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

Remarkably, I learned at last week’s Senate Finance Committee hearing that there are some people who still don’t know Save Our Schools Arizona’s stance on the Empowerment Scholarship Account voucher program. As an educator, I’m accustomed to repeating myself over and over again day after day for years on end, so I’m more than happy to apply that skill here.

Ensuring that all students have access to a knowledgeable school counselor will be a powerful step toward increasing college access and toward reaching our statewide attainment goal of 60 percent by 2030, as set by Achieve60AZ. To this end, funding for school counselors should not be seen as an expense.

I’m very concerned with the increase in the number children attending Arizona schools who are not vaccinated. But, beyond posing a threat to the community-based protection many people need, as an economist I recognize the cost implications that accompany the decision to avoid vaccines.

Families participating in Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program received a warm and welcome reassurance at the Senate Finance Committee hearing on SB 1395, a bill that would alleviate many of the administrative struggles ESA parents have faced in navigating the program’s rules.

So, the fight continues because those in power do not care. So we watch. We attend hearings. We fill committee rooms. We report. We post. We tweet. We expose. We write these letters. We keep pushing the truth against those that want to twist, ignore or deny the facts.

The business and private sectors should appreciate the goals of the Ducey administration’s initiative to improve government referred to as the Arizona Management System (AMS), which focuses on understanding “customer” needs, identifying problems, improving processes and measuring results.

Patients pay their insurance premiums with the expectation that the insurance company will pay their share. Just like patients who want to know their pre-existing conditions will be covered, the millions of Americans with chronic illness need to know that the cost of their life-giving medications are covered by insurance and that payment received to meet deductibles and co-pays, regardless of the origin, will satisfy the requirements of the policy.

I recommend that the Water Augmentation Council comprise a broad and diverse representation of all stakeholders, including agricultural and climate scientists, public health professionals, and concerned citizens representing our state’s mainstream population, including parents, teachers, community leaders and – yes – our children.

It is understood that mandates and big-government solutions originating in Washington, D.C. may not work for our western state, and therefore, we challenge ourselves, and those around us, to harness the power of free-markets to find long-term solutions.

Arizona’s public schools need help. Even as we agree with the truthfulness of that statement, a solution isn’t obvious. But, we as leaders within rural Arizona’s political and education communities want to help our colleagues focus on the heart of the problem the way we do. Then we can work toward meaningful solutions.