safety net must stay in place, we need to secure help only for the neediest among us.
These measures, though they may represent tough news for many Arizonans, are necessary to keep the state moving forward. Every Arizonan must understand why this state is suffering.
That is why I invite you to take a moment now to visit my Web site to view the presentation I presented today to the state’s elected leaders and business leaders. After viewing this presentation, you will see the desperate times our state faces.
You will also understand why we MUST ACT NOW not as Democrats, Republicans or Independents but as Arizonans.
We owe it to the citizens of this state -- our children and grandchildren -- to adopt and approve a solution.
Sincerely,
Jan Brewer
Governor
Cut DPS, close rest stops. Have we cut the freebees to those here illegally? NOPE!
Identify the state agencies which serve only to spend tax money on handouts to non-taxpaers and close them.
How much of this deficit is due to former governor and now Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano? I bet she had more than a little to do with this (not vetoing lib spending bills, etc.)
There’s no such thing as a temporary tax increase. They’ll increase taxes to cover the shortfall, and like a drunk finding a twenty dollar bill that they just moved from one pocket to the other, they’ll spend the tax increase, then wail about not having enough money and being unable to cut services. Lather, rinse, repeat.
>>Cut DPS, close rest stops. Have we cut the freebees to those here illegally? NOPE! <<
California writ small.
That always seems to escape politicians memories. The illegals that cost so much.
The backs of hardworking Americans is being broken and will be broken if the states do not stop giving handouts to freeloaders and illegals or both.
LOL if you close the rest stops you can actually make money by fining truck drivers illegally parked. Well at least till truck drivers start avoiding the state.
Get the illegals out. Stop legal immigration. These third worlders are the problem.
Good luck cutting the budget with constraints like these.
I'm serious.
Federal and voter mandates prevent us from touching nearly two-thirds of the state budget.
I presume judicial needs adding to that subject. Lots of work needs to be done tearing down federal and judicial (state and federal) mandates. Such as mandated services to illegals. It's not polite to let them die while being deported, but we don't owe than anything more than that. I'd presume mandates imposed by voters are generally better in intent and effect, but I don't claim to know the specifics in AZ. Obviously the bribes the feds attached to their mandates don't pay off, long term.
Another measure needed is to outlaw unions for public employees. Unions claim to exist to protect workers oppressed by evil greedy rich and powerful bosses. But the bosses of public employees are supposed to be "we, the people" (although it often feels like the reverse) and the public collectively as a boss doesn't neither merits the protections unions provide nor can afford the costs they create. Civil service laws are sufficient. I don't know about AZ, but in Iowa the average state worker makes 46% more than the average private worker. We need to take their class warfare hammer to their overpaid, unproductive fiefdom!
doesn’t neither = neither
This way when we take all your stuff next year, raise spending to record levels and blame you, you won’t have to ask us what happened. :)
As Governor my first act would be to void all and every Federal mandate and then review by line which are needed and which are BS
What's DC going to do? Cut my funding? That's fine. That cuts both ways
My guess is a "R" simply because her first solution was putting aside partisan political to fix her state
If spending doubled in the past 5 years, then for Petes sake, roll spending back to 2003 levels. Wasn’nt that long ago, we survived.
Want to get out of debt at LIGHT SPEED? Sell the schools to the highest bidders and get out of the education business. (Of course I know they’d never give up the indoctrination centers)
“Want to get out of debt at LIGHT SPEED? Sell the schools to the highest bidders and get out of the education business. (Of course I know they’d never give up the indoctrination centers)”
It is worse than that. Arizona has a state constitutional mandate for public education.
If DPS only role is to harass people with cameras they needd to be cut.
well, if state gov't doubled in 5 years due to totally irresponsible spending, then the state govt should be able to be halved in 2. State and federal mandates are voided when the state goes bankrupt. Close everything. Everything. Start over. Half all state/county/locl govt salaries except emergency services such as police and fire personnel. Isn't that what a bankrupt household does?
Good suggestion.
In private industry we somehow manage to bring expenses in line with revenues each year. I’ve worked for businesses that experienced a 20% drop in sales due to loss of a major customer, yet somehow found a way to cut enough expenses to remain profitable. It is a matter of prioritizing expenditures. Often the choices are tough — staffing is reduced, advertising is cut, or salaries are frozen. However, businesses that have the discipline to make the tough choices usually survive to prosper when market conditions improve.
I suspect any ten citizens could sit down for a week with the budget, go through it line by line and find a way to bring it into balance. Unfortunately, we’ve reached a point in this country when the politicians we elect and pay to prioritize spending and bring expenses in line with revenues are unwilling to do their jobs.
Perhaps we should only pay our politicians at the end of the year. If there is a budget surplus, they receive their pay for the year. If the government is in a deficit situation they are not paid. In addition, if revenues have not exceeded expenses for their term in office, they should not be eligible for reelection.
In business many executives have most of their pay “at risk”. If they achieve the earnings objectives, the shareholders benefit and the executives receive their bonus (at risk pay). If they fall short of the sales and profit goal, they don’t receive their at risk pay.
Business executives have a powerful incentive to control spending when their compensation and jobs are at risk. Let’s put politicians on the same program.
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