Seriously, are you happy with Arizona’s
leadership? I’m not.
There’s not a lot to be happy about
right now. Arizona has become the only state in the
union to eliminate its Children’s Health Insurance
Program, KidsCare. When California and Tennessee capped
enrollment in their Children’s Health Insurance Programs
last year, they quickly removed the cap upon realizing
the long-term consequences for kids.
Where is the good judgment of our
Arizona leaders? And, cuts to KidsCare will eliminate
42,000 jobs, according to a study by ASU’s W.P. Carey
School of Business. Not to mention the millions of
dollars in federal matching funds that also will be
lost. If we look to the past to solve issues for today,
one of the first things we learn is that during times of
economic downturn, the wisest investments are those made
in human capital. Some examples would be making college
more affordable, increasing opportunities for job
retraining, and maintaining community spaces such as
state parks and arts venues. Especially important is
preserving safety-net services for the most vulnerable
in our population and protecting quality education
programs for our children.
Did I mention job creation? In Arizona,
we should be investing in public/private partnerships to
bring in high-tech and clean-energy jobs. So why would
anyone support policies that eliminate jobs? Who are
these people that are cutting health care for our most
vulnerable populations? The Republican-led Legislature.
It is time we elect people with good judgment, not
slaves to ideology. We should all ask these kinds of
hard questions of candidates this fall. How can the
incumbents defend their votes on these destructive
policies? Do we all count as part of Arizona’s family,
or just a few special interests? Is this how they honor
the past and make Arizona a better place for generations
to come?
Seriously, I think I have already heard
their answer.
