FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 25, 2012
CONTACT: Matthew Benson
“I welcomed President Obama to Arizona this afternoon, and we spent a few moments discussing this state’s economic turnaround. This was the President’s opportunity to see the Arizona Comeback firsthand.
“First, let me say I don’t doubt that the President wants what he believes is best for this country. He and I simply have starkly different visions of what that is.
“The President and I each took office in January 2009. We each stepped into grim circumstances. Just speaking for Arizona, I inherited a per capita state-budget deficit judged among the worst in the country, an economy in freefall and a clobbered housing market.
“My first action as Governor was to issue a regulatory moratorium so that state government could not impose any more needless rules on business. The President’s first move was to rush through an $800 billion stimulus spending plan that saddled the nation with more debt.
“Here in Arizona, we passed a historic economic package that included corporate tax reductions and targeted job incentives that make our state among the nation’s most inviting for business investment and relocation. In Washington, D.C., the President spent the better part of two years pushing a health care scheme that reduces consumer choice and saddles states with tens of billions in additional costs.
“This much is clear: Arizona is on the way back, with job growth over the last year rated 7th-best nationally. Our state budget is not only balanced, we have a surplus. Most important, we are putting in place the fundamentals for sustained economic growth: quality education, competitive tax policy and low regulation.
“Don’t be mistaken, I’m bullish on our nation’s future. But I’m convinced the path the President has pursued is the wrong one. I hope he takes some of the lessons of Arizona back with him to Washington.”
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