Criticism of the budget deal reached last week between legislative leaders and Gov. Napolitano has been somewhat muted. That is because when your state has a substantial surplus, you can essentially buy everyone’s agreement. Conservatives are pleased to get a tax cut and some school choice provisions. Liberals are happy to get a ton of new spending without accountability.
Here is what voters should remember in November — with a huge budget surplus she did nothing to create, Janet Napolitano started from the position that we should spend virtually all of the surplus. She consistently fought against returning to us any of our tax overpayment. She opposed permanent property tax relief and she opposed income tax rate cuts. She eventually gave in, but only in exchange for astronomical new spending.
She should take credit for all the new spending she has imposed. But if she is honest, she will not try to take political credit for tax cuts she did everything in her power to block. We’ll be watching.
