First Things First campaign endorses more spending cuts to education, health care

By Matthew Ladner

The official opposition campaign to Proposition 302 has produced a website titled “Republican Voter Action Alert: Vote NO on 302” that actually calls for an end to wasteful state spending. It even quotes specific examples of waste identified by the Goldwater Institute. The big finish says: “Tell the Politicians in the State Legislature To Stop Spending and Balance Arizona’s Budget, Vote No on 302.” The No on 302 folks have accurately, if very selectively, quoted the Goldwater Institute in building this misleading website.

Voter approval of Prop. 302 on Nov. 2 would end First Things First and transfer $325 million to protect existing state spending for education and children’s health care programs that often qualify for additional federal funding.

The groups behind the anti-Prop. 302 campaign have surrendered their right to complain when the Legislature has to take their advice to “Stop Spending and Balance Arizona’s Budget.” For the record, that will include budget cutbacks to members of those groups providing money to the campaign like the Arizona School Boards Association, and vocal supporters of the campaign like the three state universities.

The Joint Legislative Budget Committee has estimated that, without Prop. 302, this year’s spending deficit will be up to $825 million and $1.4 billion next year. Legislative leaders have made it plain that if Prop. 302 fails, they will use a previous contingency plan for the possible defeat of the Proposition 100 sales tax increase as astarting point for cuts. Assuming the Legislature adopts that plan halfway through this budget year, those reductions would include:

• $214 million from K-12 education.
• $55 million from the state Medicaid program at AHCCCS.
• $50 million from Arizona State University, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.
• $25 million from the Department of Health Services.
• $20 million from welfare programs at the Department of Economic Services.

The No on 302 supporters are making their bed for the how the state budget will be balanced in 2010 and 2011. That is their choice, but they need to be prepared to lie in it.

Learn More:

Goldwater Institute: Protecting First Things First would put other child-oriented programs in danger

First Things First – No on 302 campaign: “Republican Voter Alert”

Joint Legislative Budget Committee: Finance Advisory Committee – Revenue and Budget Update