NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
May 17, 2010
Director of Communications:
Tim Gaffney 602-810-4715
Treasurer Dean Martin: “Goddard & Brewer’s plan ‘Tax and Spending to Prosperity’ will not work”
“Quit Playing Games with our Kids & Protect our Economy, Pass a Fear Free Budget”
State Treasurer Dean Martin criticized Terry Goddard’s belated support for a Prop 100 sales tax increase today. “No jobs, just tax increases is the only plan coming from the Governor & Attorney General these days and it should be rejected.”
Treasurer Dean Martin said, “This administration has repeatedly used scare tactics to try and pass this tax increase. Teachers and students should never have been put at risk to help motivate passage of this tax proposal. The economy is very weak, and a tax increase will hamper any economic recovery. Targeting education cuts to motivate voters is outrageous and will not stand. If Prop 100 fails the Governor and legislature will be forced to come back into special session and pass a reasonable, “fear free” budget.”
“We need an energetic new Governor with new ideas. Recently, I outlined a modernization plan for our state Medicaid program that can save the taxpayers over $1 billion a year, as well as a debt restructuring proposal that uses historic low interest rates to save taxpayers an additional $1.4 billion.” Martin continued, “I have a plan that could bring the state’s budget into balance without a historic tax increase, and allow this state to pass a very much needed Jobs Recovery package. We can protect teachers and classrooms without a tax increase and without sacrificing jobs.”
“Terry Goddard has offered few ideas of how to reform state government finances during this crisis, it is not surprising that he would support a taxpayer bailout to prop up unsustainable spending levels,” Martin said.
Martin continued, “The problem with Goddard’s contingent support of Prop 100, which he threatened to withhold if a Jobs Recovery package moved forward in the Legislature, is that he has offered no specific ideas on how we will replace the 300,000 plus jobs that have been lost since the recession began.”
“What’s worse is that Governor Jan Brewer took the bait and killed any efforts to for a Jobs Recovery package to pass this year. She chose a so called ‘temporary’ tax increase over creating new jobs. Creating jobs should have been the priority, it is a better and more permanent solution to this economic crisis.” Treasurer Dean Martin continued, “It’s one thing to take pot shots at business tax relief to make our state more competitive, but they have no real solutions to help the small business entrepreneur. How do they propose we get the roughly 10% of our citizens back to work? Their only solution seems to be continued deficit spending and protecting a bloated government bureaucracy.”
Treasurer Dean Martin continued, “We need a Governor who understands that Government needs to make the same kinds of belt tightening measures that all households have during this crisis. Since this recession began State spending has actually INCREASED by $300 million.”
Treasurer Dean Martin created AZCheckbook.com so citizens could see the waste and overspending in government through a complete and transparent view of how the state collects and spends your money. ”
paid for by: Vote Dean Martin.com
