COLLEGE RECRUITING ACTIVITY POSITIVE ECONOMIC SIGN

posted by Michael Chihak

Arizona's three public universities will graduate more than 21,000 students next week, sending the vast majority of them out in search of work.

Some have jobs waiting for them, many in the state. For others, the future is no more certain than the shaky state of the economy, both in Arizona and nationally.

However, campus career service officials at all three universities report increased business recruitment activity this school year, and at least one is calling it better than in the last two years. That is clearly a sign of economic improvement.

A report last week from the state Department of Commerce projected that the state will add 17,300 jobs in 2011, not nearly enough to absorb this year's graduates.

Next year is projected to be better, at 34,000 new jobs, but how many of those will be at the level to sustain college graduates or to pay them enough so they can begin climbing out of their educational debt is uncertain.

We will review the prospects for Friday's Arizona Week broadcast, speaking with university career services officials, recruiters and students.

READY TO TAKE ON OTHER ISSUES

posted by Michael Chihak

Arizona Week is poised to take on a wide range of topics in the coming weeks and months, now with the official business of the state Legislature having been concluded.

A brief rundown on some topics under consideration. We are open to viewers' ideas and guidance on these and other topics as we move forward planning our programming.

-- College graduation is upon us. What are job prospects for Arizona grads this year? Can the state retain its best and brightest with meaningful and well-paying jobs?

-- Wildfire season has begun with a big fire on the Arizona-Mexican border near Nogales. Forecasts are for a worse-than-normal fire season in the southern half of Arizona and other parts of the West.

-- Arizona foreclosures and malaise in the housing industry continuje. What's the trend line, and can we expect to see improvement -- in fewer foreclosures, construction uptick and reduction of inventory -- any time soon? What's the impact on the commercial real estate market.

-- Water supply in the desert remains an issue. Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which supply Phoenix and Tucson with water via the Central Arizona Project, are being slowly refilled after a special allocation approved by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation because of a big spring snow melt. It delays for five years the need for stricter rationing.

-- Two dozen young, ambitious Arizonans are nearing completion of work in the first Arizona Civic Leadership Academy. We will look at this effort to educate and encourage future state leaders with "the commitment, knowledge and skills to carry out creative, long-term solutions to pressing problems."

-- The Arizona Commerce Authority is diving into its work to reinvent the state's economy by attracting businesses that offer high-paying jobs that contribute to economic growth and stability. How is business recruitment going? What are the opportunities and obstacles?

-- We're approaching budget season for Arizona's counties and municipal governments. What's the big picture and how will they balance their budgets going into fiscal 2011-12?

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.