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Brewer Campaign co-chair claims governor has created 'thousands of jobs'
PHOENIX -- Gov. Brewer's "I'm a truthteller" strategy hit a big snag over the weekend when her campaign co-chair, Mary Peters, made a head-scratching claim at a GOP event in Ahwatukee. Speaking on behalf of the governor, Peters said that Brewer "has already created thousands of jobs and will continue to work on that.''
Huh?
Peters, who was Transportation Secretary in the job-killing Bush administration, needs to be briefed about Brewer's true record on job creation:
In May, Arizona lost another 4,300 private-sector jobs and the unemployment rate here increased to 9.6 percent, according to the state Commerce Department. Arizona's only job gains in May were due to federal Census worker hires. Arizona has a net loss of 98,900 jobs since Brewer took the reins as governor in January 2009. [Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/schedule/archives/laus_nr.htm]
In February, Brewer signed off on massive cuts to AHCCCS and KidsCare. According to a study commissioned by the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, these cuts could eliminate 42,000 Arizona jobs, devastating a sector of the economy that is actually growing in our state.
Gov. Jan Brewer's proposed cuts to health care would drain an estimated $2.7 billion in state and federal funding from Arizona's economy and result in the loss of 42,000 jobs, according to an analysis by economists at Arizona State University... The Governor's Office did not dispute the analysis. [Analysis conducted by Seidman Research Institute at ASU's W.P. Carey School of Business. -- AZ Republic, 2/25/10]
"Jan Brewer has wasted almost 18 months in office without any meaningful effort to create jobs," said Luis Heredia, Arizona Democratic Party executive director. "Her campaign shouldn't use funny numbers to trick Arizona voters into believing otherwise. Just saying you're a truthteller doesn't make it so."
Brewer has also unveiled several "jobs plans," but so far they've only generated publicity - no actual jobs. Examples:
Plan #1: Create a stimulus plan of her own [Source: 2009 inaugural address http://bit.ly/1zj5h2]
Result: Nothing.
Background: Brewer initially knocked the federal Recovery Act and announced that she would be creating a stimulus plan of her own. Since then, however, she has eagerly accepted federal stimulus money and taken credit in official press releases. So much for a plan of her own.
During her inaugural address, Brewer said Arizona will move ahead with its own stimulus program, rather than wait for federal money to trickle down. But she offered no details on what that plan will include. [Arizona Daily Star, 1/22/09]
Plan #2: Offer tax breaks for businesses [Source: Brewer's "Five Point Plan" for Arizona - 2009]
Result: Abandoned.
Background: Brewer's initial idea for job growth was to offer a friendly "tax code" starting in 2012. This idea was offered during her 'Five Point Plan' speech upon taking office. But while the state was losing thousands of jobs, Brewer's idea wouldn't take effect until three years later. She has since abandoned her major "tax reforms." Here's an excerpt from her Five Point Plan:
4) Reform and modernization of Arizona's state tax structure
The Governor's 4th point calls for a state tax reduction that would begin in 2012 and progressively build a more friendly tax code to create high wage, sustainable jobs in the state and attract investment capital. [Governor's Office Press Release, 3/4/09]
Plan #3: Eliminate the state Department of Commerce and replace it with a Commerce Advisory Council; create enterprise zones; and accelerate depreciation of corporate property.
Result: Not implemented.
Background: Before her 2010 State of the State address, Brewer created a 'Commerce Advisory Council,' the first step in her reform of the Arizona Department of Commerce. They were tasked with conducting a report to be delivered to the Governor in three months. In April, the advisory council returned with their recommendations. Brewer promised that this would not become "another one of those grandiose plans that ends up ... collecting dust on someone's shelf." [AZ Capitol Times, 4/14/10]. But those recommendations were embedded in Brewer's own "Job's Bill," which was never heard by the Legislature and is, indeed, collecting dust.
"Arizona is hurting," Heredia said, "and that means we need real leaders who are laser-focused on creating jobs."
