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Jobs dilemma — government or private sector?
Republicans and Democrats couldn't be farther apart on the issues of corporate taxes and job creation.
Brewer budget plan a tenuous proposition
Gov. Jan Brewer's budget plan is structured much like a game of Jenga. Pull out one piece, and the entire pile of blocks could come crashing down. The plan, released Jan. 15, would balance the budget using a variety of maneuvers to reduce costs and raise new revenue. But some of the ideas rely on future events that are out of the governor's control.
Capitol Quotes 12/25
"It appears to be a flagrant abuse of power." - Felecia Rotellini, Democrat candidate for attorney general, on Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas' decision to file a federal lawsuit that alleges several county judges have conspired to thwart his investigations.
Cronkite/Eight Poll: Most Arizonans optimistic about economy
Most Arizonans think the economy will get better next year, according to a Cronkite/Eight Poll released Nov. 24. Fifty-four percent of those polled said their own economic situation will be significantly or somewhat better a year from now.
Report ranks Arizona ninth nationally in state, local reliance on sales taxes
Arizona ranks ninth nationally in its reliance on sales taxes to fund its state and local governments, according to a report by a nonpartisan tax research organization. The Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation found that 48.4 percent of Arizona's tax base came from general sales taxes and from selective sales taxes on motor fuel, tobacco, insurance premiums, public utilities, amusements and al[...]
Arizona needs a more diversified economy to avoid future plunges
The worst economic recession since the Great Depression has hit a three-state area known for its population growth - Arizona, Nevada and southern California - harder than the rest of the country. This region - the "Economic Bermuda Triangle" of Maricopa County; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Riverside, California - led the nation in the pace of job losses and housing foreclosures, the two measures by w[...]
Wanted: new revenue
Lawmakers will be facing quite the conundrum in 2010 - how to raise more revenue for the cash-strapped state without raising taxes. The Republican-led Legislature stymied attempts by Gov. Jan Brewer to put a sales tax increase on the ballot, and outright rejected the idea of passing a tax increase itself.
States’ fiscal problems have never been worse
World War II jolted the U.S. out of its last massive financial crisis, but with no global war to propel a recovery this time states are scrambling to staunch the red ink splashing across their budget sheets.
Billion-dollar deficits to plague Ariz. through 2013
Most states are swimming in red ink, but Arizona is on the verge of drowning in it. Federal stimulus dollars intended to prop up government revenues and help states weather the economic storm have been spent, and the Grand Canyon State is facing deficits that could reach $3 billion in each of the next three years.
Signs suggest state’s construction troubles could be easing
Across the nation, there are cautious signs that the construction and real estate markets might be improving. Construction spending rose this summer and residential building increased, providing some sense that the building market could be rebounding.
The cost of AZ’s budget crisis: 1,450 full-time state workers
Arizona's budget calamity cost at least 1,450 state workers their jobs last fiscal year, but the shedding of public employees is minor compared to losses endured by the private sector in Arizona. An analysis conducted by the Arizona Capitol Times shows the state trimmed roughly 4 percent of its full-time staff from July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009. The state now employs 33,236 full-time workers.
Forecast: Arizona will lose tens of thousands of jobs before recovery
A state forecast predicts that Arizona will lose tens of thousands of jobs in construction, trade and professional and business services for 2009 and 2010. Overall, the state can expect 160,000 fewer jobs during that period, though the rate of job losses is predicted to slow in 2010, according to a state Department of Commerce report released April 30.
