Gov. Jan Brewer blamed “extremists” from both political parties to justify her budget actions today which included vetoing a bill that would have permanently repealed the state property tax and also included line-item vetoes of budget cuts to K-12 education and the Department of Economic Security.
On the Republican side, Brewer’s insult was primarily aimed at Sens. Pamela Gorman of Anthem, Ron Gould of Lake Havasu City, and Carolyn Allen of Scottsdale, lawmakers who refused to support the governor’s proposed sales tax election even when it was linked to bigger cuts in personal and corporate income taxes a few years later.
But on the Democratic side, Brewer was referring to … well, all of them. Not a single Democratic lawmaker ever broke ranks over the past nine months to vote for the temporary sales tax proposal. That’s 12 Senate Democrats and 25 House Democrats that the governor has labeled as so far out of the mainstream that they don’t reflect any significant collection of interests in Arizona.
In blaming the Democrats, the governor was trying to provide herself some cover in rejecting the property tax repeal, which had been the highest priority of most Republican lawmakers. But Republicans aren’t going to buy her excuses for a minute when Democrats can make statements like this:
“We are adamant in our resistance to giving massive tax cuts to special interests and big business at the expense of public education, and the actions taken by the governor indicate that she feels the same way. So why are we sitting here today with the governor trying to blame us is lost on me,” said Rep. Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix.
“What we are proposing is consistent with what she wants. Where she is receiving resistance is from Republicans in Legislature,” said House Democratic Floor Leader David Lujan.
House Speaker Kirk Adams and Senate President Bob Burns sought to remain diplomatic and measured in their disappointment to vetoes that not only wiped out the property tax repeal, but created a state budget that’s at least $350 million in the red. But House Appropriations Committee chairman John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said the anger among Republicans would be swift and deep once they understood the full consequences of Brewer’s vetoes.
Kavanagh predicted there’s little chance the Republican majority will support yet another special session before Sept. 30, as Brewer has requested. The bill with the property tax repeal also included other changes to fees and policies for 12 smaller state agencies to help balance the budget. Brewer’s veto will leave the 12 agencies desperately short on cash in the coming months unless the Legislature acts again.
“I can’t conceive of a way that a “clean-up” bill is approved unless it has an amendment to repeal the (property) tax,” Kavanagh said.
Brewer clearly believes she did the right thing for the people of Arizona. But the budget crisis is far from over, and she might find herself running out of allies whenever the Legislature does take the issue up again.
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Hopefully, Jan Brewer will finally understand that she is in way over her head as governor, and decide not to run next year for a full term. This Budget fiasco looks like something written for a bad novel. Now is the time for the GOP to come up with two strong candidates, one for governor and one to take on Sen. McCain (R-Media).
The whole process couldn’t have been managed more ineffectively. Most responsible is Governor Brewer (with plenty of help from ineffective Senate President Bob Burns).
Brewer was foolish to push for the $3 billion tax increase and expect it to pass without effectively engaging Democrats. Burns was foolish to continually make “budget deals” that he had no ability to pass. Burns will never be confused with “the great communicator”. He’s alienated himself from the caucus, he’s not engaged his talented members in the process or even kept them informed. He’s negotiated in secret and come back with the same flawed deal again and again and said “Here’s the deal. Now you have to vote for it.” What’s the term for someone who does the exact same thing over and over again and expects a different result?
And Brewer and Randy Pullen and Chuck Coughlin and their network have egg on their faces by going after Senator Pamela Gorman (probably one of the most consistent anti-tax legislators in the entire Legislature) for opposing the $3 billion tax increase pushed by Brewer and endorsed by Pullen. Did they think she would change her mind after that attack? What out did they leave her? Or Gould?
They could have tried to negotiate. Both Gorman and Gould indicated that they may support a package that included a total phaseout of the personal income tax and was not a revenue enhancer in the long-term. Gould even offered amendments that were defeated by the Burns group that needed his (or Gorman or Waring or Allen’s) vote. That’s why it helps to have a communicator with an ability to think strategically, both from a legislative and political perspective in leadership. While the House obviously has such a leader, the Senate obviously does not.
