Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

At one time or another, we’ve all had to pinch pennies to make ends meet. But for some households – too many of them minority households – access to credit when times are particularly tight can mean the difference between putting food on their table and watching their family go hungry.

From a local, economic-development standpoint, Arizona’s health care sector has all the right ingredients: high-wage jobs, a highly educated workforce and a growing impact on the state’s economy.

The for-profit prisons have become very prolific lobbyists, shoveling more than $10 million to candidates since 1989 and have spent nearly $25 million on lobbying. GEO Group alone reported $650,000 in federal lobbying expenses in 2014. In addition, they spent over $5.7 million on state and local political contributions between 2003 and 2014, according to data compiled by the National Institute on Money in State Politics.

Over the past year, growing media and policy has focused on Arizona's “teacher shortage.” Contrary to popular perception, Arizona does not have a shortage of teachers – at least not by the numbers. Our state has approximately 75,000 people holding active teacher certifications, but only 61,000 are choosing to remain in the teaching profession, according to an Arizona Department of Education Teacher Retention report issued earlier this year.

Just as a child needs a pediatrician, dentist, and in some cases, even a physical therapist for their health, so they also may need a tutor, educational therapist, and an online class for their education. Moreover, new learning experiences require flexible options to pay for these services.

Michael Crow and his wife Sybil Francis recently made headlines for their donation of $1.2 million to fund an Arizona State University program to train the next generation of leaders. The Public Service Academy is the first of its kind in the nation.

Dear Legislature: Don’t give up on Arizona’s children and the Department of Child Safety yet, please.

While the final rule is not as rigid as opponents expected, they still claim that the plan requirements are too expensive and will harm Arizona’s economy. However, the EPA estimates for every dollar invested, roughly seven dollars’ worth of health benefits will be realized.

The very idea of changing the structure of a government agency by adding another layer of red tape and expanding its makeup is both head-scratching and counterproductive. But that’s just what H.R. 1266 proposes for the Consumer Financial Protective Bureau (CFPB).

The International Secretariat of Amnesty International passed a draft policy at their meeting on August 7 on “sex work” that would decriminalize all aspects of prostitution including buying, pimping, and brothel keeping while still allowing a state the power to regulate selling. The policy now goes to the board. That policy is a direct attack on women and would make a mockery of human rights. The Nordic Model of targeting demand, where selling is not a crime but buying is, has proven to be the only successful tool to protect women in prostitution.