Public Finance

Will the United States Fall Off the "Fiscal Cliff?"

Watching the debates among Congress-folks about how to solve the "Fiscal Cliff" problem, we can't help but think of Thelma and Louise. It's hard to believe these characters are going to figure out what to do. Cancel new taxes and play dice with the public's health? Make deep spending cuts nobody wa ... More >>

Arizona No Longer Ranked Third Worst-Run State in the U.S. -- Now It's Just Fourth-Worst

Arizona's economy is really shaping up, based on an independent ranking of the 50 states' financial situations -- the Grand Canyon State is now the 47th best out of the 50 states, which is an improvement over the previous ranking of 48th.The financial-news website 24/7 Wall St. has been doing these ... More >>

Tax for Schools, Plan for Open Primaries Shot Down; Voters Limit Property Assessments

Arizona voters have rejected soundly the retention of a one-cent sales tax passed in 2010 that would have provided education funding and scholarships. The state already spends less on a per-student basis than most other states, but voters either don't care or didn't think throwing money at the prob ... More >>

Should Joe Arpaio Use Donations to Repay Taxpayer Funds Used on "Birther" Crap?

Yesterday, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors came to a vote on whether to let the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office repay the taxpayer money Sheriff Arpaio wasted to send a deputy to Hawaii.Supervisor Fulton Brock didn't show up, so by a vote of 2-2, the supervisors voted to not allow MCSO to ... More >>

Are You Buying Paul Babeu's Explanation for Dropping Out of Congressional Race?

Our colleague Monica Alonzo reported late last week that Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's dropping his Congressional bid, which might not exactly come as a surprise.What may come as a surprise is his explanation for why he's dropping out of the race, which happens to exclude anything about the abus ... More >>

Amazon.com Plans for Fourth Facility Touted by Governor Brewer, State Revenue Department Says Company Cheats Tax Laws

​ Governor Jan Brewer today celebrates the arrival of Amazon.com's fourth major facility in Arizona today, yet the state's revenue department calls the company a tax cheat.Brewer and the online bookseller's representatives are touting the estimated 3,000 jobs created by the company's other thr ... More >>

U.S. Supreme Court Puts Kibosh on Arizona's Matching Funds

​The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this morning that the matching funds portion of Arizona's "Clean Elections" system is unconstitutional, meaning candidates in next year's election will not be given taxpayer money to match funds raised by their opponents.Under the matching funds system, publicly funde ... More >>

Gov. Jan Brewer Rejects Tax Bill Benefiting State Sen. Steve Yarbrough, Says Special Session May Be Necessary

Arizona LegislatureSelf-promotion is the law in Steve Yarbrough's perfect world.​Jan Brewer again rejected a bill increasing the amount of money Arizona taxpayers can write off on their tax bill and give to private scholarship charities yesterday, denying Sen. Steve Yarbrough's second attempt ... More >>

State Sen. Steve Yarbrough Praying For God To Talk Jan Brewer Into Signing Bill Benefiting His Scholarship Business

Arizona LegislatureHe doesn't know when to quit.​State Senator Steve Yarbrough is praying for Jan Brewer to sign an amended bill benefiting his side business, which she originally rejected last week as "unbalanc[ing] the budget." SB 1186, the "2011 tax corrections act," passed the Arizona Hou ... More >>

Sedona Couple Sentenced to Prison in 2009 Tax Evasion, Conspiracy Case

filmsy.com​We never thought we'd say this, but this Sedona couple could have learned a thing or two from Wesley Snipes.William Steiniger and his wife Diane Steiniger were convicted on tax evasion and conspiracy charges in 2009, and were sentenced Thursday to prison terms of a combined 50 mon ... More >>

Rodney Glassman: Put Off "Largest Middle-Class Tax Increase in History" -- Of Course, That's Only "Until the Economy Recovers"

​ Rodney Glassman, the young, rich, Democrat running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican John McCain, loves the tax cuts put into place by former President George W. Bush. It's surprising to hear any Dem praising a move by Bush, who still gets the credit by President Obama for today' ... More >>

Arizona Republican Steve May's Full of ... Integrity? Claims Green Party Candidates Legit

stevemay2010.com​A 27-year-old tarot-card reader, reportedly homeless and with less than a dollar to his name, is among the candidates running to serve as Arizona's State Treasurer?Thank Steve May.May, a Republican running for a House seat in District 17, once told the nation that he ha ... More >>

