I hate to write this email to you tonight, but the truth is that the Governor's Budget is Going to Pass out of the Senate tomorrow.
I'm so sorry. I fought for 10 hours last night to defeat that budget in the Appropriations Committee, but the majority party prevailed!
I spent time pointing out to them how the Democratic budget proposals suggested closing some of the $10 billion in tax loopholes that could have been closed and helped out the budget deficit. I reminded them that there are $250 million in tax credits that we could suspend and re-direct to help out vulnerable populations. I told them of other budget options, even raising revenue. It all fell on deaf ears.
Tomorrow we go to the floor for the first vote on the Governor's budget.
As you well know, it is a very ugly budget...it really throws people under the bus in favor of the conservative hardcore ideology of cut, cut, cut Government.
Oh, by the way, they eliminate 45,000 kids off of KidsCare health coverage! And they eliminate Adult Education who helps 43,000 adults earn their GED after dropping out of school. Eliminate them! Why, when these programs cost a mere $300 per person and re-direct a person's life down a more useful path rather than ending up in our jail/prison system?
They just don't want government helping people...they want people to help themselves! Of course, that's what we want but you can't cut off your nose to spite your face. We have to look at the state as a whole and stop promoting a belief system that works against our future needs.
Cutting taxes doesn't solve the kinds of problems Arizona is facing!
And, if the 1 cent sales tax doesn't pass on May 18th, they have huge cuts of $800 million planned already to education and universities.
Astounding! They just don't understand that they are eating their seed corn.
I will still continue to fight to stop that budget, but they wouldn't bring it to the floor if they didn't already have their votes lined up.
I'm sorry, but I want you to know what's happening up here.
Tomorrow will be a sad day for Arizona!
PS: And next Tuesday they will begin their attempt to allow the Payday Lending industry to continue.
It's one grenade after another up here.
Thanks for standing with us in fighting these horrible cuts.
Regards,
Paula Aboud
State Senator
District 28, Tucson
1-800-352-8404 X 6-5262
Appropriations Committee, Ranking Democrat Health Committee Education Committee
What an amazing fucking state I live in.
No comments:
Post a Comment