Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford (D-LD27) on the state budget

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Daily Star's series continues today with Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford (D-LD27). Formatted for transcript format. Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford, D, District 27

Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford (D-LD27)

Committees: Appropriations, Commerce.

The Arizona Daily Star asked the following questions of each lawmaker:

1) Lawmakers have discretion over only 37 percent of K-12 education. School districts and universities have already taken millions in budget cuts, which affects everything from the economy to demands on government programs.

Should lawmakers continue to cut money to education? What, specifically, would you do?

A: I have seen teachers laid off, students' class sizes increased and the quality of our schools continue to slip away. Gov. Jan Brewer and Republicans made the largest cut to education in Arizona history last year. Now, Gov. Brewer wants to eliminate a valuable program like full-day kindergarten. Our schools already rank last in the nation for education funding. That's not the kind of economic outlook that attracts businesses to our state. That's not the kind of education system parents want for their children. The fact is that our kids aren't getting a quality education from our schools. Teachers are doing what they can with the resources they've been given and students are not receiving the same quality education they were a few years ago. I think it's important to leave a strong legacy of quality education in our state. Right now, Arizona is on the wrong track. We need to make sure Arizona students receive a quality education so we can prepare them for their future, the work force and the worldwide economy.

2) The governor's budget includes $37 million in cuts to services for the seriously mentally ill and the elimination of KidsCare, for a savings of $23 million. It also seeks to ask voters to drop 310,500 people from Medicaid by narrowing the eligibility rules.

That savings would be $382 million. Do you support these cuts? If not, how would you cover that $442 million budget gap?

A: The governor's budget includes $37 million in cuts to services for the seriously mentally ill, and Gov. Brewer's budget proposal wants to take away health care from 360,000 kids, adults and seniors. Arizona already has a shortage of physicians and long emergency-room wait times, and with these kinds of cuts emergency rooms will have even longer wait times, become even more crowded and cost the state even more.

Many Arizona families and children can't afford to go to the doctor. We need to make sure that all Arizonans have access to quality and affordable health care. It's wrong to take away health care from kids and seniors while giving tax breaks. What we need to do is look at closing tax loopholes, rescinding tax credits, using federal stimulus dollars and not cutting agencies who bring in revenue that adds to our state budget, such as the Department of Revenue.

3) What is your priority for budget cuts? What, specifically, would you cut first, and why?

A: We need to take a comprehensive approach to solving this budget crisis because we know that we can't solve it with cuts alone. We also can't and shouldn't balance this budget from one side of the aisle.

We need a bipartisan process where Democrats and Republicans sit down together and work through the cuts – compromise – find better solutions which we can make, using a scalpel, not an ax.

4) What kind of revenue increases do you support?

A: Revenue and cuts should be considered together; we need to make cuts where we have to and generate revenue when needed. This budget process is about negotiating and compromising what we have to, so we inflict the least amount of pain, protect jobs, middle-class families, kids and their education.

Broaden the tax category to include elective services, as examples spa treatments, pool cleaning, pet grooming, country club memberships. So many elective services go untaxed while middle-class families have to pay a tax on necessities, clothes and school supplies.

Many constituents have told me they prefer a tax increase to help minimize the budget cuts. My personal suggestion was to increase the sales tax by a half-cent this year, increase to 1 cent next year and eliminate it in 2012 as long as it will work toward funding education, jobs and health care.

Bottom line, there has been a failed Republican leadership and the wrong priorities as evidence by a budget process that was supposed to have been signed last year in less that 100 days and finalized instead on Dec 19. It's time for a change.