ASU Polytechnic would receive one of the new buildings in a proposed $1.4 billion construction package (photo found at http://www.asu.edu/)
Arizona governors don’t often go before public hearings at the state Legislature to testify for or against bills and other issues. Since the governor is supposed to be an equal branch of government, office-holders want to avoid the appearance of begging for something from lawmakers.
So Gov. Janet Napolitano’s appearance Thursday before two Senate committees to support $1.4 billion in construction at the three state universities was somewhat rare. It reflects the intense pressure that the three universities and the state’s heavy construction industries are applying to get the measure passed, despite Arizona’s multi-billion dollar budget shortfall.
I’m absolutely baffled as to why the universities are so determined to get the entire package right now. Only about a third of the proposal would go toward maintenance and remodeling of current buildings, which the Tribune Editorial Board said Sunday should the Legislature’s primary focus. The rest of the money would add new buildings to the various campuses, including a new home for the Phoenix medical school, a new School of Construction for Arizona State University in Tempe and a new health sciences building at the ASU Polytechnic campus in southeast Mesa.
Sure, having the additional buildings would be nice. But the Arizona Board of Regents can’t even explain how the universities will pay for their share of the debt ($20 million out of a total $102 million a year), much less where the Legislature should find the rest of the money when it has to postpone routine payments to grade school districts just to balance the budget.
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