Weekly Report |
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June 25, 2007 The legislative session is, at
long last, over. We met for exactly the same
number of days in 2007 as in 2006 -- 164 -- but I
don't have nearly the same feelings about the work
we did this year compared to last.
Instead of tax cuts, we got more
social spending. Instead of money for border
control issues, we got more social spending. Instead
of performance pay for teachers, we got the same
amount of increase with no qualifications.
I guess our success has to be
measured in what wasn't done: the Governor
didn't get her wish to return to bonding for school
construction, and we didn't usurp the power of school
boards by setting a minimum pay for teachers throughout
the State.
One of the reporters that covers
the Capitol listed some of the more egregious "pork" included
in the budget, which included:
$2 million
for a multipurpose facility on the Navajo reservation
$100,000 for
a World War II memorial in Tucson
$250,000 to
employ teens during the summer
$194,000 in
state aid for the community college on the Tohono
O'odam reservation
$400,000 to
train school administrators how to retain good teachers
and how to fire bad ones without getting sued
$500,000 to
provide respite care for family members taking care
of seriously
ill relatives at home
All of these may be worthwhile
efforts, but I don't believe they should be financed
with taxpayer dollars. There were many other
pet projects, and not all were proposed by the
Democrats.
The entire process was skewed
from the beginning with the Senate's decision
to bring Democrat leadership into budget negotiations
from the beginning. I have some sympathy for
President Tim Bee because he had a very slim majority
to work with, and he knew he couldn't count on some
Republicans to agree with most anything he did. But
talking with the Dems brought the Governor to the
table as well, and she was able to exert her influence
in all the decisions that were made. So instead
of the legislature coming together to present a budget
to the Governor, which she could agree with or not,
the House had to stand alone to try to protect at
least some of our Republican values. I know
House leadership did their best, but what they were
able to contribute to the final product was very
little.
Last year we produced meaningful
tax relief for individuals, both for tax years 2006
and 2007. This session we should have been
able to extend tax relief to the business community. The
House budget proposed a minuscule 2.5% corporate
income tax reduction -- which would have resulted
in lowering the rate by about 13 cents. I would
have preferred dropping the rate from almost $7 to
$4.50, a real 2.5 percentage point reduction. Then
watch the economy boom! But it was not to be. The
only benefit to business was the original Senate
proposal, which amounted to about $7 million to take
effect in fiscal year 2009.
It goes on and on. Suffice
to say that as unhappy as I was with the House budget
plan, it was so much better than the ultimate result
as to be incomparable. And I am concerned with
next year, as such a bad precedent has been set. I
do not see how Pres. Bee can change the process next
year, and so I expect that the Governor will get
most of what she wants again.
We have a Republican majority,
however slim, and we ought to be acting together
as the majority party. That doesn't happen,
with both "moderates" and "conservatives" voting
against the middle, where most of us find ourselves. It's
a messy process, and this year the results were not
good for either the legislature or, more importantly,
for Arizona. I can only hope that next session
the House takes a more affirmative stand, early on,
and that we produce a budget that will benefit all
of our citizens.
On a more personal note, my bill
to help Oatman find a way to pay for public restrooms
failed in the Senate and I was unable to revive it. I
was extremely disappointed that Pres. Bee did not
honor his commitment to me to hear the bill again,
once I told him that I had the necessary votes. I
will be working during the summer to try to find
another source of funds for this vital improvement. And
if all else fails, I will introduce the same legislation
next year.
This is the last "Weekly Report" that
I will write this year. But look for occasional
reports on items of interest throughout the district. We
still have the upcoming decision regarding the transfer
of water from the Beaver Dam area to Nevada, due
in September, and I will be following this closely. I'll
be traveling to visit the more remote areas of District
3, starting with a trip to Fredonia and Page next
weekend. In July, I'll be in Meadview and Beaver
Dam. And, as always, I'll try to attend as many of
the various Republican club meetings as possible. As
much as I appreciate the many phone calls and e-mails
I receive, it's much better to be able to visit with
my constituents in person.
Rep. Nancy McLain, District 3
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Provided by Nancy McLain, Dictrict 3 |