Gorman provided all the “yes” votes Burns needed for all 9 budget bills. He knew she would. He also knew that she consistently opposed the Governor’s tax increase and would continue to do so. It wasn’t a secret. His job is to protect the interests of his caucus members, to engage them in the process and to build into the “deal” the things he needs for his caucus to provide the votes. Speaker Kirk Adams has done exactly that and delivered. Burns has failed to do so, never learned from his mistakes and continued to beat his politically tone-deaf head against the wall. He should have taken a moment to recognize his mistakes and look over to Adams and learn how to lead a caucus.
Burns is a lame duck. And now his President Pro Tempore (Barbara Leff) is a lame duck. Neither is known as a “political thinker.” Not exactly the leaders with an “eye toward the future” who are working to ensure that the Republican majority is protected and grows. And neither is particularly gifted in understanding the Republican “message” and how to marry policy to that message in a way that works.
And they’ve both pushed a program (the Brewer/Pullen $3 billion tax increase) that is a disaster for Republicans. Well, THEY don’t have to run again with that horrible vote on their records. And then they attached the illusory corporate tax cuts in an effort to bring aboard the special interests (who financed the inaccurate and misleading attacks on Gorman for opposing the tax increase).
Let’s get this straight … Republicans are supposed to run for reelection (many in primaries) having voted in favor of the Governor’s $3 billion tax increase? Oh, they’ll say “it’s a tax cut.” But they cuts will never come … and regardless of whether they do or not, the next hit will be “supported the $3 billion tax increase on working families of Arizona, while at the same time pushing through hundreds of millions of dollars of tax cuts for big, international corporate conglomerates.” It was as dumb an idea as can be if you’re a Republican. The insider lobbyists who wrote the plan don’t have to run for election, so they don’t care. It was Burns’ job to care on behalf of his members (and Adams’ job too).
Even the most basic political analysis would have led Brewer, Burns and Adams to understand that 70 percent of voters believe government should provide less services and levy lower taxes. 88 percent of Republicans (aren’t these all Republicans??) support the same. And, 78 percent of independents and even 48 percent of Democratic voters support the government providing less services and levying lower taxes. And yet, the “plan” is to pass this budget “deal” (which is horrible policy as well) and then have Republicans own that in the next election?
The Democrats have been very disciplined and played this perfectly. It’s amazing that they’ve held up. My guess is that Brewer and the gang will negotiate something with them now. Some Republican votes will fall off the deal (they should). That’s the best case scenario. If I were leader of the Democrats I would push for pie-in-the-sky Democratic initiatives. I would work to keep the caucuses unified and not provide one Democratic vote until its pretty much 100% a Democratic package. Otherwise, I’d let Brewer and Burns continue to mismanage this process and keep giving them just enough political rope with which to hang themselves. Problem is, Brewer’s pretty much done politically and Burns is done. So, they don’t hang themselves, they hang the other Republican legislators who were so shortsighted or bullied into supporting the $3 billion tax increase on Arizona’s working families …. and then stupid enough to think that providing hundreds of millions of dollars of tax breaks for big, multi-national corporations (tax cuts that were pretty much guaranteed to never take effect) would somehow help them. It hurts, rather than helps them politically.
It’s hard not to keep looking over at this Burns/Brewer/Pullen/Coughlin train wreck … but we should be keeping our eyes on the road ahead. Maybe we need a couple new drivers.
Brewer clearly did the WRONG thing. The right thing is to follow the State Constitution and state law which says BALANCE THE BUDGET. She has got to go.
Brewer lost any chance to win an election the moment she raised taxes. Adding property taxes and demanding a sales tax increase while we’re deep in a recession is insane. Nows the time to lower taxes. And raising ed spending? We spend $9700 per student per year now. She should have called for an audit of all school districts instead of raising taxes for this as well.
Brewer never had much chance to be actually elected, but with her ineffective leadership and continuing to push for higher taxes she’s sealed her fate. This will be the last time she hold’s elective office.