The Accidental Governor floats a trial balloon to Democrats

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

At her Tuesday press conference, the Accidental Governor floated a trial balloon to Democratic legislators. She said that she might allow the state property tax to go back on the books this fall if doing so would result in Democratic support for a ballot referral to raise the sales tax. Brewer, Democrats dancing around a tax deal:

Democratic lawmakers have said they might agree to Brewer's desire to let Arizonans vote on raising the sales tax — but only if she also rejects Republican attempts to permanently repeal the property tax. That tax has been on hold for three years and is a different tax than local property taxes homeowners and businesses pay.

Brewer, a Republican, said Tuesday she would "absolutely" consider such a move.

"We need to discuss how we're going to solve the problem," she said in answer to a question at a press conference in Phoenix. "We need to get it resolved, and we need to get it resolved quickly."

Democrats have also put forward a plan to lower the state tax rate but tax more goods — ones that are exempt now, like haircuts and health-club memberships. Depending on how such a plan was structured, it could produce more state revenue.

Brewer said that plan might work, too.

"If they can show me that that would be a benefit to raise the kind of revenue we need, and that it would be easily understood, how it would be incorporated, I'm willing to discuss it," she said. "I'm willing to discuss any option to save the future of Arizona."

Telling the media that you are open to discussions with the Democrats is a far cry from actually making a serious overture to Democrats to sit down with you (and the handful of moderate Republicans) to hammer out a budget deal that can pass over the objections of the GOP insane clown posse leadership and their Grover Norquist Republicans. There has been no serious overture from the Accidental Governor to Democrats and no serious budget negotiatons to date.

Democrats should explore this trial balloon from the Accidental Governor to test whether she is serious about playing Let's Make A Deal, or whether she is simply playing the simps in the media for a headline again. It's time for the Accidental Governor to put up or shut up.

The Accidental Governor may as well play Let's Make A Deal with the Democrats because she has alienated herself from her own party. Disgraced former Governor J. Fife Symington told the Arizona Guardian (subscription required) that Gov. Jan Brewer has damaged herself politically and should be challenged in next year’s GOP primary election. Symington thinks Brewer is damaged goods, politically, and doubts she can be re-elected.

Sen. Ron Gould doesn't think Gov. Jan Brewer will see another term, due in part to her unwillingness to work with Senate Republicans on the state budget. Kingman Daily Miner – Gould says Brewer will not get GOP nomination "(Brewer) will not make it through the next Republican primary," he said.

Ealier this month, Senate President Bob "Bluto" Burns started a GOP food fight when he said "It appears the governor is having problems managing the level of responsibility to which she has been elevated." Burns also said the governor "abused the public in what can only be described as a strong-arm tactic to take control of the legislative process," and that her veto of the $8.4 billion spending plan "appears to be a vindictive retaliation against the Legislature for not rubber-stamping "her plan.' " Burns: Brewer bungling her job

House Speaker Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, was only slightly more charitable, calling her veto "irresponsible and reckless."

Given the toxic level of bad blood within the Republican caucus towards the Accidental Governor, her only option really is to work with the Democrats and handful of moderate Republicans. But she has not demonstrated any serious willingness to sit down and play Let's Make A Deal to date. She is all talk and no action.