Quality Job Creation
Increasing quality job creation is my number one priority as Senate President. My belief is that government needs to get out-of-the-way to let employers do what they do best — create jobs. We have to recognize that government does not create lasting jobs — only the private sector can do that. Government’s role is to provide a business-friendly tax and regulatory environment that fosters job creation. With this philosophy in mind, as Senate President, I led the enactment of this year’s Arizona Jobs Bill. This nationally-recognized act will increase Arizona’s economic competitiveness versus other states. Through this legislation, we are creating the environment in Arizona to retain and grow our existing businesses and attract businesses from other states. Unlike Washington D.C., we are listening to employers and reacting to what they need.
This year’s Jobs Bill can’t be viewed in isolation — Arizona has been working to increase its economic competitiveness over the last decade. Cumulatively, these efforts are paying off such as with the $5 billion investment in the new Intel chip factory in Chandler or the new First Solar plant in Mesa that will result in 500 to 800 job immediately and up to 5,000 jobs eventually. First Solar chose Mesa after looking at 40 sites world-wide. The new Intel plant will create thousands of temporary construction jobs in the coming months. This is critically important for all our unemployed construction workers until the home construction market recovers. Through the Jobs Bill and legislation in prior years, we are creating the environment in Arizona to retain and grow our existing businesses and attract businesses from other states. My top priority as a legislator is to make Arizona the most job-friendly state in the nation for employers.
Tax Reform
I do not support increasing taxes because I believe it would deter job growth and thus be counter-productive to keeping the budget balance. We need to reform our state tax system to encourage more job creation. As part of the Jobs Bill passed under my leadership earlier this year, we enacted the phased-in reduction of the state corporate income tax and business property tax. We need to support our small businesses by gradually reducing the impact of the onerous business personal property tax.
Schools
Everyone recognizes and agrees that Arizona’s school system, along with America’s school systems in general, needs to improve for our state and nation to be globally competitive. Our academic standards are not tough enough, the AIMS tests needs to be replaced and we need a system to compensate our best teachers and principals. Fortunately, Arizona is addressing each of these needs. First, Arizona has adopted new internationally competitive academic standards that will go into effect in the next couple of years. Second, Arizona will be adopting a new test to replace the AIMS test and one that is geared to our new standards. And third, the State Board of Education is developing teacher and principal evaluations that include student achievement.
Our challenge is to make smarter use of existing and future resources to achieve the academic reforms and student achievement gains that are key to Arizona’s future. I believe we should:
1. Reduce non-classroom spending. I support requiring at least an additional five cents of every education dollar be spent in the classroom. We need to reduce administrative expenses just as businesses have done in the marketplace.
2. Reward our best teachers and principals financially. The State of Arizona is creating new accountability systems for schools, principals, teachers and students. We need to use these systems to reward financially our best teachers and principals.
3. Stop funding failing schools. We need to fund results — not seat time. Schools that do not educate children should be closed. The new school letter grading system (“A” through “F”) will help clarify how schools are doing in an easily understandable way.
4. Continue school choice. I believe a parent should have the right to educate their child in a district school, charter school, private school or home school. We need to provide parents with the proper information on the academic success of each option so that they can make the best choice for their child.
Regulatory Reduction
One of the most things the Legislature can do to encourage job creation is to reduce the regulatory burden on our employers. Since 2009 either through executive order or statute, Arizona has had a regulatory moratorium in place to stop any unnecessary increased regulation on businesses and consumers. In addition, we have looked proactively for ways to reduced any unnecessary regulatory burdens.
Recall Election
I believe it is wrong to allow liberal special interest groups to overturn the voters’ will. I was elected less than one year ago as the State Senator representing District 18. Liberal special interest groups from outside of District 18 and with funding from undisclosed sources organized a recall petition drive to overturn the will of the voters. If my Republican opponents wanted to replace me, there is a method — run in the primary and general elections in less than a year. This recall election reminds me of the old saying by World War II pilots: “If you’re not catching flak, you’re not over the target.” I am over the target, and the special interest groups promoting this recall election are attacking. The proponents of the recall election are seeking to send a message to Arizona and the nation that we should go back. I disagree. No matter how many times the liberal special interest groups recall me, I will continue to stand firm, listen and reflect the values of my constituents, clearly state my positions and always keep my promises.
