- You can’t spend what you don’t have
- February 5, 2010
- The president recently announced he would freeze certain types of federal spending in an effort to save approximately $250 billion over the next 10 years. Over that period, deficits are projected to accumulate to $9 trillion. So, with this “spending freeze” in place, we will only spend $8.75 trillion that we don’t have.
- Putting a bull’s-eye on Payson schools’ budget
- February 2, 2010
- For the last two fiscal years, developing a school district budget with recommendations for Payson Unified School District’s Governing Board has been an exercise in hitting a moving target. As a Navy pilot, I got pretty good at delivering ordinance on practice targets that were fixed. Trying to get close to something on wheels was a whole different challenge. The actions and/or inactions of our state government are reminiscent of my old flying days. Those were practice targets though and our budget has real consequences for our students.
- Standing up for my constituents in rural Arizona
- February 2, 2010
- As state revenues continue to nosedive, the state Legislature is once again turning to rural Arizona to carry a large part of the burden of the state’s fiscal mismanagement. Whether it be counties having to absorb judicial salaries and health funding or state parks being closed across the state, rural Arizona is once again disproportionately impacted by many of the proposals being considered to balance the budget this fiscal year.
- Country could benefit from living by Scouts’ code
- January 29, 2010
- The Boy Scouts of America is an organization that teaches a young man to become a gentleman and to learn the skills he needs, not only to succeed in the wilderness, but also in his family and in the community.
- Senator grades president’s first year in office
- January 29, 2010
- When President Obama took office, he promised to launch a new era of fiscal responsibility, bipartisanship, and transparency at home, and to improve America’s standing abroad.
- Senate Democrats making special deals for their states
- January 22, 2010
- It’s easy to make deals when you’re playing with someone else’s money. Just ask Senate Democrats.
- Construction bond dollars being utilized
- January 12, 2010
- The District is in the final phases of allocating the construction bond dollars approved by the voters in 2006. This month, we will be selecting a contractor to build a new Vocational Agriculture Building. Mr. Wendell Stevens, who has built a thriving program and FFA support organization over the last 30 years, will at long last have a facility deserving of the caliber of his program and most importantly one befitting our students. With this facility, we will see this important vocational program thrive.
- Federal health care plan financially devastating to Arizona
- December 31, 2009
- “As the decade began, Arizona voters enacted an initiative (Proposition 204) to expand low income health care coverage through Medicaid (AHCCCS) in the state. Voters were led to believe that this state expansion would be covered with funding from the nationwide tobacco lawsuit settlement. In other words, they were told that tobacco companies would pay for it — not Arizona taxpayers.
- Permanent repeal of death tax is the best policy
- December 31, 2009
- For one year only, Americans won’t get taxed after they die.
- Arizona’s budget is in dire condition
- December 29, 2009
- Our state budget continues to deteriorate. We are in the 13th month of double-digit decreases in sales tax revenues. We went through a $700-million loan in a matter of days, and our state treasurer has just borrowed another $900 million to get through the next few weeks. He has predicted that by late January our state could be writing checks (IOUs) for money we don’t have.
- How safe is the Novel H1N1 vaccine?
- December 24, 2009
- In the mid 1970s, I was a medic in the U.S. Army. That’s also the period of the last outbreak of the swine flu or Novel H1N1 as we refer to it today. True to form, the military ordered mandatory immunizations and, as I was working in an Army dispensary, we administered the shot to the GIs in our corner of the world. Not long after, we experienced a very high incidence of GIs who returned with flu-like symptoms. We all believed it was the result of the vaccine.
- December is most dangerous home-fire month of the year
- December 24, 2009
- The tree is up, the candles are lit, and the extension cords are plugged in. With all of the traditional touches comes the most dangerous month of the year. The items I listed below are of special concern for us and your safety over the next few weeks and from all of us here at the department, we wish you all the best for the holiday season.
- Don’t want Arizonans to find a higher tax bill under the tree
- December 24, 2009
- What’s on your Christmas list?
- Defeating a government takeover of health care
- December 18, 2009
- Senate Republicans are united in the belief that a Washington takeover of the nation’s health care system is bad for the country and must be defeated.
- Snowplowing will continue — for this year
- December 15, 2009
- With the Arizona Department of Transportation facing a $100 million budget deficit this year, I stressed that we would focus on the safety of the traveling public and use our state highway system to keep the economy moving.
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