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Jun 15, 2010

Gov. Brewer claims she 'balanced the budget' (and she's right -- if she's playing Jenga)

As Arizona voters and the news media watch tonight’s GOP gubernatorial debate, a fact-checker might come in handy. Last Saturday, Gov. Brewer tried to claim during a forum with Republican opponents that she has “balanced the budget.” In reality, Brewer’s “balanced budget” gambles on about $1.2 billion in contingencies. Consider:

• Revenue projections are way off: State economists project $368 million less in revenue than what Brewer and Republican lawmakers agreed upon for the FY11 budget. If the economists are right, Brewer’s budget falls apart.
• Funding hinges on voters: Brewer’s budget relies on voters’ passage of two ballot referrals this November to overturn $469 million in voter-approved spending for programs like early childhood development. If voters say “no,” Brewer’s budget falls apart.
• Funding hinges on federal government: Brewer’s budget also relies on the federal government to pass an extension of stimulus funding to pay Arizona’s share ($385 million) for AHCCCS and KidsCare. If Congress doesn’t pass this extension, Brewer’s budget falls apart. [Budget source: http://www.azleg.gov/jlbc/BudgetStatus603color.pdf (Page 10)]

Brewer’s budget is “balanced” only in the way a Jenga game tower is balanced: Pull out the wrong piece, and the budget comes tumbling down. Watch our video: