Brewer's secret budget would crush AZ schools

Vote Goddard to help Arizona schools.

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX -- Arizona's budget is wildly out of control and Jan Brewer is trying to balance it on the backs of Arizona's children. At a news conference today, Attorney General and candidate for Governor Terry Goddard painted a stark picture of the harm Brewer and Republicans will do to schools if elected.

"The current budget shortfall is $825 million," said Goddard. "Brewer's failure to balance the budget has put our state in crisis. She doesn't want to talk about it, but she intends to make additional massive cuts to education. The evidence is there in the budget she signed last Spring."

Goddard referred to the budget, HB 2001. That bill contains the full list of cuts that would have been enacted had the sales tax increase failed and the State had to close an $800 million budget defect. That list of cuts makes it very clear what Brewer will do when she is finally forced to balance the budget. Among the cuts listed:

• $428 million to the Department of Education
• $100 million from the School Facilities Board
• $107 million from Universities
• $13 million from Community Colleges
• $2 million from the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind

A total of $550 million more in cuts to education in Arizona.

"The effect of this next round of cuts will be horrible. Class sizes will jump, with another six to ten students in every classroom," said Goddard. "University students will pay $1000 more every semester in increased tuition. Brewer has already admitted that she has cut education to the bone. To cut it further - and still claim to support education - is cynical, hypocritical and wrong."

"This is a huge difference between Jan Brewer and me. She has made massive cuts to public schools and intends to make far more. I believe Arizona schools have already been harmed too much. We must draw the line against further destruction. We must stop trying balancing the budget on the backs of our school children. We must start restoring our public schools. I will never be satisfied with Arizona schools at the bottom nationally."

Goddard urged the media to ask the Governor to defend her plans. "She refuses to debate, so I can't ask her. She must be held accountable to explain her plans and not continue to duck and hide until after the election."

- adapted from TG campaign