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.

WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE 'LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION'

posted by Michael Chihak

What follows is the text of an e-mail memo from cameraman Steve Riggs to three other members of the crew going to Phoenix today for our interview with Arizona Gov, Jan Brewer for Friday's Arizona Week.

The other crew members are cameraman Bob Lindberg and grips/audio specialists Ricardo Johnson and Dominick de Leon.

This shoot is made a bit more complicated by the short setup time we are being allowed. Generally, we ask for a minimum of one hour; in this case, we are expecting no more than 30 minutes.

Steve Riggs' e-mail:

Ready for an adventure?!

Please see the attached diagram for our interview with the Governor tomorrow. Let's meet at 11:30am. Departure 1pm from the loading dock.

The day's schedule 11:30am - Crew arrival 1pm - Departure for Phoenix 3pm - Arrival at the Governors Building 3:30pm - Through security, up to 9th floor 4pm - Doors open, begin setup. Note: There is a meeting before we can get inside. If it runs long, we have less time. 4:30pm - Interview with Governor Brewer 7:00 - 8:30pm - arrive back in Tucson, store gear

Time will be of the essence. Here are our responsibilities. The number signifies level of importance. Once you finish 1, then you go to 2, etc.

Ricardo
1 - all Audio (microphones, xlr cables run to camera locations) 2 - run stingers to light locations (see diagram) 3 - backlights (for Governor/Michael) 4 - monitors

Dominic 1 - 2K Key light (see diagram) 2 - Tota Fill light (see diagram) 3 - Omni backdrop lights (flag/snoot, see diagram) 4 - backlights

Bob 1 - Chihak camera 2 - Omni snoot background light 3 - Finalize shot with lights set 4 - backlight

Steve 1 - Governor camera 2 - Omni flag background light 3 - Finalize shot with lights set 4 - backlight

Our main focus will be to get cameras, audio and the 2K key light up and the Tota fill light up if nothing else. We can shoot an interview with this basic setup. These lights will be plenty of light so that if we can't get the back light (not background) up, we will be in good shape.

You know what we are up against to get through security. Let's send 2 of us through to receive the gear, 2 of us to put the gear through. After security, either downstairs or while we wait upstairs, let's build the Tota-fill light that will be on the "Small" Chimera. That way we can have that built, plop it down as soon as we get in and then worry about getting power to it after the 2K key light is up. Let's stage all gear towards the farthest window corner (see diagram).

That is about it for now. We can discuss more on the ride up. Until tomorrow at 11:30 am to get the fun started. Please have a good evening. Dream of your responsibilities.

We will have an awesome shoot. As always, respect, professionalism, work quickly and efficiently. See you all at 11:30 am.

Steve

WHITTLING AWAY AT A BIG STACK OF LEGISLATION

posted by Michael Chihak

A smaller and smaller pile of bills is getting Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's attention, with five days to go before she must make final decisions.

The Legislature sent the governor 168 bills at the end of the session last week. She has about 110 remaining on which to make decisions. Brewer has used her veto a few times, including Tuesday on a bill that would have given to the Legislature what is now her authority over state distribution of federal money.

Among the bills still awaiting decisions from Brewer are these (descriptions from the Arizona Republic):

SB 1322: Requires Phoenix and Tucson to bid out any and all city services valued at $500,000 or more.

SB 1546: Permits the state to acquire federal property through eminent domain unless the property was acquired by the federal government with the consent of the Arizona Legislature or consists of land held by a federally recognized Indian tribe.

SB 1610: Makes the Colt Single-Action Army revolver the state's official firearm.

HB 2067: Among other things, forbids the Arizona Board of Regents from exercising any authority over the nonprofit that governs the hospital affiliated with the University of Arizona for 18 months.

HB 2707: Creates a revenue limit that imposes a ceiling on state spending. The limit is determined by the level of spending in the previous year, adjusted for inflation and population growth.

SB1186: Makes changes to conform Arizona's tax code with provisions in new laws. Includes a provision that allows for increased contributions to school-tuition organizations by permitting a person to claim a tax credit under the individual credit, as well as up to a $250 donation for the corporate tax credit,or $500 for a married couple filing jointly.

SB1406: Allows the governor to build a fence along the Arizona-Mexico border on private, state or federal property if permitted.

SO MANY ISSUES, SO LITTLE TIME

posted by Michael Chihak

Topics under consideration for the Arizona Week interview with Gov. Jan Brewer this week in Phoenix:

• The legislative session -- accomplishments, shortcomings, unfinished business.

• The budget pinch -- when will Arizonans begin to feel it in education, health care and other areas?

• A walk-through the educational budgeting and negotiating process.

• Will there be a comprehensive plan for cutting $510 million from the AHCCCS program, health care for the poor?

• By what measure will she consider the Arizona-Mexico border to have been secured?

Other issues we hope to touch on: economic development and jobs growth, the border, state vs. federal issues, other bills to be vetoed.

WHERE DOES ARIZONA GO FROM HERE?

posted by Michael Chihak

Gov. Jan Brewer appeared on the Feb. 18 episode of Arizona Week (see it here) discussing economic development and jobs growth, with hints at education and health-care funding cuts.

Now that those cuts have been made and the Legislature has sent her a big pile of other bills, we are seeking another interview with Brewer to discuss the outcomes.

We will ask her to take a look at Arizona going forward, in education, health care, economic development, state-federal issues and how state government works with local governmental entities.

Viewer questions for the governor are welcome. Post as comments to this blog entry, and we will take the best ones with us for our interview. Then, look for them and the answers on Friday's Arizona Week, 8:30 p.m. MST on PBS-HD.

WHO SAYS LEGISLATORS DON'T HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR?

posted by Michael Chihak

Arizona Week's journalists' panel for Friday, April 22, made these observations about the regular session of the Legislature:

Mary Jo Pitzl, legislative reporter for the Arizona Republic, related how in the session's waning hours, Sen. Frank Antenori, R-Tucson, assumed a mock Southern accent to deliver a political doublespeak speech made by a Mississippi politician in 1952 both decrying and supporting the sale of whiskey in his state. The point being that one could find an argument for either side of an issue.

Christopher Conover, political correspondent for Arizona Public Media, observed that legislation approving 10 new license plate styles for Arizona motorists included the OK for a "Don't Tread on Me" plate to fund the Arizona Tea Party Committee, whose board of 13 people is appointed by the governor, the House speaker and the Senate president. "Don't Tread on Me" was the motto on an early colonial U.S. flag featuring a rattlesnake.

Mike Sunnucks, senior writer for the Phoenix Business Journal, wondered at the irony of Gov. Jan Brewer's veto of a bill that would have given the University of Phoenix and other private educational institutions a tax break. As a result, the university's parent company said it would consider relocating at least some of its employees to other states. This after Brewer signed legislation designed to instill high-quality job growth in Arizona.

Luige del Puerto, state Senate reporter for the Arizona Capitol Times, mused about the "bullhorn brigade," a persistent group of protesters appearing nearly every day of the legislative session outside the Capitol in Phoenix. The brigade denounced anti-immigration stances taken by legislators. Several senators complained about the almost constant noise, and one, Senate Majority Leader Andy Biggs, showed up one day with his own bullhorn to counter the group's efforts.

My own observation was of Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego's contrarian response to Republicans' designation of an official state gun. The weapon of choice: Colt Single Action Army Revolver. Gallego in the session's waning hours amended the bill to make the Taser, an Arizona-made product, the official state gun. After it was rejected, he sought designation for the Ruger, also made in the state. But the GOP stuck to the Colt, and it's now Arizona's official gun. The Colt, by the way, is made in that wild west town of Hartford, Conn.