Debbie Lesko - State Representative

For the benefit of the entire state, I sincerely hope that my Democratic counterparts in the State Legislature will step up to the plate and start to help solve the state’s budget crisis.
Up until now they have been voting against every proposal to balance the state budget and I can’t help but believe they are doing so for political gain.  After all, when election time rolls around they can conveniently sit back, blame the Republicans, and state that they didn’t vote for any spending cuts.

It’s frustrating to me and it should be frustrating to you to know that we could have balanced the budget back on June 30th if at least one Democratic legislator would have voted yes.  Instead, not one single Democratic legislator voted for the budget package that included both modest spending reductions and a chance for an increase in revenues, something the Democrats claim they want.

Democratic legislators say they want to work with Republicans, but I just don’t see any proof of it yet.   They say they would vote for a budget fix that includes both revenue enhancements (tax increases) and spending cuts.  Yet when they had the chance to do so on June 30th, not one of them did.

Since none of the Democrats will help, Republicans have been forced to get the required number of votes from within their own ranks.  Many of us have had to make very difficult decisions and compromises.  Quite frankly, there are things in the budget bill that I simply don’t like.  But I realize that the future of our State is more important than my personal beliefs.

The Democrats latest proposal is to raise taxes permanently by over $2 Billion per year.  They want to raise property taxes another $730 Million/year and expand sales tax to services, so you’d even have to pay sales tax when you visited your doctor or hairdresser.  They know the Republicans are opposed to this, they know they don’t have the votes to pass it, and I would hope they know the public can’t afford it, but it gives them the opportunity to claim they have an alternative plan.

I, like many of my fellow Republican legislators, have been making hard decisions because we know the future of our State is at stake.  I sincerely hope that my Democratic friends will soon join in the cause.

It was indeed an honor to participate in several Veteran’s Day events.

I was honored to speak at the Glendale Veteran’s Day Event at Westgate City Center on Saturday, November 7th. Pictured to the right in an Uncle Sam outfit is WWII veteran Ray Mills. Ray and his wife, Betty, now continue their service to our country by volunteering with Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge. They partner with teachers and teach students about the principles on which our country was founded. Ray was recently inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame. Pictured to the left is Al Morton. Al served two tours in the Vietnam War and received a Purple Heart. Al continues to serve our country by helping other veterans and serving as Vice Commander of the Sandy Coor VFW Post 1433 in Glendale.

Sun City’s Veteran’s Day celebration at Sunland Memorial Cemetery on November 11th was indeed a great tribute to our Veterans. Many veterans from all branches of the military, plus women who served as “Rosie the Riveters” in WWII, joined in the event. I was very impressed.

Later in the day, I was again honored to speak at a Veteran’s Day/Tea Party event at the State Capitol. I shared a personal story of my father’s service in WWII and asked participants to continue to fight for the freedoms that our Veterans fought so hard to defend.

One of the main reasons I ran for legislature is because I am concerned about the future of our nation and I want to make a difference. Please join me in making a difference. Together we can protect the principles that have made this nation great.

My job as your state legislator is challenging, but very rewarding. Since I shared with you the budget challenges in previous columns, today I’d like to share with you some of the things I really like about my job.

The best part of my job is meeting and helping people. There are so many good people out there doing so many positive things for our nation, state, and community that I can’t help but feel encouraged about our future.

Recently, at a local American Legion Post I met with veterans and several active duty military on leave. They were on their way to the middle of the Mojave Desert to help fight for the preservation of a WWI memorial that is being threatened by a lawsuit from the ACLU. These men and women have sacrificed themselves for our country and now continue to fight for our country and its values everyday. I was honored to meet them and share in their commitment to our great nation.

Last month I visited Faith House, one of the Northwest Valley’s domestic abuse shelters, and was so impressed with the staff and volunteers and their mission to help women and children that I joined their advisory council and am honored to serve in any way I can.

In addition to meeting and helping people, I really enjoy learning new things that enable me to make better decisions in my job. I’ve attended countless workshops and seminars and toured everything from the brain research center in Sun City to the Child Support check processing center downtown.

The most unnerving and memorable experience I’ve had has to be my recent tour of the prisons in Florence. There I visited minimum, medium, maximum, and super-maximum prison units and was able to walk in the living quarters of the inmates. I walked through a death row cellblock and saw the gas chamber and lethal injection room. This was very sobering and something I will never forget.

Next month, I hope to share with you some progress on the state budget. On the positive side, we’ve whittled down the budget shortfall from $3.5 Billion to $1.5 Billion, but we still have many challenges ahead. I recently met with the Governor and her budget staff and have offered to help in any way I can. We are in for some very challenging times, but I know that working together we will make it through.

