VIEWER QUESTIONS AND GOV. BREWER'S ANSWERS

posted by Michael Chihak

Gov. Jan Brewer gave Arizona Week a 30-minute interview at the Arizona Capitol Executive Tower this week. In preparation for it, we asked viewers to submit questions to be asked of the governor. Here are viewer questions that we were able to ask and obtain responses to:

From Leslie Lee: I would like to ask the governor if the state will be losing Federal Medicaid funds due to Arizona reducing AHCCCS benefits? As a follow up, has the state computed what the taxpayers will be paying for emergency room visits to treat those who will not have access to a doctor's office or urgent care clinic because they are no longer covered by AHCCCS?

Brewer said she didn't know how much matching federal money the state would lose. Other sources estimate it to be approximately twice what the state cuts will be; state cuts will be about $510 million, meaning federal matching fund reduction would be about $1 billion. Brewer acknowledged that increased emergency room visits likely would drive taxpayer and insurance rate costs, but she did not say by how much.

From Martha Conyne: As the 100th anniversary of Arizona statehood approaches in 2012, I would like to ask that Governor Brewer, as our leader, give us a motto to celebrate and look to the future. Something short, simple and optimistic that we can use to sum up our pride and solidarity as Arizonans. What would you say, Governor, that we can repeat and build on the “can do” spirit of Arizona?

Brewer said she is optimistic about the state's future and said Arizonans "have wind beneath our wings, and Arizona is going to get out of this economic crisis ... and we will be prosperous again."

From Maria Swartz: If AHCCCS health care for Arizona’s poor adult citizens is eliminated, these people will end up using the emergency room for health care. These costs will then be passed by the hospitals to Arizona citizens who have health insurance, who will have to pay higher costs for their medical expenses. What exactly does the state expect to gain by moving this expense from all tax payers to only tax payers with health insurance?

We asked Brewer questions related to this, and she responded as above, adding that the state simply doesn't have the money to cover what she called some of the most generous health-care benefits in the nation.

From Matthew Knatz: Do you see higher education as a luxury or a necessity? If the former, why do you see it as luxury? If the latter, what are you doing to ensure that higher education remains available to students from lower income communities?

Brewer said she recognizes that education is absolutely necessary to support job growth and economic development. She said that for low-income students, "there are still scholarships, there are still grants, there are still loans -- different ways to make that possible ... And, they can get a job just like a lot of the kids going to the universities do to help out themselves."

Watch the full interview at www.azweek.com to see and hear Brewer's responses to these nd other questions that were similar to what viewers proposed.