State Reps. Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, were at ASU last week to call their political bases to action and help sell their plans for the 2010 budget.
Adams spoke at a College Republicans meeting on Thursday. To the nearly 100 people in attendance, he emphasized sticking to conservative values during difficult economic times and the reign of a Democratic administration.
“We must avoid the temptation to become like [Democrats],” Adams said. “Limited government, fiscal responsibility and traditional values: that is the winning coalition.”
Sinema gave more narrowly focused advice to the group of about 15 people in attendance at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law on Friday. Her main concern was on the state level, specifically the massive cuts proposed by Republicans in the Legislature. She said the almost-daily protests of the budget cuts at the Capitol would have very little effect because of a Republican majority she characterized as determined to trim spending at almost any cost.
“When you have some folks that are so ideologically bent,” Sinema said, speaking of most state legislators, “You could bring 100,000 people to the Capitol and it wouldn’t matter.”
Instead, she called for people interested in preserving funding for the state’s education, health care and disabilities services to pressure Gov. Jan Brewer. Sinema said Brewer, who has gone against other Republicans by proposing a tax increase, would be the only person able to stop the state from making debilitating budget cuts.
“Gov. Brewer really holds the cards,” Sinema said. “She can allow the Legislature to pass a slash-and-burn budget or she can veto it until she gets what she wants.”
As expected, Adams and Sinema gave their party’s plans for covering the projected $3 billion deficit, while taking the opportunity to criticize the opposition.
Adams gave students a glimpse into the House Republicans’ plan for the 2010 budget, which includes $840 million in cuts and millions more to be covered by federal funding and borrowing.
Sinema introduced the Democrats’ plan to law students, which includes 13 tax-revenue options that she said would raise the necessary funds and still be affordable to most families.
Both were critical of Brewer’s plan for a temporary sales-tax increase. Adams said it would damage the economy and hurt businesses the government relies on to produce revenue.
“You can’t fix the budget problem without fixing the economy, and raising taxes won’t do that,” Adams said.
Sinema said the tax would do little at a time when most people are trying to save their money.
“It’s not a long-term solution, and I don’t even think it solves the problem in the short run,” Sinema said.
Political science junior Jessica Bender, who attended Adams’ speech, said she agreed with his plan to cut spending without raising taxes but said a compromise could be reached if the potential cuts are seen as too damaging.
“Politics is all about compromise,” Bender said. “You can stick to your basic principles, but you have to be practical and do what’s best for the state.”
Reach the reporter at derek.quizon@asu.edu.
