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

Hundreds of millions of eyes will be on our Valley for the Super Bowl. While Glendale’s University of Phoenix Stadium hosts the game, the entire Valley and state stand to benefit from an influx of visitors, media coverage and economic activity that can only be described as, well....super!

For those who say that the state of our schools is “poor,” the rhetoric doesn’t match reality. That folks in positions of educational leadership subscribe to such a gloomy view of Arizona’s schools is disturbing.

Representing over 2,500 businesses across all industry sectors in Arizona, the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce understands the need for clean air and a healthy and safe environment in which to live, work and play. However, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed state-specific carbon dioxide emission guidelines would result in Arizona facing one of the most stringent restrictions in the nation.

If you’d like to send your child to a different school next year, now’s the time to start the process of researching your options.

The inauguration of Governor Doug Ducey and our fellow Republicans to every statewide elected office, and to majorities in both legislative chambers, makes the case that Republican leadership and policymaking are what voters are looking for in both good times and bad.

We know that Arizona’s budget is facing a $1 billion shortfall and the state has been court-ordered to pay $317 million to schools. We also know that while other states are rebounding from the recession, Arizona’s employment rate and economic recovery continue to lag behind others.

Almost every argument in favor of legalization is, quite simply, wrong.

On election night, just after being named the winner of Arizona’s hotly contested race for governor, Doug Ducey promised to “make Arizona a place of opportunity for all.” He reiterated that promise during his Jan. 5 inaugural address, saying every Arizonan must be “given a fair chance and even a second chance, no one forgotten, no one written off.”

I can’t help but be optimistic about Arizona’s 52nd legislature. This may seem strange considering some are saying Center for Arizona Policy is “not hot” right now. This very paper recently wrote that CAP had a “terrible year” in 2014, which is news to me.

As school superintendents we would never propose eliminating fifth grade to save money. Yet such a far-fetched policy would hold much more water than short-changing those students representing the greatest return for our education dollar: kindergartners.