abiggs@azleg.gov,ocajerobedford@azleg.gov,clcampbell@azleg.gov,
scourt@azleg.gov,rcrandall@azleg.gov,mheinz@azleg.gov,rjones@azleg.gov,
nmclain@azleg.gov,jkavanagh@azleg.gov,rmurphy@azleg.gov,
dschapira@azleg.gov,ksinema@azleg.gov,vwilliams@azleg.gov,
paboud@azleg.gov,aaguirre@azleg.gov,sallen@azleg.gov,pgorman@azleg.gov,
rgould@azleg.gov,ahale@azleg.gov,jharper@azleg.gov,amelvin@azleg.gov,
rpearce@azleg.gov,mailto:spierce@azleg.gov,rrios@azleg.gov
To the Members of the Arizona State Legislature Appropriations Committee:I am writing to register my disgust at the excessive budget cuts to stateuniversities that have been proposed by some members of the Arizona State Legislature:a reduction of $243 million for this year and another $388 million for fiscal year 2010.Beyond this, public K-12 education is also being severely cut. This is highlydisappointing because Arizona is already 49
th
in the country in elementary and secondaryeducation funding and 35
th
for university funding.I join all three of the state’s university presidents in saying that these proposedcuts are outrageous and irresponsible. They would have an immediately devastatingeffect on the quality of education in our state and would also gravely harm our economy.While I acknowledge that the nation is suffering under a recession and that unlimitedfunds are not available at this time, I want to stress that the public university system inArizona is a part of the solution, not the problem. Arizona, Arizona State, and NorthernArizona University all stimulate our state’s economy and employ and educate thousandsof people. They also bring in millions of dollars in grants and innovate in the fields of medicine, chemistry, pharmacy, engineering, and countless other areas. They train and prepare thousands of students every year to compete in an increasingly tight job market.As CEO Taylor Lawrence of Raytheon, Southern Arizona’s largest employer, explained atthe January 22
nd
’s Arizona Board of Regents meeting, “the key to innovation iseducation.” This was not the only important business leader who stood up and spoke outagainst the proposal to cut education in Arizona because of their potential to lay waste toour local and state economy.Despite the protests from business leaders, communities, professors, students,local politicians and economic and legal scholars, the leaders of the AppropriationsCommittee has not considered alternatives to dismantling public education. According tothe Arizona Daily Star newspaper, a one cent sales tax increase would generate $1billion. No evidence has been provided to prove that a one cent tax would have any adverseeffect on the economy of our state. Quite to the contrary, the 2,000 immediate lay-offsthat would be necessary at the University of Arizona alone would certainly impact our state’s already fragile economy. Foreclosures would certainly increase, moreunemployment would be collected from the state, and more parents would be forced toapply for food stamps, welfare and public healthcare. Those who are able to leave andseek employment elsewhere would certainly do so, causing our state to lose many of its brightest and hardest workers. Additionally, as several business leaders explained to theBoard of Regents, the university’s ability to help them attract quality employees andcustomers would be severely compromised.
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