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Capitol Quotes 9/11
“Probably. We had a lot of dialogue. We had a lot of input. We learned a lot of people’s priorities. It certainly gave us a hand. It certainly gave me... […]
The madness of ‘Captain Brewhab’
In Herman Melville's "Moby Dick," Captain Ahab's mad and unrelenting pursuit of the white whale brought on the destruction of the whaler Pequod and its crew. Here on the S.S. Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer's pursuit of a sales tax increase is turning her into the fiscal-policy equivalent of the tragic Ahab.
Brewer: McNeil was ‘a very good employee’
Gov. Jan Brewer addressed the departure of long time employee Brian McNeil, saying: "We're going to really miss Brian. I've known Brian forever and he's been a very good employee, and I think that he's just made a decision that he wants to do something else, look at some other opportunities.
Midyear property tax repeal a potential ‘nightmare’ for counties
Legislative Republicans may have to reconcile themselves to at least one year of the state equalization property tax. It would be theoretically possible to repeal the tax retroactively during the next legislative session, so that property owners would be reimbursed for the taxes already paid under the equalization rate. But any lawmaker hoping to do so can expect fierce opposition from county trea[...]
Brewer still pushing tax hike, but doubt may be creeping in
Gov. Jan Brewer is still committed to getting a temporary sales tax increase on the ballot, and she still believes Arizona's voters would support it. But perhaps for the first time since she unveiled her plan in March, signs of doubt may be showing through Brewer's publicly optimistic rhetoric.
Lawmakers from both parties criticize Brewer’s budget action
The governor’s actions on the state budget drew jeers from both Republicans and Democrats, but for wildly different reasons. House Speaker Kirk Adams and Senate President Bob Burns, both Republicans, said Gov. Jan Brewer increased state spending by more than $350 million with her line-item-vetoes of cuts to K-12 education and the Department of Economic Security, which provides benefits for Arizo[...]
Brewer vetoes part of budget, blames ‘extremists’ from both parties
Blaming “extremists” from both parties for holding up the budget process and threatening the state with bankruptcy, Gov. Jan Brewer on Sept. 4 signed large swaths of the budget that she said will help the state “weather the storm” until the next legislative session. But she vetoed parts of the main spending bill, including $300 million in cuts to K-12 schools and DES. She also vetoed the b[...]
Brewer might face a tough primary
During her 27 years in public office, Gov. Jan Brewer has never lost an election. But if she runs for a full term in 2010, some are predicting that streak could come to an inglorious end in the Republican primary.
State cash reserves should last through September
The state's cash reserves are dwindling fast, but Arizona should be able to keep paying its bills through the end of September. If no budget is in place by the start of October, however, the state will likely have to borrow from the private sector for the first time in memory, if not the state's history.
Proposed sales tax hike blocks budget deal
With the clock ticking, lawmakers and the governor held a series of closed-door meetings leading up to the Sept. 5 deadline for action on a slate of budget bills. But the negotiations did not produce the outcome Gov. Jan Brewer had desired - a bipartisan coalition of support for a special election to temporarily raise the sales tax to help balance the budget.
Unbalanced budget poses a legal quagmire
The Arizona Constitution requires the enactment of a balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year before July 1. But two months into the fiscal 2010, the budget in place was not signed or balanced, even on paper.
Iraqi refugees protest treatment by relief organization
Demonstrating Sept. 1 outside the State Capitol, Marwan Eldosari said the United Nations promised him decent housing, a job and the American dream when he decided to leave Iraq following the U.S. invasion.
