Shame on you. Shame on each and every one of you. You are not accountants… your job is NOT to balance the state’s checkbook. Your job is to use the tax revenue you collect to provide the services that make Arizona better… every day, every year, for us and our children.
You de-funded environmental protections. You de-funded a program to foster bio-science and technology growth, you de-funded education. You’ve crippled our future.
You assume that leaving debt to the next generation is the ultimate wrong. And in order to avoid that you strip them of the education, growth and environment that will allow them to prosper. You haven’t saved the state… you’ve set it marching down a path that inexorably leads to future budget cuts. Who will start the next great AZ business? Who will move their high value/high pay jobs here? Who will invest in a state that refuses to invest in itself?
You believe that any tax is a bad tax and you laud your ability to cut, slash and refuse to pass any taxation. You tell us you are putting money back in our pockets. But the truth is you are simply stripping us of the services we want from our government. You tell us that we can choose private schools, home school or find the best education alternative for us and our children. What you do not tell us is that you are relegating our children to demonstrably inferior educational alternatives unless we are wealthy. We can not afford to live in a state which educates the children of the wealthy and relegates the rest to menial labor.
I’m not a socialist, or a liberal. I’m a businessman. I know what you do not and can not seem to understand. Prosperity is a result of investment. If you will not invest, you will not prosper. If you will not invest I will no longer invest in AZ either.
Ladies and gentlemen, there are things worth paying for. There are things worth sacrifice and, yes, even higher taxation. If our children, and our future are not worth that sacrifice what, I ask you, is?
Disgustedly Yours,
Brian Roy
President and Founder
cosinity
602.635.1013
UPDATE: This letter is my reaction to the state budget signed into law today by Gov. Brewer – http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/01/31/20090131azbudget-ON.html
Brian Roy 
Thanks for the support. I am a shocked, angry, & frustrated teacher.
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Thank god to hear someone in this state speaking reasonably. you're right, we only crippled our future further. I hate it when people criticize taxes, failing to realize that our taxes are investments in our selves, our state, our future.
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i completely agree. Thank you for publishing a well thought out, reasonable argument.
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Thanks for the support. I am a shocked, angry, & frustrated teacher.
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Response from Kirk Adams – Representative and Speaker of the House:Mr. Roy:I know of no legislator who relished in the tough decisions we made on the budget. Believe me when I say that they were difficult and in some cases agonizing choices. It is unfortunate that small cuts were not begun two years ago at the first sign of state finances circling the drain. Neglectfully, Gov. Napolitano ignored the worsening numbers, opting instead to continue to increase discretionary spending under the rubric of “investments”. Absent the money for these investments she instituted a series of accounting gimmicks and borrowing schemes, always on the hope the economy would get better and thus cover up the financial mismanagement. As we all know now, the economy did not improve but got much worse. Then the house of cards collapsed entirely, leaving Arizona with the worst deficit ,as a percentage of our revenue, than any other state. Fortunately for Governor Napolitano fate smiled upon her at the right time and she slipped out the door, leaving the financial carnage for others to fix. The problem is so deep that we have moved beyond a structural deficit and now must also deal with an immediate cash flow deficit. This means the state may soon struggle to cash flow its most basic daily expenses.The Arizona constitution requires a balance budget in each fiscal year, we are prohibited from deficit spending. The borrowing of the Napolitano years requires us to make massive interest payments and her accounting gimmicks must be paid for also. New taxes to balance the budget would not have helped either because the revenue would not come in fast enough and the tax base is in decline.Left with few options it was left to us to act swiftly and decisively before the situation grows even worse. Had Napolitano began to address the crisis even as late as last September the cuts could have been much more modest. But she did not act by calling the legislature into Special Session. In office only one week Governor Brewer made the call and the Legislature acted, fixing the worst deficit in state history. Starting Monday we move on to solving the 2010 deficit, which looms even larger. As a business owner myself I understand the importance of making wise investment choices. I also understand that my revenues must meet my expenses if I am to maintain my business and position it for future growth. Likewise, I believe the state revenues must meet our expenses to position Arizona to be stronger on the other end of the current crisis. I promise you we will do our best to make sure that happens. Rep. Kirk Adams
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My response to Kirk:Kirk -With all due respect, your overly partisan, self exculpatory response is exactly the kind of behavior which caused this mess.The republican party has controlled politics in this state for years. During the entire Napolitano administration the legislature was controlled by republicans. While it is politically expedient to place the blame at the feet of the former governor it only increases my dis-pleasure with the state of affairs in Arizona.With respect sir, are you interested in advancing your political ideology and party or the interests of the citizens of the state of Arizona?As to your assertion that one must match revenues to expenditures – were that the case in business not a single new business would ever be started. It is cyclical. One makes investments ahead of revenues and then reaps the rewards of those investments. Your “balanced book” theory of business is as absurd as your “cut taxes & cut spending” ad infinitum political ideology. Rest assured I have equal disdain for the idea that government spending is an inexhaustible well. I want a government that works for the citizens… not one dedicated to ideological battle at the expense of the citizens. Again, with respect, do your job.Respectfully,Brian Roy
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Nice response. Kirk Adams response made me want to throw up. So ridiculous to lay blame & take no responsibility.