State Budget
Just as many Arizona families have done, we have made the tough decisions necessary to balance our budget. As we enjoy a slight revenue upturn, we must proceed with caution to keep a balanced budget in these turbulent times. For the budget, our motto should be to “hope for the best, while preparing for the worst.” The top three actions Arizona should take to ensure a balanced budget are:
1. Increasing Job Growth. The biggest positive influence on the budget will be increasing job and economic growth. A healthy Arizona economy will produce a healthy budget by increasing tax revenues collected and by decreasing the demands for government services. Without question, the best welfare benefit is a job and the best tonic for the budget is job growth.
2. Continue streamlining state government. Under my leadership as Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman and now Senate President, the State of Arizona now has a balanced budget and a positive cash balance for the first time in years. State general fund expenditures are down almost 20 percent and the number of state employees is down almost 15 percent from their peak under Janet Napolitano . We are continuing to search for cost-saving ideas. For example, just recently the Department of Juvenile Corrections consolidated two facilities that will save money while increasing rehabilitative services to troubled youth. And under no circumstances, should we bend to the free-spending special interests.
3. Instituting structural budget reforms. Now that the immediate budget crisis has been dealt with, we must institute structural budget reforms to prevent the fiscal nightmare from reoccurring. We need spending limits, a serious debt reduction program and a taxpayers bill of rights.
Illegal Immigration
We are a nation of laws. We must have the courage – the fortitude – to enforce, with compassion but without apology, those laws that protect the integrity of our borders and the rights of our lawful citizens from those who break our laws. The federal government has refused to fully secure our border and enforce our immigration laws. Arizona’s crisis is particularly galling because it was caused by the federal government funneling illegal aliens and drug trafficking through Arizona when it fenced off the El Paso and San Diego Sectors. Arizona cannot continue to bear this burden. For example, roughly 15% of our state prison population is made up of criminal aliens and the federal government refuses to reimburse the state.
I have proudly led Arizona’s efforts to deter and decrease illegal immigration by, among other things: (1) Deterring employers from knowingly hiring lower-paid illegal aliens instead of Americans by imposing sanctions and requiring the use of E-Verify; (2) Stopping illegal aliens and their families from obtaining the in-state university tuition subsidy and welfare benefits (passed by the voters); (3) Protecting public safety by denying bail to criminal aliens (passed by the voters); (4) Requiring persons to show identification when registering to vote and voting (passed by the voters); (5) Prohibiting illegal “sanctuary” cities and taking the political handcuffs off our law enforcement officers by allowing them to enforce immigration laws as part of their normal duties; and (6) Increasing law enforcement efforts to stop Mexican drug and human smuggling cartels.
S.B. 1070
I do not favor any substantive changes to S.B. 1070. Public opinion surveys have consistently shown that Arizonans and the majority of Americans strongly support SB 1070. The law is based on the inherent right of state and local enforcement officers to assist in enforcing federal law, including federal immigration laws, when they are performing their normal duties. Not enforcing federal immigration laws is a form of “backdoor amnesty” for illegal aliens and will only encourage more illegal immigration. SB 1070 and other measures have decreased the illegal alien population in Arizona and decreased their burden on Arizona taxpayers. While still insufficient, the federal government has put the National Guard back on the border and increased Mexican cartel interdiction efforts in the Arizona desert in response to SB 1070. Without SB 1070 and other state efforts, Arizona will be back to begging the federal government to solve a problem that it has refused to solve for decades. In other words, just talking to the federal government and Congress that won’t do anything. Washington, D.C. does not like tough decisions.
DREAM Act
I do not support the so-called “DREAM Act” on the federal or state level, which grants illegal aliens in-state tuition.
First, the federal government has no right to dictate to states on how to set tuition.
Second, it is wrong to give a tuition subsidy to students who are in the United States illegally. Arizona voters made it clear at the polls in 2006 when they voted overwhelmingly in favor of Proposition 300 by 72% to deny subsidies to illegal alien college students. We would be giving a subsidy to students who are breaking the law while not giving it to out-of-state students who are U.S. citizens or who are in the United States legally. Who is going to pay for this subsidy? State taxpayers and other university students.
Pension Reform
In one of the biggest achievements in the last legislative session, the Legislature passed a sweeping public pension reform bill. We eliminated many of the abuses that unfairly rewarded some public employees while keeping our trust with current retirees. Along with a recovering economy and stock market, we have put our public pension funds on a firmer footing for current and future retirees.
