PRESCOTT - Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett told local Republicans Tuesday that he disagrees with Gov. Jan Brewer's proposal to ask voters for a temporary sales tax increase to boost the state budget.
He urged the governor to sign the Republican legislators' budget that is sitting on her desk. That proposal does not include the sales tax ballot question.
"I don't think the voters want to raise taxes right now," Bennett said.
Instead, the state government should do what it can to make Arizona attractive to business and bring in good-paying jobs, he said.
Brewer appointed Bennett in January to take her old job when she got the job of governor upon the resignation of Janet Napolitano. Bennett, a businessman from Prescott, was the Arizona Senate president from 2003 to 2006 when the term limits law forced him out.
"I can't believe I'm in here Aug. 25 talking about the state budget," Bennett said at Tuesday's Republican Women of Prescott luncheon at the Hotel St. Michael's. The budget year started July 1.
The first warning signs of budget problems occurred back in 2006, Bennett said as he illustrated budget fundamentals with tissue boxes that represented various blocks of spending.
As revenues began to decline, state leaders used accounting gimmicks and one-time money sources such as the state rainy day fund for ongoing expenses, so the problem snowballed in 2007-09.
"The steps you take early on in a crisis are very important," Bennett said.
Most of the budget cuts have been to the "Big 3" spending areas - K-12 education, health care and higher education, Bennett said. While $130 million sounds like a lot of money to cut from K-12, that's only about one percent of the K-12 budget, he noted.
The state can get through the next two years without a sales tax increase, with the help of federal stimulus money, Bennett said. The Republican legislators and governor's plans are only about 3 percent apart, he said.
"Either plan can get you through June 15," or all but the last two weeks of the budget year, he said.
"The long-term solution is, we've got to get revenues growing again," he said.
If the state could sell 100,000 acres of its nine million acres of trust lands at $100,000 per acre, it could increase its trust fund from $1 billion to $9 billion, Bennett said. That would produce $700 million annually in interest.
"So that is a good part of the solution in the future," he said.
Bennett answered several audience questions at the end of his talk.
He estimated that the state spends $2.5 billion on services for undocumented immigrants, including about $1 billion on education, $1 billion on health care and another $500 million on prison terms, court cases and higher education.
Legislators often have little control over money for voter-approved uses such as Proposition 204 that voters approved in 2000, Bennett said. It requires the state to use its $75 million in annual payments from tobacco company court settlements for expanded health care for the poor, and requires the state to cover the rest of the costs. That extra cost now is $500 million per year, Bennett said.
He urged voters to be careful what they approve in the future.
About 1.2 million Arizonans now get government health care, more than the total number of K-12 students, Bennett said.
Posted: Thursday, August 27, 2009
Article comment by:
Jay
State should just declare bankruptcy already and get this show on the road. Just a warning if this happens the last place you want to be living is near a neighborhood where a high number of residents receive welfare. When that dries up you can bet the neighborhood to get pretty parabolic.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Mad As Hell
Sorry for the multiple posts... I must be MAD AS HELL.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Mad As Hell
John Q- Ken Bennett is a hypocrite who is currently laying a trail of repub goodness all the way to his hopeful nomination for the AZ D1 Congressional seat; or is he tainting Ms.Brewer today to run for her seat on 2010?
Since you John Q seem to consider yourself a person that's "done their homework" on the illegal immigrant situation, when did Ken Bennett ever take an active public role denouncing the use of illegal workers by his fellow business leaders? At what point did Mr. Bennett ever expose his business friends to the immorality of using illegal immigrants for jobs that Arizonians should be doing? Perhaps you heard him speak one Tuesday morning at the Rotary Club where he took a leadership role and rehashed Business Ethics 101 for his listeners. If you've heard such a speech from him Mr. John Q, then I stand corrected.
Here's a tough question for you, John Q, at what time did Ken Bennett ever try to change the status-quo of this situation? He never has, because it's one of those famous wedge issues that the repubs love to use to divide the common folk with.
He's simply ignored the issue and blamed the Feds for not protecting the boarders. No he's never spoken up and taken a stand to DENOUNCE the "I got mine" mentality so prevalent amongst the land owners and business people of this state.
