Arizona Republicans Working To Make The State Unattractive To Companies That Need Even A Minimally Educated Work Force

Arizona fressers: noted Nazi, J.T. Ready & state Senate Pres. Russell Pearce

A few weeks ago, alarmed Arizona business leaders pulled the Republican rug out from under Arizona's blatantly racist Senate President, Russell Pearce.

The state legislature's focus on illegal immigration is hurting the state, a group of 60 Arizona business leaders said Tuesday.

"We strongly believe it is unwise for the Legislature to pass any additional immigration legislation," said a letter to state Senate President Russell Pearce, signed by executives from around the state.

The letter said that immigration issues, including changing the 14th Amendment's guarantee of birthright citizenship, are best left to Congress.

The state's move to enact immigration legislation has hurt Arizona's economy and brand, the letter said.

Almost instantly, Pearce's 5 most recent racist immigration bills were defeated. Racism is something that Arizona Republican Party dearly loves, but they know where their bread gets buttered and when Business speaks, Republican hacks listen... and jump. Pearce went down fighting, of course: “The lack of political courage is the only impediment to step up pressure on illegal immigration." His goal is to make Latinos feel unwelcome in Arizona and to drive them out of the state. Businessmen have noticed that this is nothing short of economic suicide.

One of the bills would have required hospitals to report people who lack insurance and cannot demonstrate legal status. Another would require schools to report on enrollments of illegal immigrant students. The fifth would have made it a crime for illegal immigrants to drive in Arizona.

And speaking of business leaders, pressure on the lunatic fringe of the GOP, and education, Tucson Congressman Raúl Grijalva has been fighting to keep jobs in Arizona and to protect the state's fragile and deteriorating education system. Like the other powermad Republican governors attempting to wreck public education, Jan Brewer and her right-wing legislature has been undermining the state's education at every level. Grijalva sent me this article from the Arizona Daily Star yesterday:

The former chief executive of Intel Corp. told legislative and business leaders Tuesday Arizona won't be a real magnet for new business until it turns out more qualified high school and college graduates.

"The educational system in the United States and in Arizona in particular is not particularly attractive," Craig Barrett told the Arizona Commerce Authority. The situation is so poor, he said, that if Intel were looking for a site to build an entirely new operation, as opposed to expanding its $10 billion Arizona presence, Arizona would not even be on the list of Top 10 choices.

He was not alone in his comments.

"The education system here is very weak," said Doug Pruitt, chief executive of Sundt Construction. And Judy Wood, who runs Contact One, a small call center, said even her firm, which does not need college graduates, is having trouble finding Arizona high school graduates who can properly compose a sentence.

Their audience included Gov. Jan Brewer, who co-chairs the authority and is proposing to cut state aid for universities by $170 million, or about another 20 percent.

Pearce has forced through a budget that cuts another quarter billion dollars from K-12 education, which fits his short-term vision of targeting Latinos but leaves Arizona vulnerable to further economic collapse in the future. Of course, even in the short run, Brewer's and Pearce's education cutbacks are an unmitigated disaster for Arizona.

Several hundred jobs could be cut as the University of Arizona struggles to manage deep budget cuts proposed by state leaders.

This comes on top of more than 600 jobs eliminated since 2009 as the state cut 25 percent of its appropriation to the UA.

Gov. Jan Brewer wants the UA to take a $67 million state budget cut next year.

The Arizona Board of Regents ordered the UA to absorb $39 million of that in reduced spending. The UA plans to make up the rest by raising tuition and spending reserves.

If Pearce, Brewer and the Arizona Republican Party share a vision to stop growth, it looks like they've found the way to do it. Meanwhile, this morning I got an e-mail from Bill Moran, who is directing an effort to mount a recall against Brewer based largely on her anti-education jihad.

Arizona university students are getting the shaft along with university faculty and staff.

They are being asked to bear the brunt of drastic cuts to the state’s budget initially proposed by Governor Jan Brewer, and subject to further increases under a recent proposal by the state Senate.

