I was disappointed to read that a loosely organized “institute” of former elected officials and politicians released a report – not on how to help all schools improve – but, rather, singling out charter schools for unfounded criticism. The report is riddled with errors and inconsistencies, and drips with sarcasm. Suffice to say, it reads more like a campaign hit-piece than a scholarly analysis.

While school choice has sparked a divisive debate in Arizona, panelists at the Arizona Capitol Times Morning Scoop on the topic Tuesday seemed to find common ground on one point: The state system for school funding could be due for a reboot.

Ducey and lawmakers have perennially touted charter schools’ highest achievements, including the reputation by some as among the best in the country. But a new study by the Grand Canyon Institute, a centrist research group, claims that charters are financially inefficient.

We expect our drinking water to be clean and safe and our lakes, rivers and streams to be places we can fish and swim. Why is this so? Forty-four years ago on April 22, the world embarked upon a still unfinished journey to protect the environment from the unintended effects of our industrial society. The Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act are just two of the key pieces of legislation our Congress enacted to ensure America’s skies were clear and its waters were fishable, drinkable and swimmable.

Glaring headlines about Arizona’s public worker retirement system suggest that your typical retired teacher, firefighter or police officer is sipping margaritas on a beach somewhere enjoying a six-figure pension. Meanwhile the state’s pension funds are running out of money, leaving you, the taxpayer, stuck with the bill.

While we rightly have concern over the welfare of children in the more than 6,000 cases that Child Protective Services failed to investigate, imagine what the reaction would be if 150,000 people in Arizona went missing and there was no investigation.

Gov. Jan Brewer’s plan to simplify Arizona’s sales tax system could undercut revenues for growing communities through changes in how construction materials are taxed, according to a report by the nonprofit Grand Canyon Institute.

A centrist research group has concluded that tax cuts, in the long term, haven’t boosted Arizona’s economy and have instead led to fewer government resources.

We’ve heard many attacks on public employees this year, even though, like most Arizonans, they’ve struggled with rising workloads and stagnant pay levels. Still, the Goldwater Institute claims public unions covering employees like teachers, police and firefighters are costing state and local governing entities $550 million above market compensation.