Rewind to the fall and winter of 1995 and early 1996. Republicans in Congress, led by Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, thought they had the upper hand in budget negotiations with President Bill Clinton.
After all, the Republicans recaptured the House after 40 years of leadership exile from that chamber, and they took over the Senate after eight years.
Bill Clinton was perceived as a waffling leader who could be swayed to support Republican cuts in social justice programs like Medicaid and Education and cost-of-living increases in Social Security and Medicare.
Republicans miscalculated.
Clinton stood firm and vetoed the Republican budget passed by Congress, causing a government shutdown. A temporary compromise followed, followed by more brinkmanship, another veto of a Republican budget (which included cuts to social programs, shifted Medicaid to the states, and…wait for it…tax cuts for the rich), and another shutdown.
Through the ordeal, President Clinton presented a balanced budget proposal that protected his priorities in the social justice arena, such as education, the environment, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
After Republicans were vilified in the press and across the country for causing the two shutdowns (especially after Newt Gingrich whined and lied about not getting preferential treatment on the trip to Israel on Air Force One for Yitzhak Rabin’s funeral,) a spending agreement, based on Clinton’s terms, was agreed to.
Close to thirty years later, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs should take the same approach as Bill Clinton: engage in a battle of budget priorities and let the people of Arizona decide which side is right—now and on November 5, 2024.
A recently released draft of the current budget proposal, negotiated by the Governor and Arizona Republican Legislative leaders, cuts millions from a water infrastructure program, postpones millions of dollars’ worth of road projects, and a four percent cut for the Arizona Department of Education.
The Empowerment Scholarship Program? Outside of a token $2.5 million reduction for people double-dipping in the voucher money pot and some references to fingerprint processing for private school staff, there are no major reforms or reductions for this “welfare program for the wealthy.”
Again, public schools seem to be getting the shaft with no word if there is even a permanent fix to the Aggregate Expenditure Limit in this agreement.
The people who want to attend budget committee hearings are also included. Apparently, Republican Chairperson David Livingston forbade filming the proceedings and prevented legislators from explaining their votes.
So much for open Democracy in the Republican-controlled Arizona State Legislature.
Governor Hobbs, if she still can, should draw a line in the sand.
Public Schools should not be cut more than voucher scholarships that benefit the children of the state’s one percent and most radicalized.
Funding for water and road repair infrastructure, even if not immediately needed, should not be sacrificed on the altar of Republican flat taxes that benefit the rich plutocrats who do not need it.
Democrats in the legislature, if they can, should not vote for this budget.
Let Republicans own it. They created this mess with their flat tax and private school voucher program for the wealthy and deranged White Christian Nationalist MAGA base.
The Governor should veto it and let the open debate begin at the Capitol and the press on what the people in Arizona want their leaders to fund.
It is reasonable to predict, based on history, they are not going to want to fund private school voucher payments to Charlie Kirk’s Turning Points program if fixing the state’s roads, schools, and water infrastructure are in jeopardy.
Not happening in this reality.
The Governor and the Democrats in the Legislature need to take a stand if it is not already too late and start the fight for Arizona’s future now.
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So Hobbs and a handful of Dems supported the budget. What do you think of them
I think very highly of them. One disagreement on strategy does not change my overall opinion of them and what priorities they are fighting for. Look at this way. I enjoy our back and forths John even though we hardly agree on anything. Take care.
Then after months under wraps, Livingston allows almost no discussion or comment, and then wants people to say only nice things about a hideous budget. The process stinks and we all expect more from Hobbs. Vote it down or veto it and have real public hearings not Putin like show hearings.
There needs to be open public discussion on all aspects of the State budget and members need to articulate reasons for actions. This nonsense of everything behind closed doors, and trot out a budget at the last minute, (vote for it and don’t ask questions) needs to end. Its been going on way too long under this majority. The legislators would pitch a fit if cities and school districts operated like this.