To Do THAT my good John Q, would be to denounce the role of his own family and friends.
No - for Ken Bennett to stand up to this unjust social issue would be for Ken Bennett to move away from the Repub mantra and do the right thing.
See you at the polls.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Mad As Hell
John Q- How ironic is it for Ken Bennett- the ex-leader of the State Senate, to tell Gov. Brewer how to fix the State deficit? He had multiple years at the helm to do just that. How can he, John Q, possibly distance himself from the current fiscal mess? Don't tell us it was because Janet N. had the veto pen! This simply is not a reply my good repub partisan. Ken Bennett is a hypocrite who's currently laying a trail of repub goodness all the way to his hopeful nomination for the AZ D1 seat. Since you John Q seem to consider yourself a person that's "done their homework" on the illegal immigrant situation, when did Ken Bennett ever take an active, public role denouncing the use of illegal workers by his fellow business leaders? At what point did Mr. Bennett ever expose his business friends to the immorality of using illegal immigrants for jobs that Arizonians should be doing? Here's a tough question for you, John Q, at what time did Ken Bennett ever try to change the status-quo of this situation? He never has. He's simply ignored the issue and blamed the Feds for not protecting the boarders. No he's never spoken up and taken a stand to DENOUNCE the "I got mine" mentality so prevalent amongst the land owners and business people of this state. To Do THAT my good John Q, would be to denounce the role of his own family and friends. See you at the polls.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Mad As Hell
John Q-
How ironic is it for Ken Bennett- the ex-leader of the State Senate, to tell Gov. Brewer how to fix the state deficit? He had multiple years at the helm to do just that. How can he, John Q, possibly distance himself from the current fiscal mess? Don't tell us it was because Janet N. had the veto pen! This simply is not a reply my good Republican partisan. Ken Bennett is a hypocrite who's currently laying a trail of repub goodness all the way to his hopeful nomination for the AZ D1 seat.
Since you John Q seem to consider yourself a person that's "done their homework" on the illegal immigrant situation, when did Ken Bennett ever take an active, public role denouncing the use of illegal workers by his fellow business leaders? At what point did Mr. Bennett ever expose his business friends to the immorality of using illegal immigrants for jobs that Arizonians should be doing? Here's a tough question for you, John Q, at what time did Ken Bennett ever try to change the status-quo of this situation? He never has.
He's simply ignored the issue and blamed the Feds for not protecting the boarders. No he's never spoken up and taken a stand to DENOUNCE the "I got mine" mentality so prevalent amongst the land owners and business people of this state.
To Do THAT my good John Q, would be to denounce the role of his own family and friends.
See you at the polls.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Ken In Prescott
Brewer should quit like she said she was going to and join Palin in the Whiner's Club. Now is not the time for tax increases with nearly 10% unemployment in this area. Get real!
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
I. M. Curious
Sell! Drill! Pipe! and wait for the stimulus money that we hate because we hate Obama, taxes and facing our own responsiblities. Whose idea was it to sell assets, Steve Pierce?
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
John Q
Dear Mad as...: Arizona has the strictest employer sanctions laws in the country regarding illegals. Please do your homework before blogging the next partisan diatribe.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Question
Is the fact that he has no sense of loyalty to the person who appointed him a good thing or a bad thing?
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Mad as Hell
Wow.
What a hypocrite. Mr Bennett tosses out $2.5 billion to support illegals, yet after years of leading the State Senate, we have no legislation to control employers in the state from hiring illegals and keeping entry level jobs at artificially low wages for legal residents.
We'll remember you're every man for himself mentality when you next run for Congress.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Is Mr. Bennett advocating doing away with state sponsored health care for the poor while selling state land (100K/acre- yeah right)to developers, thus increasing demand on our water sources? Who does he think he's kidding?The Republicans cure for all that ails this country is always tax breaks which only benefit the rich. This is why the disparity between the rich and poor in this country has increased grotesquely. We must put a stop to this madness of catering to the wealthy developers while the hard working families fall deeper into debt and watch our water rates and class sizes increase.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Zeke
That is all Arizona needs. More people sucking up the water. I think Mr. Bennett needs a reality check.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
bobM
Instead of stealing away more Land for his Realtor friends and developers. raise taxes on the mining companies .they get nearly a free ride.Bennett is Ok with other people not making it,Hes doing OK!!
