Our national economy took a huge hit on Sept. 11, 2001. When Janet Napolitano took office early in 2003, the state of Arizona, like most other states, was dealing with a post 9-11 economic downturn that created a budget deficit.
Gov. Napolitano appointed a commission that proposed tax and fee increases to cover the shortfall. The Republican legislature rejected those solutions, and the state of Arizona was bailed out by federal tax cuts pushed through by President Bush and a Republican Congress.
The resulting economic growth flooded the state of Arizona with new revenue, eliminating the state deficit and providing money to throw at everything and still leave some for a rainy-day fund.
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