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Thank god to hear someone in this state speaking reasonably. you're right, we only crippled our future further. I hate it when people criticize taxes, failing to realize that our taxes are investments in our selves, our state, our future.
LikeLike
i completely agree. Thank you for publishing a well thought out, reasonable argument.
LikeLike
Response from Kirk Adams – Representative and Speaker of the House:Mr. Roy:I know of no legislator who relished in the tough decisions we made on the budget. Believe me when I say that they were difficult and in some cases agonizing choices. It is unfortunate that small cuts were not begun two years ago at the first sign of state finances circling the drain. Neglectfully, Gov. Napolitano ignored the worsening numbers, opting instead to continue to increase discretionary spending under the rubric of “investments”. Absent the money for these investments she instituted a series of accounting gimmicks and borrowing schemes, always on the hope the economy would get better and thus cover up the financial mismanagement. As we all know now, the economy did not improve but got much worse. Then the house of cards collapsed entirely, leaving Arizona with the worst deficit ,as a percentage of our revenue, than any other state. Fortunately for Governor Napolitano fate smiled upon her at the right time and she slipped out the door, leaving the financial carnage for others to fix. The problem is so deep that we have moved beyond a structural deficit and now must also deal with an immediate cash flow deficit. This means the state may soon struggle to cash flow its most basic daily expenses.The Arizona constitution requires a balance budget in each fiscal year, we are prohibited from deficit spending. The borrowing of the Napolitano years requires us to make massive interest payments and her accounting gimmicks must be paid for also. New taxes to balance the budget would not have helped either because the revenue would not come in fast enough and the tax base is in decline.Left with few options it was left to us to act swiftly and decisively before the situation grows even worse. Had Napolitano began to address the crisis even as late as last September the cuts could have been much more modest. But she did not act by calling the legislature into Special Session. In office only one week Governor Brewer made the call and the Legislature acted, fixing the worst deficit in state history. Starting Monday we move on to solving the 2010 deficit, which looms even larger. As a business owner myself I understand the importance of making wise investment choices. I also understand that my revenues must meet my expenses if I am to maintain my business and position it for future growth. Likewise, I believe the state revenues must meet our expenses to position Arizona to be stronger on the other end of the current crisis. I promise you we will do our best to make sure that happens. Rep. Kirk Adams
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My response to Kirk:Kirk -With all due respect, your overly partisan, self exculpatory response is exactly the kind of behavior which caused this mess.The republican party has controlled politics in this state for years. During the entire Napolitano administration the legislature was controlled by republicans. While it is politically expedient to place the blame at the feet of the former governor it only increases my dis-pleasure with the state of affairs in Arizona.With respect sir, are you interested in advancing your political ideology and party or the interests of the citizens of the state of Arizona?As to your assertion that one must match revenues to expenditures – were that the case in business not a single new business would ever be started. It is cyclical. One makes investments ahead of revenues and then reaps the rewards of those investments. Your “balanced book” theory of business is as absurd as your “cut taxes & cut spending” ad infinitum political ideology. Rest assured I have equal disdain for the idea that government spending is an inexhaustible well. I want a government that works for the citizens… not one dedicated to ideological battle at the expense of the citizens. Again, with respect, do your job.Respectfully,Brian Roy
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You just don't get it.Many of us are simply not interested in your partisanship.We are interested in your ability to help steer our state toward a promising future.Your lack of vision is deeply troubling. Your lack of willingness to show faith in the people of Arizona by investing in us says it all. You are simply not a leader.Oh yes. You may consider polishing your behavior by showing your colleagues, past and present, the respect they warrant. You may wish to address our former governor as something other than “Napolitano.”See you at the ballot box.
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Nice response. Kirk Adams response made me want to throw up. So ridiculous to lay blame & take no responsibility.
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You just don't get it.Many of us are simply not interested in your partisanship.We are interested in your ability to help steer our state toward a promising future.Your lack of vision is deeply troubling. Your lack of willingness to show faith in the people of Arizona by investing in us says it all. You are simply not a leader.Oh yes. You may consider polishing your behavior by showing your colleagues, past and present, the respect they warrant. You may wish to address our former governor as something other than “Napolitano.”See you at the ballot box.
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Just wanted to give you some depressing, but more up to date info on spending per student in AZ. We are actually already dead last as of last year. See table 5: http://www.nea.org/home/29402.htmThis is ridiculous. If they really want to save money, why don't they just go the way of Mexico & stop offering free public education after 6th grade. After all, look how well that has worked for Mexico. OH, wait….
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Just wanted to give you some depressing, but more up to date info on spending per student in AZ. We are actually already dead last as of last year. See table 5: http://www.nea.org/home/29402.htmThis is ridiculous. If they really want to save money, why don't they just go the way of Mexico & stop offering free public education after 6th grade. After all, look how well that has worked for Mexico. OH, wait….
LikeLike
Just wanted to give you some depressing, but more up to date info on spending per student in AZ. We are actually already dead last as of last year. See table 5: http://www.nea.org/home/29402.htmThis is ridiculous. If they really want to save money, why don't they just go the way of Mexico & stop offering free public education after 6th grade. After all, look how well that has worked for Mexico. OH, wait….
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