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Bill
OK, Mr. Bennett wants to sell 100,000 acres of state trust land. Where is the land? Who is the buyer? What will the impact on the water situation in Arizona? Let's put that "Big 3" on the list.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Paul G.
"1.2 million Arizonans now get government health care," Gee I wonder if that includes Mr Bennett's government insurance package. Or maybe he is talking about Veteran's benefits, or medicare? It gets tiring listening to people who should know better throw numbers around to manipulate the public. Yeah sell 100,000 acres of trust land for $100,000 an acre! Who would be buying that land for that much money? Raising revenues? Why not just bring the agricultural tax laws up to date for the 21st century? That would raise the difference in revenues also, but then I would guess that Mr. Bennett's friends in the ranching industry might get upset with losing their subsidies, much better to let poor people lose some services than get Sen. Pierce to pay his fair share of the tax. I am getting tired of this poor excuse for logic, use the tissue boxes for something else, it is getting to be a tired old prop.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Rob
How is selling off state trust lands in a depressed economy a viable solution to the budget problem? Talk about a pipe-dream! What developer is wanting to gobble up raw land at $100k an acre in the near future? Is Mr. Bennett predicting a major economic recovery and another real estate bubble in the next few years?
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Al Adab
Good for you Mr. Bennett. About time some elected official stood up and took a stand for limited government and proper budgeting. The Governor and Legislature are shirking their responsibility by putting this on the ballott. Asking the voters for a tax increase is just buck passing. Slow economic times are NOT when to raise taxes. We actually have an opportunity here to get our state government bask to basics and increase prosperity for all our citizens. Let's not lose that chance.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Tom Steele
My thoughts went to Brewer's plan to "temporarily" raise the sales tax 18 percent. Clearly she doesn't intend to run for a four year term. Does Ken Bennett intend on throwing his hat into the ring for governor? His background and manner could serve us well in this time of adversity.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Tongue-in-cheek
Oh come now, we have a perfect "golden goose", (TAX EVERYTHING), right under our noses. Let's kill that goose and get to those golden eggs right now. Tomorrow's problems belong to someone else. Cross our fingers and lie, and everything will turn out all right. TAXES, just like SMOKING is an addiction that will eventually kill you AFTER the fact.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Tom Cantlon
I'm sure Mr. Bennett knows what attracts business to an area. Major corporations have pretty consistent priorities, and at the top is education, and several steps lower down is tax structure. Of course they always try to get states and localities into bidding wars to win the business, but that's mostly because states and localities fall for it.
What Arizona needs to do is take care of its responsibilities, everything from education to giving the Attorney General's office enough staff to prosecute the many crimes they can't even get to now. Cutting education, cutting the AG budget, selling off land as a desperate stop gap at a time when we will get the least for it, how is any of this preserving and caring for our state? How is any of this "conservative". Amazing short sightedness.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
More GOP, Greed Over People
Republicans have run everything in Arizona's Legislature for over four decades. Crushing Debt, Declining Revenues, Teachers, Police and Firefighters being laid off, and Still some Republicans are screaming for TAX CUTS! YES, the very same TAXES, the way we actually PAY for all the Republican led Legislature's Spending and Public Services!
We ALL Know what it means when a Republican Politician in Arizona says; "Trust Me, I have the answer" especially Bennett (credibility 0)
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Mr. Bennett declares a 1% cut from education when it is, in fact, much, much more. And he knows it. I wouldn't trust any of his figures.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
An informed taxpayer
Ken Bennett is nothing more than a blowhart tooting his own horn to make himself look good. No one likes taxes. Our state has a current deficit of $3.1 billion dollars and Bennett wants the Governor to sign budget bills that does nothing to help the state's income problem. Without additional income, the state's budget problems get worse for 2011-2013. Bennett's job as Secretary of State has nothing to do with the state's budget problem or the mess that our legislators have put the state in. Actually, Bennett is part of the problem because he was in the legislature when they made all of the idiotic illogical tax cuts.
