Those in and around Arizona politics know I am a steadfast believer in maintaining a strong pro-business climate that promotes job growth and long-term economic development.
While I believe low tax rates and limited government regulation are essential components to such a system, having a high quality education system that embeds competition and accountability is also critical for Arizona’s future and quality of life. This is why I am disappointed in the decision by certain business groups, who portend to be leaders in advocating for long-term economic growth, when they sign on carte blanche to a never-ending tax that offers absolutely no accountability.
Under the so-called “Quality Education and Jobs” initiative, the amount of money given to employees of an “F” school will be exactly the same as those of an “A” school. Moreover, this proposal will have no provisions to bar dollars going for administrative costs — meaning even those bureaucrats who have no interaction with students also will have access to these new sales tax dollars. According to two former State School Superintendents (Lisa Keegan and Jaime Molera), “Arizonans should expect such an effort to result in genuine, documentable achievement gains for all students ... We look for proven key ingredients such as ... teaching versus administration, performance bonuses for excellence and consequences at every level for failure.” This initiative will require an additional billion dollars from Arizonans without any hope that needed reforms such as these get implemented.
At a time when the global economy is teetering, job growth forecasts are stagnant, and mounting pressure on the national debt is starting to alarm many economists, it is bizarre that Arizona would even consider (let alone have business organizations support) permanent and large scale tax increases. If this tax increase were to pass, Arizona would have one of the highest sales tax rates (9.5 percent averaged) in the United States. It seems to me that responsible business leaders would want to weigh very carefully the need for new taxes particularly when there is no clear notion of how these new tax dollars will get used.
Unlike the federal government, and states like California, where the budget situation is out of control, we have made difficult decisions, and made responsible choices to get our fiscal house in order. And even though we still face a daunting revenue challenge for at least the next two years (mainly because of the implementation of Obamacare which will require the state budget to add hundreds of millions of dollars to cover the new federal requirements), we still understand the value of targeting monies to K-12.
This past legislative session, the State of Arizona added an additional $40 million dollars per year specifically to K-3 reading programs. Unlike the initiative, this plan is specific to a critical area and provides incentives for schools that are excelling. Moreover, it does not write a blank check to underperforming (“D and F”) schools. There is a requirement that such schools use these new dollars based on proven methods of instruction and curriculum. Even in tight fiscal times the Arizona Legislature and governor realize investing in public education is needed, however we must do it in a manner that balances effective policy without burdening Arizona taxpayers.
Arizona voters are very deliberate: I am confident that as the facts become more known about the shortcomings of this initiative and risks of raising taxes when we are just starting to emerge from a long recession, Arizonans will vote this down and work for real reforms and accountability that our students and parents deserve.
Steve Pierce, R-Prescott, is Senate President of the Arizona Legislature.
Mike McClellan posted at 8:52 am on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
Hilarious. This is a state legislator who supported the creation of the Arizona Commerce Authority, a group of private individuals funded with public money to dole out to "winners" as business subsidies to attract those "winning" businesses to our state. It can grant up to $150 million a year in subsidies.
More than half of the subsidies are kept secret. Allowed by the law. One he supported.
Oh and the businesses that get the subsidies? Only one type of subsidy is required to deliver specific results; the other types have no accountability mechanism. Allowed by the law. One he supported.
Not to mention the way he rushed the budget through the state Senate, with no time for public comment.
And this guy wants to complain about accountability?
Please.
asuaguila posted at 9:31 am on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
While I agree that such funds should not support the salaries of administrators, the rest of the article seeks to continue dismantling the public school system. Taking into account all taxes paid by citizens in the state of Arizona, we have one of the smallest tax rates in the Union.
If you want to know what less government and less taxes look like, just look over the border at Mexico. Yes, folks that's were the current leadership is taking us.
VofReason posted at 1:15 pm on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
No asu, the stae of Mexico has come here. There in is the problem. I don't think that the low taxes are the biggest problem in Mexico, it is the payola and our right corruption. Finally, know the definition of insanity? Do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. Didn't we raise taxes for a teacher tax back in 2000? Wasn't that the money that they needed to change the education system? Again, I don't balme all the bad outcomes on teachers, in fact I believe most of them are in it for the right reason and to do well by the kids. I just think it is rediculous to think more money into a bad system is going to change parenting.