Tom Horne Pledges to Raise $400K in Post-Matching Funds Race for AG

Tom Horne​We checked in yesterday with Tom Horne, the Superintendent of Schools running in the Republican primary for Arizona Attorney General against former Maricopa County Andrew Thomas.As we pointed out in this blog post, Horne is surely one of the big winners in yesterday's U.S. Supreme Court ... More >>

U.S. Supreme Court Clean Elections "Matching Funds" Block: What It Means for Arizona

Attorney Nick Dranias' efforts will change the 2010 election cycle.​As attorneys at the Goldwater Institute stressed in a conference call with reporters this morning, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to block matching funds -- effectively stopping their dispersal for the 2010 election cycle ... More >>

"I Didn't Pay Enough Fund" Passed by Arizona Senate; Guess How Much Moolah a Similar Program Generated in Arkansas -- You'll Laugh

www.knuckletattoos.com​ Feel like voluntarily ponyin' up some of your hard-earned cash to help legislators dig themselves out of the budget crisis they created? Of course you don't, but that didn't stop legislators from taking time out of their day to pass a bill that asks taxpayers to do ex ... More >>

Bill Clinton Coming to Phoenix for Andrei Cherny, Candidate for State Treasurer

​ Ex-Prez Bill Clinton is coming to Phoenix next Monday to stump for buddy Andrei Cherny, a former Clinton adviser who's running for State Treasurer. For a donation of a whopping $840, locals can sign up for a quick "meet-and-greet" with the former president. People affected by the ... More >>

"Joe the Plumber" Drops by State Capitol to Oppose Possible Sales-Tax Increase; When Asked Why He's Against it, "The Plumber" Dodges Question

www.inquisitr.com "Joe the Plumber" sealing his fate as a conservative icon by confronting then-presidential candidate Obama during the campaign. ​ Samuel Wurzelbacher, better known as "Joe the Plumber," the conservative icon from the 2008 presidential election, paid a visit to the state ca ... More >>

A Statewide Sales Tax Hike for the Arts — In This Economy? Are They Insane?

Arizona's "I Didn't Pay Enough Fund" Building Up Steam Among Lawmakers

www.knuckletatoos.com​Representative Judy Burges', um, briliant scheme to raise a few extra bucks to help bridge the state's budget gap is apparently building up some steam in the Legislature.The "I didn't pay enough fund," a bill introduced by Burges last week, politely asks citizens to for ... More >>

Health Director Heads to Washington to Get Junk Food Off Food Stamp Program; Looks Like No More Free Cookies for Our Most Destitute Fatties

www.demotivateus.com​The idea of fat poor people doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. If they're so poor, where do they get the funds to continually grow fatter and fatter?The answer, if you ask interim Health Services Director Will Humble, is Food stamps.

Private School Tax Credit Task Force To Hold First Meeting

Representative David Schapira​The ruse of bipartisanship shall be on display September 21st as the Legislature begins its first talks over private school tax-credit reform.The Bipartisan Task Force on the Private School Tuition Tax Credits, a committee comprised of three Republicans, and five Demo ... More >>

Phoenix Mayor Gordon Won't Support Latest Budget Bill; Governor Brewer "Disappointed" in Some State Senators

Phil Gordon​ Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon says he can't support the legislature's current budget proposal, despite Governor Jan Brewer's urging to do so. In a news release sent out this evening by the city (see text below), Gordon says changes to property tax collection rates will lower the amoun ... More >>

Obama Mafia Asks Governor if She Supports Jon Kyl and Wants to Kiss Stimulus Money Goodbye

    www.mrrl.org Has Obama taken the role of Don Corleone? In Corleone fashion, top Obama officials made Arizona Governor Jan Brewer an offer she shouldn't refuse. They want her to back the President's stimulas plan, and if she doesn't and agrees with Senator Jon Kyl,&n ... More >>

Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams Airs Series About Budget Crisis on YouTube

  State House Speaker Kirk Adams, a Mesa Republican, has launched a series of YouTube videos that explain Arizona's budget crisis -- from the point of view of Republican legislators like him, of course. Sonoran Alliance, (where we first read about the videos), calls the seri ... More >>