I recently watched a re-run of the Saturday Night Live spoof where Steve Martin and his character wife are reading a pamphlet entitled “Don’t buy stuff you can’t afford.” The couple are so used to being in debt that this simple concept completely eludes them. The comedy is hilarious because unfortunately it’s true. Just like individuals, the government has gone on a spending spree. National debt has reached $11.5 trillion and is expanding by $1 trillion every year. Even if paid off today, each citizen (including kids) would have to chip in $38,000. Similarly our state is over $3 billion short and we just learned that our state has spent $100 million more than last year at this same time. This insanity has got to stop. I believe there are some people in government addicted to OPM (Other People’s Money). They don’t understand that the dollars the government is spending is your money, not theirs. I’m one of your state legislators who believe we need to live within our means and stop spending more than we have coming in. The concept is simple, but just like the spoof on Saturday Night Live not all people seem to get it.

I’ve had a demanding, but rewarding first legislative session. I’ve introduced and co-sponsored important legislation, I’ve voted for and against other legislation, I’ve worked to help balance our state budget, and I’ve met and helped many constituents that live in our great community. I serve as Vice Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and serve on the Public Employee Retirement Committee and the Ethics Committee.

One of the most important duties this year has been balancing our state budget. The legislature balanced the 2009 budget in January and then, in June, balanced the 2010 budget twice-both times without a tax increase. We continue to work with the Governor to reach a compromise budget that she will sign. On July 31st House and Senate leadership reached a budget agreement with the Governor that was approved by the House, and as of July 31st was one vote short in the Senate. We will resume negotiations this week.

One of my next goals is to form a task force comprised of republican and democrat legislators, citizens, and state employees to work on a way to limit state welfare and health assistance to only those people who really need help and to only legal U.S. citizens. If you have suggestions or know of specific violations, please contact me at: 602-926-5413 or DLesko@azleg.gov I certainly could use your help.

I also want to continue to meet and update people throughout our legislative district.
If you’d like me to attend your event or come down to the Capitol to meet with me or get a tour, please contact me. Again, my number is 602-926-5413, my email is DLesko@azleg.gov and my website is: www.DebbieLesko.com

I really enjoy my job. At times it’s very challenging, but it sure is rewarding. I want to thank all of you again for giving me this opportunity. Working together I truly believe we can make a difference!

By State Representative Debbie Lesko
August 2, 2009

The legislature passed a balanced budget without a tax increase twice. Once on June 4th, then again on June 30th.

The June 4th budget bill was not transmitted to the Governor because she said she would veto it, so the legislature changed portions of the bill at the Governor’s request and passed another balanced budget without a tax increase on June 30th. The Governor vetoed it because it did not include the sales tax increase she requested.

It has become abundantly clear that the Governor will veto any budget bill without a referral to the ballot of a sales tax increase, something most Republicans, including myself, oppose.

On July 29th-31st Republican leadership struck a deal with the Governor. It is a deal that will be tax revenue neutral after approximately 4 years and then become a tax cut.

DETAILS OF THE LATEST BUDGET PROPOSAL:

In exchange for asking the voters if they want to increase sales taxes by 1 cent in year one and year two and ½ cent in year three, the following will take place:

1. Permanent property tax cuts of $250 million/year whether the voters approve the sales tax increase or not.
2. Permanent individual income tax cuts of $200 million/year starting in 2011, whether the voters approve the sales tax increase or not. The percentage cut will be the same over all income brackets.
3. Permanent corporate income tax cuts of $200 million/year starting in 2011, whether the voters approve the sales tax increase or not.
4. Cap state spending at the 2009 budget level ($10.2 Billion) for 3 years.
5. Ask the voters if they will temporarily suspend Proposition 105 for 3 years, so that some “auto-pilot” increases in state spending approved by prior voter propositions can be suspended temporarily.
6. Make permanent state spending cuts of $580 million, in addition to the roughly $500 million in permanent spending cuts made in January for the 2009 budget.

This budget plan was passed out of the House on July 31st and is one vote short in the Senate as of July 31st.

A vast majority of Republicans do not want to ask the voters to increase sales taxes. It is against what we believe in. However, since the Governor has made it abundantly clear that she will veto ANY budget without asking the voters for a sales tax increase, the choice was accept this deal, settle for a worse deal later, or let the state run out of money so that schools and everything else suffers. We’ll be back to work again next week.

On June 4th and then again on June 30th, the Arizona State Senate and House of Representatives passed a balanced budget that makes positive steps to solve the state’s current and future budget problems without implementing a tax increase that may further hurt an already fragile economy.

One of the key differences between the June 4th and June 30th approved budgets, the Governor’s proposal, and the democrat’s proposal is a tax increase. (Please click on the link to the left entitled, Budget Explanation, for more details.) The plan approved by republican legislators on June 4th and June 30th does not include a tax increase. The Governor’s proposal includes a $1 Billion/year sales tax increase and a $164 Million property tax increase for 2010. The democrat’s proposal includes $1.2 Billion/year increase in sales tax and a $1 Billion/year property tax increase.