Mike McClellan posted at 2:24 pm on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
Voice, I don't believe we're doing the same thing over and over again -- no more social promotion at the third grade level, the most choice of any state in the country, and the new Common Core standards that up the expectations of teachers and students, not to mention the new more stringent teacher and principal evaluation system.
But one correction: The tax doesn't increase funding but keeps it at the same level it is today. Which is about $600 million lower than it was four years ago, and is lower than it was 30 years ago, when adjusted for inflation.
Take the sales tax away, and the state will be funding K-12 at almost $2 billion a year lower than it was four years ago.
chuckles3 posted at 3:19 pm on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
So McClellan, $150 million a year with no accountability is a crime against humanity , but $1.4 B with no accountability is OK?
Leon Ceniceros posted at 7:10 pm on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
Pass a law requiring every single Arizona student from Kindergarten to Community College and State University to show proof of Citizenship.
The Supreme Court ruling only requires the States to educate "all" students. It doesn't say anything about keeping statistics of just how many Illegal Aliens from Mexico, Guatamala, Honduras, El Salvador and Gawd only knows what Foreign Nation. That way the State of Arizona would be able to have documentation to show how much of the Arizona Education Budget is going to educate Citizens of Foreign Nations.
There would be no racial or ethnic profiling involved because it would be a requirement of .............ALL STUDENTS.
The costs could also be used as documentation of a legal suit brought against the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in this Case. Maybe American parents could get redress and the hundreds and hundreds of millions of hard-working American tax-payer's dollars that are used to educate Foreigners...could be used to lift the salaries and help with the Budget.
concernedcitizen posted at 9:33 pm on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
I only read the title because of time, but what is this guy smoking?
The tax would simply continue the tax we already ok'ed as voters for a period of 3 years. Governor Brewer said she would not seek renewal of it, that it would have to be done entirely by the citizens (which it is).
The tax is set to end in a year, and then we hit that "financial cliff" that people keep alluding to for the state. The state doesn't have enough of a surplus now in their current budget to make up for over $600 million in education spending and $300-400 million in health care spending. How do they think they can do it in a year from now with the economy only accelerating at a rate of 1 mph per month?
Approving this tax will simply maintain current services in our schools, which are already in the bottom end of the United States. Yes, there should be more accountability with administrators who take extensive salary raises year to year while teachers get freezes, as well as administrators who "make up positions" and then hire family members and friends to fill those positions. But no one to this point has tried to create a system like that and propose it. I think it is because no one wants to rock the boat, because almost all higher-ups get perks that they really do not want to lose, including our not-so-fabulous state politicians, who are self-serving rather than selfless-serving.
Arizona, vote for the education tax come November. Don't listen to Steve Pierce. He is as bad as Russell Pearce when it comes to education. Heaven forbid we educate the populace, oh wait, then they might outsmart us politicians and see right through our con-game (said with a sarcastic tone, and this goes for both Republicans and Democrats, neither side is innocent).
chatmandu002 posted at 10:18 pm on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
Vote NO on this Initiative. There is too much other stuff in this initiative besides education and it will turn out to bite us in derrière like so many other initiatives have.
Pat Mytush posted at 10:35 am on Fri, Jun 8, 2012.
Hysterical Senator Pierce!!! You pump up dollars to the back door voucher program and refuse, yes REFUSE, to put any accountability in there. The tax credits were supposed to go to low income families...no means testing> Do they have to be graded? Take the AIMS test and make the results public? No and no.
Mike McClellan posted at 1:00 pm on Fri, Jun 8, 2012.
chuckles, the problem, of course, is that almost all budget expenditures lack accountability, in that an agency of the state gets the funding but is very rarely audited.
Schools, more than any other state agency, are subject to regular audits. In addition, school board members have that responsibility as well, to ensure that their districts spend that money wisely.
Unlike the Commerce Authority that Pierce supports, for which the majority of its funding -- by law -- is unaccountable. That is, the ACA doesn't have to justify how it spends the funds, or in some cases, even who got the funds.
concernedcitizen posted at 5:04 pm on Fri, Jun 8, 2012.
chatmandu, could you enlighten us please on what portions of the bill are worded badly and would be not beneficial? Like Mike says, moneys that go to schools are a lot better regulated than any other agency. I'm open to hearing about what may be bad about this bill if you are willing to share, I haven't had the time to read it.
dustbowl11 posted at 8:05 am on Sun, Jun 10, 2012.
What politicians like Pierce really mean to do, is eliminate public education and make it a privilege again.