THINK TANKOLOGY: CAN BIPARTISANS BE NONPARTISAN?

posted by Michael Chihak

Arizona faces a "dire situation" in education, economics and -- purported to be the root cause -- its ideologically driven public policy-making.

That's the starting point for a new state research organization, the Grand Canyon Institute.

It's a collection of former legislators and others involved in public policy and research, assembled with the intention of bringing "a pragmatic approach to addressing economic, fiscal, budgetary and taxation challenges confronting Americans with a special emphasis on Arizona issues," according to its statement of purpose on the institute's Website.

The institute, which will function as a policy research organization, describes itself on the Website as a "nonpartisan think tank ... led by a bipartisan group of former state lawmakers, economists, community leaders, and academicians."

Leading its board are two former legislators, Democrat George Cunningham and Republican Susan Gerard. Cunningham served as former Gov. Rose Mofford's chief of staff and former Gov. Janet Napolitano's budget director. Gerard is "a former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services and was health policy adviser to Napolitano in Napolitano's first term as governor.

The institute weighed in for the first time on a policy issue today, with a Cunningham op-ed in the Arizona Republic calling for extension of unemployment benefits that are about to expire for an estimated 15,000 Arizonans.

Here's how the institute describes what it will do to try moving Arizona's political discussions and subsequent policy-making to the center of the spectrum:

"This Centrist Research Center will serve as an independent think tank that reflects mainstream American values and a pragmatic approach to economic, fiscal, budgetary, and taxation issues that confront all Americans but with a special emphasis on Arizona’s current and future challenges."