AFL-CIO Calls Two State Reps "Heroes" for Voting "No" on Republican Bills; Huppenthal's Trial Delayed

Daniel Patterson State Representatives Daniel Patterson and Jack Brown were called "heroes" this week by the AFL-CIO for their committment to vote "no" on most Republican bills. Patterson and Brown began their voting boycott a couple of weeks ago and haven't yet relented, resulti ... More >>

Governor Brewer Keeps Up Offensive on Budget Bill

Governor Jan Brewer is keeping up the pressure on lawmakers today to send her a budget plan, calling a news conference this morning at 11 a.m. on the steps of the Arizona Supreme Court. Brewer told reporters yesterday she is asking the Supreme Court justices to force State Senate President Bob ... More >>

Arizona Treasurer Dean Martin's Wife Dies During Childbirth

  Arizona State Treasurer Dean Martin's wife of 13 years died this morning while giving birth to the couple's son. State House Speaker Kirk Adams announced the tragic news on the House floor, "his voice breaking," according to the Arizona Republic. KTAR (92.3 FM) news also has the sto ... More >>

The Dirty Truth about "Clean" Elections

Jan Brewer: Herbert Hoover in High Heels and a Pantsuit

Separated at birth? According to economist Paul Krugman, it's possible. Will soon-to-be Arizona Governor Jan Brewer repeat the mistakes of Republicans in the midst of the Great Depression, specifically those of President Herbert Hoover?It seems likely. With a GOP-led legislature intent on "starv ... More >>

Dave Pratt No Longer Behind the Mic -- But He is Behind on Property Tax

Dave Pratt, former "Morning Mayor" of KUPD (97.9 FM), has "parted ways" with the country music station that employed him for five years. Judging from Pratt's property tax statement, it may have been a bad time to lose his job. The legendary local DJ missed a deadline last month to pay more than $1 ... More >>

Designated Drinking

A Currency Affair

Silly us. We thought the best coin joke was the Susan B Anthony dollar.

Charity for the Super-Rich

Mesa voters should deep-six the city's plan to funnel $84 million to greedy corporations

Send in the Clowns

Don't bother, they're here. After a decade of voter-mandated reform, the Arizona Legislature is as out of touch as ever

Jerry's World

Jerry Colangelo and his pals have gobbled up the lion’s share of public development dollars. If downtown’s to be saved, City Hall’s got to share the wealth.

Speaker Phone

Groscost threats delayed action on alt-fuel debacle

A Fortune Runs Through It

Tempe has long given the impression its Rio Salado project costs $45 million. The actual taxpayer tab could surpass $200 million.

Shafted Again

Mining industry strikes another rich vein in the Legislature

Comparing Stadium Deals

A Proposition 200 Close-Up

Sun City Disease

Every 10 years, retirement communities sweat local school-funding increases and flare up in anti-tax fever. This year's infection is in the Dysart Unified School District.

Flashes

Tepid Response Force

The county attorney promises to get to the bottom of Sheriff Arpaio's spending--by asking for a state audit that was already scheduled

Welfare That Doesn't Work

Governor Symington has spoken of helping needy kids and improving the welfare system. His welfare agency, the Department of Economic Security, is famous for astonishing incompetence and children who die.

Fife Pays His Taxes

WANNA BUY A $70 MILLION LAKE?SALES-TAX-BACKED BONDS WILL JUMP-START TEMPE'S STALLED RIO SALADO PROJECT

SECOND HELPINGS

MORE SHAKY DISCLOSURES NEW RECORDS BETRAY COUNTY'S PENCHANT FOR IGNORING SECURITIES LAWS

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

AS MARICOPA COUNTY'S FINANCES DETERIORATED, COUNTY SUPERVISORS USED THE HEALTH CARE AGENCY AS A FINANCIAL DUMPING GROUND. THEY LOADED THE AGENCY WITH DEBTS. THEY BLAMED THE COUNTY'S FISCAL MESS ON THE COUNTY HOSPITAL. AND THEN THE SUPERVISORS GOT TO DO WH

WELCOME TO PRESCOTT, CALIFORNIAWEST COAST YUPPIES ARE MAKING EVERYBODY'S HOMETOWN TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ITS OWN RESIDENT