Tuesday, March 24, 2009

AZ Senate GOP Leadership Wants to Balance Budget With No Tax Hike.


Arizona Senate Republican leadership has called upon the Senate to tap creative and innovative resources and work in concert with the Senate Appropriations Committee to balance the FY 2010 budget without a tax increase.

Senate President Bob Burns from Peoria said, "As members of the Appropriations Committee are going line by line through JLBC (Joint Legislative Budget Committee) spreadsheets, looking to reduce expenditures and define efficiencies, we are calling upon other members to help us identify new ways to balance this budget."
Senate President Bob Burns

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Gray of Mesa feels that the budget can be balanced without additional taxation, "We are working hard to solve the problem and I am optimistic we can close this gap without increasing taxes," he said. Gray pointed out that, "Even President Obama is not suggesting a tax increase during a recession."

Senator Pamela Gorman of Anthem, the Senate Majority Whip, explained that, "Right now we've got the equivalent of a yellow pad of ideas that we have to winnow down to viable budget solutions." Gorman wants input from the public, "We also need to do what we can to make it easy for the public who have suggestions, especially ones backed by expertise and experience, to get those to us," she said.

Democrats have been complaining that they are being shut out of the budget process, Burns refuted that claim however, "That is not true," he said. Burns went on to explain that his door as Senate President is open to all members who want to talk with him about new ideas to resolve the budget deficit.

Burns said "I meet with Senator Garcia every week." Senator Jorge Luis Garcia of Tucson, is the Democratic Minority Leader. Burns continued, "If Democrats feel they are being cut out of the process, they need to talk to their minority leader."

The American Conservative Republican just wants to remind lawmakers that the people of Arizona are also hurting during this recession, not just state government. Just because the state has the power to reach into the taxpayer's pocket does not mean that it should. Money is a resource that should not be wasted and large organizations, public or private, tend to waste money regardless of how much they try to spend wisely. The individual is the best steward of their own money, not government. Please remember the admonition of Jefferson that, "The government that governs least governs best."

Bob Haran,
American Conservative Republican

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