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Ardent Listener
Administrator
USA
4841 Posts |
 Posted - 12/24/2009 : 22:01:30
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Thursday, December 24, 2009
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer: "We face a state fiscal crisis of unparalleled dimension"
If you did not know Arizona was having immense budget problems, you do now. Here is Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on the Arizona Crisis of "Unparalleled Dimension".
Dear Fellow Arizonan,
We face a state fiscal crisis of unparalleled dimension – one that is going to sweep over every single person in this state as well as every business and every family.
That is why I held an emergency cabinet meeting yesterday morning where I outlined for our state’s elected leaders and business leaders the ills our state faces. As I told them yesterday, we ARE faced with some of the worst days in our 97-year history.
We can debate how we got here, but we CANNOT remain paralyzed in our efforts to address the situation. We must set aside partisan politics and face the problem head on.
So here’s the TRUTH:
The state has a budget deficit for the current fiscal year of $1.5 billion.
Next fiscal year, 2011 -- a budget year that begins in just six months -- is even worse. Next year’s budget deficit stands at $3.4 billion. As of today -- right now, that MUST change.
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This problem did not happen overnight.
Five years of spending nearly doubled state government.
The economic recession has reduced state revenues by almost 40 percent in just 3 years.
Population growth in school children, university students, health care and welfare populations and inmates in our state prisons has fundamentally ruled out simplistic solutions like rolling the state budget back to levels from five, six, or more years ago.
Federal and voter mandates prevent us from touching nearly two-thirds of the state budget.
And procrastination, denial, and lack of will have allowed these problems to fester.
We must solve these problems and we must solve them now. More than calling for cooperation, today I had state government implement various emergency measures meant to ensure Arizona’s fiscal solvency. Among them:
I ordered the Arizona Department of Corrections to return to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) -- as soon as possible -- all non-violent criminal aliens as is allowed under existing law. These inmates are the responsibility of the federal government (as is securing our border with Mexico). Arizona should not have to bear this cost.
I am restating my Arizonans-only directives to state agencies to ensure that public benefits are provided only to those who are legally in this country and who reside in this state.
Effective immediately, I have ordered all state agencies who benefits to citizens to implement means testing and sliding fee schedules. While the government safety net must stay in place, we need to secure help only for the neediest among us.
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We owe it to the citizens of this state -- our children and grandchildren -- to adopt and approve a solution.
Sincerely,
Jan Brewer#8232;
Governor
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Think positive. |
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PennySaved
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1720 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 12:03:03
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| You have to love Janet Napolitano for screwing up the state finances thenjumping ship the 1st chance she got |
SELLING COPPER PENNIES 1.4X FACE SHIPPED......“I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principles of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale” Thomas Jefferson |
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Ardent Listener
Administrator
USA
4841 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 13:44:28
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quote:
Originally posted by PennySaved
You have to love Janet Napolitano for screwing up the state finances thenjumping ship the 1st chance she got
Being from Ohio, I know her not. But I guess better late than never and those who jump ship now will call much more attention to our problems than their critics may have been able too. |
Realcent.forumco.com disclosure. Please read.
All posts either by the members, moderators, and the administration of http://realcent.forumco.com are for your edification and amusement only. It is not the intent of realcent.forumco.com or its host to provide investment, medical, matrimonial, legal, security or tax advice and nothing posted here should be considered to be so. All rights reserved.
Think positive. |
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PennySaved
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1720 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 09:35:40
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| Well problem is she is Secretary of Homeland Security now |
SELLING COPPER PENNIES 1.4X FACE SHIPPED......“I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principles of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale” Thomas Jefferson |
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dakota1955
1000+ Penny Miser Member
2212 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 11:49:47
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| Almost all the states are facing the same problems and many more to come with the Fed trying to tell the states what to do. |
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keys
Penny Collector Member
383 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 13:01:54
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The real estate associated tax revenues flowing into Arizona's Treasury's coffers seemed like a never ending stream of money. Instead of setting aside some tax money as a rainy day fund or preparing for the day when and if the tax flow ended, the state's leaders expected the good times to roll on forever and spent, spent, spent. Now the revenue stream has dried up, the state finds itself with tens of thousands of houses sitting vacant with no one paying taxes on them, building has slowed and fewer builders are paying taxes on licences, fees, state taxes on workers salaries (since the workers have mostly been laid off) the Home Equity Loan money which fueled rampant consumer growth has been cut off, foreclosures are skyrocketing and the state now finds itslef in an economic mess.
Arizona, California & Florida were the ground zero states in the housing bubble and the housing bust, keep an eye on them and watch what happens when the loans reset in 2011. Gonna be round 2 of the pain in Real estate.
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"Next year’s budget deficit stands at $3.4 billion."
Arizona is small change when you consider New Jersey's budget deficit is $14 Billion, California's is over $20 Billion and the US government's annual deficit is expected to be $1 trillion.
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I change with the times-
but like silver coins found in your change
I stay the same.
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The United States of America started out as the new Republic of Rome.
Will The United States of America end up as the New Imperial Rome? |
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brian0918
Penny Collector Member
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 13:55:19
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| Great insight, keys. I can only add that, given that most all politicians only care about getting re-elected, they are inclined to blow as much cash as possible in that effort, with no regard for long-term consequences or sustainability. |
"The man who speaks to you of sacrifice, speaks of slaves and masters. And intends to be the master." -- Ayn Rand
Searched: $2230 Nickels; Liberty: 1; Buffalo: 4; War: 20; 2009: 2; 2010D: 8 |
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thogey
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1617 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 16:24:05
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| Have all my fellow Arizonians heard about the proposed 1% sales tax hike being discussed in the state legislature? |
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Arizona fiscal crisis of "unparalleded dimensions
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