Another key difference in the proposed budget plans is the amount of spending cuts. Since 2004, the state has increased spending by $3.7 billion. Our state is now $3 billion short. The more we reduce spending now, the easier it will be to balance the budget in the future. Without making cuts, economic models show that the gap between spending and revenue will just continue to increase each and every year through at least 2012.

The budget passed by the republican legislators on June 4th and June 30th cuts spending by $631 Million in 2010. In comparison, the Governor’s proposed plan cuts $278 Million and the democrat’s plan cuts $78 Million.

In the June 4th plan; no major agency was cut more than 3.3% as a percentage of their total funds. As an example, Kindergarten-12th grade education was cut by 2.2% of their total funds. Although difficult, these modest cuts will allow school districts to rehire many of the teachers they had let go.

I hope that I have at least shed some light on what is happening down here at the legislature. I know some of you will not agree with me on every issue, but I am confident that we agree on many more issues than we disagree on. I truly believe that we can solve this problem if we continue to work together.

On Friday May 29th, 2009 the Governor signed a bill, called Lexie’s law that, in my opinion, is a win-win situation for all. If you read Friday’s AZ Republic editorial column, they seem to agree.

This bill, which will become law August 27th gives parents the opportunity to place their special needs or foster-care children in schools that are best for their child and doesn’t cost the state and taxpayers any extra money.  In fact it will save the state money, thus freeing up limited funds for public education or other purposes.  I was honored to vote for and speak in favor of this bill on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Here are the reasons I support this bill:

1.    This bill provides a great opportunity for parents to place their special needs or foster-care child in a school that best serves their child’s educational needs.  I am Vice Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.  We listened to testimony in committee on this bill.  Andrea Weck testified that the public schools were not meeting her daughter Lexie’s educational needs and that her daughter was now flourishing in a private school funded by the scholarship program.  It is an opportunity that she could not otherwise afford.  We heard testimony that foster children are often moved from school to school with changing foster parents and that this bill will give them the opportunity to attend one school.

2.    This bill will save the state money since the private school scholarship is capped at 90% of what would have been spent for that same child in a public school.  That’s a saving to the state of 10%.

3.    This bill will relieve the public schools of the cost of educating hundreds of special education children that will instead attend private schools. The public schools have complained for years that special education funding is not enough and they have to pull money away from other sources to supplement the special education costs.

I believe our goal should be to provide the best education possible to each child.  If a private school can provide a better education at a lower cost to the state and taxpayers, why wouldn’t we want to do that for our children?

Opponents, including the public school teachers’ union (AZ Education Association) and the democrat legislators who are often politically supported and funded by the teachers’ union, tell parents that the public schools will receive less money since they get paid per child.  While that is technically accurate, they fail to add that the child will no longer be in the public school, thus the school no longer has that expense.

If our goal is truly about providing the best education, and not just about growing public schools and protecting jobs for public school employees, I think most will agree that this legislation is truly a win-win for all.

The endless amount of federal government bail-outs and unprecedented levels of debt have got to stop. President Obama has spent over $1 Trillion in just 100 days and plans to double the national debt in just 5 years. Even China, who is now America’s largest creditor, is starting to say no more. To give some perspective, this would be equivalent to the typical Arizona family which makes $47,000/year spending $72,000/year and cutting $2/year (the mathematical equivalent of what Obama says he will cut spending by), and put the remaining $24,998/year on a revolving credit card.  We wouldn’t do that in our homes and the government shouldn’t do it using OUR money either.

Concerns about the future of our state and nation and the belief that I can make a difference are the reasons I ran for office to be your State Representative. Now, more than ever, I am deeply concerned about our nation’s future and strongly believe that Americans need to unite to fight for the America that our founding fathers gave us and that our military so bravely defends. If you are concerned too, please contact me at DLesko@azleg.gov or 602-926-5413 so we can join forces to work together.

I believe the very soul of our nation is at risk. We are a nation founded on the principles of individual freedoms, market competition, and a nation where any hard-working person can achieve his or her dreams.

But in just a few months, we have turned into a nation whose government owns and controls auto industries, has taken over control of banks, fires and hires executives, and hands out endless amounts of bail out money, in the form of our tax dollars, to individuals and businesses that probably didn’t act responsibly to begin with.

Our President and democrat-controlled congress have increased spending by over $1 Trillion in just 100 days and have plans that will double our national debt in just 5 years. Even China, which is now America’s largest creditor, wonders if it should lend us more money.

Now our President and democratic congress members want to expand national healthcare to everyone even though Medicare, just founded in 1965, will run out of trust funds in only 9 years. How are we going to afford that if we can’t even afford what the government runs now?

On top of that, Obama recently expanded a program that will make it easier for homeowners who owe far more than their houses are worth to sell them at a loss, costing taxpayers billions more on top of the billions we’ve already spent.

We simply can’t continue to grow government more than we can afford. That is why I will do my part at the state level to balance our state budget and decrease regulations that stifle individuals and businesses. That is why I want to work with you to influence actions at the national level. Let’s work together before it is too late.