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Aug 11, 2010

Campaign Watch: Will Brewer take credit for federal aid to Arizona?

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 11, 2010

PHOENIX – It’s not stimulus funding this time, but Gov. Jan Brewer has a new chance to take credit for something she didn’t do.

On Tuesday, Congress and the president approved a $26.1 billion aid package to help struggling states avoid job losses and budget cuts in critical areas such as public safety, schools and health care. Arizona will receive about $444 million from the package. About $236 million of the aid is designated to support KidsCare, and about $210 million will go toward education. [Arizona Republic, 8/10/10]

Campaign watchers and fact-checkers should keep a close eye on future quotes, campaign literature and ads from Team Brewer. Will the positive results of this federal aid – supporting 4,000 education jobs in Arizona and offsetting the costs of KidsCare health coverage – be recast as Brewer’s “accomplishments”? Will the self-anointed “Truthteller” claim that it was she who saved or created these jobs?

Earlier this year, 42 governors (including 16 Republicans), signed a letter asking Congress to extend the critical funding that was approved this week, yet Brewer was nowhere to be found on the bipartisan list of governors.

Brewer has a well-established pattern of bashing the federal government while taking credit for federal stimulus funding that has helped stabilize Arizona’s schools, industries and workers during the Great Recession. Examples of Brewer’s “have it both ways” strategy can be found in her press releases announcing Recovery Act funding.

“Instead of taking credit for things she didn’t do, the governor should actually do something to solve our budget problems,” said Luis Heredia, Arizona Democratic Party executive director. “For starters, she should look at the $10 billion in tax exemptions in our system and close the loopholes that benefit big corporations and the rich. The governor’s inaction is a clear sign of her failed leadership.”

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