The Governor appears to be exploiting the larger cuts proposed by the Senate to prop up support for her cuts as a "reasonable" plan. "What’s "reasonable" about:

* Tuition increasing up to $9,000 a year for in-state students and up to $21,807 a year for out-of-state undergraduates – with even high tuition for graduate students?

* Eliminating the state’s contribution to the Arizona Financial Aid Trust, a vital financial aid program that students will need to rely on more than ever?

* The likelihood of larger class sizes, reduced programs and faculty lay-offs that will almost certainly diminish the quality of the education that students will now be paying premium prices for?

* Increased numbers of students unable to complete their degree in 4 years.

* Quality Educators leaving the state to seek employment in a more "education-friendly" state. (Previous budget cuts at already have resulted in layoffs, mandatory furloughs, early retirement incentives, streamlined majors and discontinued programs.)?

* Even greater challenges competing for jobs with the real or perceived devaluation of an Arizona university degree?

DON’T BE FOOLED BY GOVERNOR BREWER'S SPIN MACHINE!

Gov. Brewer’s spin machine is showcasing her proposed cuts to state university funding as the "better alternative" to the Senate proposal when, in fact, it is nothing more than the "lesser of two evils." Neither proposal is good for Arizona’s university students, faculty, staff or academic reputation!

RECKLESS TRACK RECORD THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

Over last 2 years, on Gov. Brewer’s watch, higher education cuts have totaled $200 million which the Governor has signed into law. During the last 5 years, tuition at the state's public universities has risen a whopping 73.3% at U of A, 48.1% at ASU and 55.1% at NAU. Two+ yearsof these hikes have been Governor Brewer's watch.

Rallies, protests and letters to state legislators are unlikely to change anything!

BUT THERE IS A GENUINE ANSWER . . .ONE WITH "REAL TEETH."

Shareholders in a business exercise their right to vote out an ineffective and irresponsible leader. If you are a registered Arizona voter (or would like to register to vote online right now by clicking here!)

– You can do the same by helping us FIRE Gov. Jan Brewer!

She got this ball rolling. She signed all the previous budget cuts resulting in the drastic tuition hikes at our state universities over the last three years. She refuses to hold down tuition by cutting non-essential programs that do not affect Higher Education, or to consider raising revenues by supporting a sales tax on luxury services such as spa treatments or country club memberships.

She prefers proposals that take from students, the sick and the needy. Some feel this is merely because she does not feel they have the wherewithal do anything about it!

YOU CAN HELP US "FIRE" GOV. JAN BREWER BY SUPPORTING OUR RECALL!

Students, faculty and staff who are registered Arizona voters can sign our official petition to RECALL Gov. Jan Brewer. If we gather enough signatures by the legal deadline of May 28, 2011, the voters will have an opportunity to remove her from office through the election process just as they voted her in!

Help us send the strongest message possible, one with real teeth, to the elected officials and policy makers who are dictating Arizona’s future. By successfully recalling Gov. Brewer, we are giving notice that who we elect, we can un-elect. We are taking back lost ground.

SUPPORT OUR EFFORT BY VOLUNTEERING TO CIRCULATE RECALL PETITIONS, SPREADING THE WORD ONLINE AND DONATING WHAT YOU CAN!

Even if you are not an Arizona registered voter, you can help by volunteering to circulate our recall petitions, help to take our effort viral by spreading the word through online social networking and by helping us to expand our effort with a small donation of $20, $15 or even just $10. (If you can do more, that would be great!).

CLICK HERE TO DONATE! | CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION!

Students made history by stopping a war and changing the world just a generation ago. We believe you can help us change the world again. Unlike Gov. Brewer, we do not underestimate what you are capable of! Please support our effort in every way that you can. The world will take notice. They will know you did it!

Help us gather 100,000 recall petition signatures from Arizona’s university campuses today!

And, be sure to visit our website at www.recallgovernorbrewer.com to see how else you can support our effort!