By Howard Fischer
PHOENIX -- Stung by the veto of key elements of the Republican
budget plan, Senate President Bob Burns on Thursday said Gov. Jan
Brewer is incompetent.
"It appears the governor is having problems managing the level of
responsibility to which she has been elevated,'' Burns said in a
prepared statement. Brewer, a Republican like Burns, became
governor in January after Democrat Janet Napolitano quit to take
a job in the Obama administration.
Burns also said the governor "has abused the public in what can
only be described as a strong arm tactic to take control of the
legislative process'' and said Brewer the veto of the $8.4
billion spending plan "appears to be a vindictive retaliation
against the Legislature for not rubber-stamping 'her plan.' ''
That plan is Brewer's demand that lawmakers put a measure on the
November ballot asking voters to hike the state sales tax by a
penny, to 6.6 cents on every dollar of taxable items.
Adams was only slightly more charitable in his comments, calling
her veto "irresponsible and reckless.'' He also said her decision
to totally eliminate the more than $3.2 billion in state aid to
education "puts school children, hardworking teachers and
employees in our public schools in jeopardy.''
And both said Brewer had agreed to the budget.
The governor, however, said she vetoed the education funding as
inadequate, hoping lawmakers will adopt a more responsible
spending plan when they return to the Capitol on Monday. As to
the budget having been negotiated, Brewer said the two GOP
leaders are only half right.
"I've said all along as we negotiated through the process that it
was based on the premise that the tax referral went out,'' Brewer
continued.
That levy would generate $1 billion a year. Brewer said the deal
she negotiated with Burns and House Speaker Kirk Adams was
premised on at least giving voters the opportunity to approve the
tax, with the proceeds used to restore some of the more than $600
million in spending cuts in the plan.
She said, though, the budget that was reached her desk -- one
without referring the tax plan to the ballot -- "didn't work in
the way that it was presented.''
"I never did, and never would agree to destructive long-term cuts
to education, public safety, and care for our most vulnerable
populations without providing the opportunity to voters to
mitigate them,'' Brewer said. As to what Burns said about her,
she called the comments "regrettable and totally unproductive.''
The tit-for-tat statements only underscored Brewer's new-found
desire after vetoing the GOP spending plan to consider a deal
with with Democrats to get their votes to put the proposed sales
tax hike on the November ballot. Republicans appear no more
anxious to do that in next week's special session than they have
been until now.
"I don't think it's my responsibility,'' said Sen. Jack Harper,
R-Surprise, of voting for a tax hike, even one where voters get
at least some Democrats are willing to deal. That includes Senate
Minority Leader Jorge Garcia, D-Tucson.
But Garcia said Thursday Brewer is going to have to agree in
changes.
One key issue, he said, is something to deal with the fact that
Democrats consider sales taxes regressive, with those near the
bottom of the income scale spending a larger portion of what they
bring home on taxes than those at the top. Garcia said an income
tax rebate for those earning below a certain figure helps
alleviate that.
More important, Garcia wants the budget to include restoration of
the state property tax.
That levy, suspended three years ago when Arizona had a surplus,
generates about $250 million a year. It returns automatically
later this year absent legislative action.
The budget Republicans sent to Brewer included permanent repeal
of that tax. But that was in one of the bills the governor
vetoed.
Finally, Garcia wants more spending.
Getting votes of House Democrats, however, could prove more
difficult.
House Minority Whip Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix, remains wedded to a
plan to decrease the state sales tax, currently at 5.6 cents on
the dollar, perhaps to 4 percent. But he said it would bring in
more money by broadening the base, making more transactions
subject to the levy.
For the first time ever, taxes would be charged on services
ranging from barber shops and hair salons to dance lessons,
driving schools and even lottery tickets. Exemptions would remain
for food purchased at grocery stores, prescriptions and medical
services.
Brewer's push to deal with the deficit by putting the question of
sales taxes on the November ballot is risky: Voters might reject
it.
But Brewer said the spending plan is crafted so that it can work
-- with or without the billion dollars a year that the tax hike
would raise. She said the plan had "triggers'' to restore cuts if
the tax hike is approved.
The governor said she believes that voters will understand what
rejecting the levy means. That includes a $220 million cut in
state aid to education and less money for health and welfare
programs.
"I think the people out there want their kids educated and they
indeed want every child that's being abused and unprotected to be
investigated by Child Protective Services,'' Brewer continued.
"I'm betting and hoping that once they look at the (tax)
referendum and it's on the ballot that they would vote for it,''
she said. "And if they don't, then I will abide by the voters.''
Campbell said he believes voters would be more willing to accept
his plan to lower the sales tax rate but make it apply to more
things than Brewer's one-cent hike on currently taxable items.
But Campbell's plan would involve a permanent change in the
state's tax structure; Brewer wants that one-cent hike for just
three years.