Atkins Diet for Arizona
By Goldwater Institute: Robert Robb (04/11/07)
During Gov. Janet Napolitano's first term, state General Fund spending increased by 54 percent. That's sharply above the average of the previous six gubernatorial terms, which was 40 percent. The extent to which this spending spree is unprecedented isn't widely understood, but a recent study published by the Goldwater Institute provides the needed perspective.
During Napolitano's first term, state General Fund spending increased 13 percentage points faster than state personal income. And, spending under Napolitano increased 29 percentage points more than the combination of population growth and inflation, more than double the average of 11 percentage points for her predecessors.
Of course, this is not just Napolitano's record. Although she was a consistent advocate for more spending, Republican legislators passed these budgets as well.
Right now, next year's budget is being built on revenue projections that are below historical averages, suggesting that this unprecedented spending spree might get tamed a bit. However, more than just low revenue projections are needed.
The state has had its spending splurge. Now's the time to limit the future growth in state government spending to personal-income growth.
Robert Robb is a columnist with the Arizona Republic. A longer version of this article originally appeared in the Arizona Republic.
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