Republicans thy name is Hypocrite

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

"Arizona can no longer complain about Washington, D.C., burdening future generations with debt: The state Legislature is doing the same thing." – Rep. Steve Court, R-Mesa

It is time for Arizona Republicans to retire the outdated GOP elephant and replace it with something which more accurately depicts Arizona Republicans, a hippo named "Crit."

Ronald Reagan tripled our national debt with tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy and military "spending" (borrowing). George W. Bush doubled our national debt yet again with tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy and military "spending" (borrowing).

Arizona Republicans have bankrupted the state of Arizona with twenty years of tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, and borrowing against our future. Republicans claim to be the party of "fiscal responsibility" while somehow maintaining a straight face. Republicans are in fact fiscally irresponsible and shameless hypocrites (hence the new GOP mascot).

A bill that adds $750 million more to the state's debt squeaked out of the House of Representatives Tuesday, as lawmakers wavered on the wisdom of the move. Borrowing measure clears House:

The 31-27 vote authorizes the state to sell state buildings to investors, a move expected to net $300 million in quick cash. The state would lease the buildings back, which is a form of interest payment. The bill also allows the state to borrow against future state Lottery proceeds, another move projected to net $450 million for this year's budget.

The Senate last week approved Senate Bill 1003, as well as the five other bills in a package designed to reduce the state deficit. The package includes putting a temporary tax increase before voters in May.

The House has taken a more leisurely pace; final work is expected today.

House members said the borrowing bill violates a state constitutional limit of $350,000, something that many lawmakers have ignored over the years as they've added debt. [To get around the $350,000 constitutional limit on debt against the state, the measure is structured so that the payments would come not from general tax collections but instead from the profits the state hopes to reap from future sales of lottery tickets.]

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Rep. Steve Court, R-Mesa, said Arizona can no longer complain about Washington, D.C., burdening future generations with debt: The state Legislature is doing the same thing.

With Gov. Jan Brewer's signature, SB 1003 will increase the state debt to $10.2 billion, Court said. Of that amount, $3.8 billion must be repaid out of the taxpayer-funded general fund. That will require $296.5 million a year in debt service, Court said, citing staff research.

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The vote moves the Legislature one step nearer to closing out its sixth special session. Action on the final bill is scheduled for today. That measure, Senate Bill 1002, would rack up more debt: a delay in the final payment of the year to K-12 schools and universities, at a cost of $450 million plus interest.

Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, said that's just fiscal sleight-of-hand, pointing out there is no plan in place to actually pay off those funds rather than simply keep deferring the payments year after year after year. House OKs plan to balance Arizona's budget | eastvalleytribune.com

Rep. Steve Court, R-Mesa, said neither long-term borrowing idea measure makes sense. He said that the passage of these, coupled with already existing debt, means the state will have to pay $350 million a year just in principal and interest, money that won't be available to run government programs.

"We often sit around as a country and criticize the federal government for the deficit it gets us into and the fact that our grandchildren will be paying that off," Court said. "Well, I have some young grandkids," he continued, who will be paying off this [state] debt in 20 years.

Republicans have controlled the Arizona Legislature since 1967. Forty plus years of failed leadership and twenty years of tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy have bankrupted our state. A party that openly despises government is incapable of governance. It's time to throw Republicans out of office and elect people to office who understand the true meaning of governance, stewardship and fiscal responsibility – and yes, that means raising tax revenues to balance the state budget. The Arizona Constitution requires it.

Save Our State – S.O.S.