Podcast Rep. PPH Capitol Updates: Back Story on the Budget

The Arizona Legislature surpassed Day 150 this week. You’ll remember that the target length for a session is 100 days. That shipped sailed in mid April.

Season 2 Episode 8 of A View from the Left Side is a compilation of Legislative Updates recorded between April 18, 2022 and May 31, 2022.

Three of these updates focus on the stalled budget process. The House Republican Caucus is fractured and there is no collaboration between the House and Senate leadership teams.

There are rumors of another Republican budget but no bills have been dropped, and recent leaded spreadsheet likely doesn’t have the votes to pass.

Libertarians don’t want to spend money on anything — despite great need in the state and a $5 billion surplus.

Democrats aren’t likely to support a budget that doesn’t include a significant investment in public education. Prop 208, which the Republicans took down in court, would have provided $900 million in revenue for public education by assessing a fee on excessive income over $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for couples.

Here is my starting point. Republicans don’t want Arizona’s 1% to pay more in taxes, so take a billion from the surplus and put it toward public education. That’s what the voters said they wanted when they passed Prop 208 in 2020.

It’s June 7. We have until June 30 to figure this out. Many people have planned vacations. Stay tuned. It should be interesting.

Time Stamps
Rep. PPH Intro to Season 2 Episode 8 of A View from the Left Side 0:51

Grover Norquist Tax Pledge Unrealistic in Tax Giveaway State April 18, 2022 2:57

Republicans Propose Austerity Budget. Why? April 19, 2022 (Day 100) 7:24

Divided Republican Party Delays Budget and Drags Out the Session May 18, 2022
12:04
House Hears Seven Election Bills … Budget Remains Stalled May 17, 2022 (Updated May 31, 2022) 16:50

There is a link to this podcast below. You can also subscribe to A View from the Left Side on multiple podcasting services such as iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, I Heart Radio and others. The original Legislative update videos on these topics can be found on my YouTube Channel.

National Infrastructure Bank Would Rebuild US, Create Jobs & Restore Global Competitiveness – A View from the Left Side

Season 2 Episode 13: Creation of a National Infrastructure Bank | 0:44The US Has Had Four National Infrastructure Banks | 1:17Crumbling Infrastructure Hurts Competitiveness | 2:30Rep. PPH Interview with Economics Experts on the Proposal for NIB | 4:24Alphecca Muttardy, Board Member, NIB Coalition | 4:53What Is an NIB and Why Do We Need One? | 5:00Projects that Could Be Funded by the NIB | 5:19Infrastructure Investments Are Good for the Economy | 8:48Roosevelt's RFC Was Infrastructure Bank | 11:28Nationwide Rural Broadband Funded by the NIB Is Modern REA | 11:36Muttardy on the Scope of NIB Projects | 12:27The Scope of the REA and Its Impact on Rural America | 13:01'It Is a Disgrace that We Have Houses in America with No Running Water' | 13:35Chinese NIB Is Building a Nationwide Water Grid. | 13:49 NIB Projects Could Help Arizona Farmers | 14:12Public Private Partnerships (P3s) vs NIB | 14:29Arizona Water Initiative Allocates $750 mil in P3s for 'Water Augmentation' | 14:37Keep Public Infrastructure in Public Hands. Water Is a Public Good. | 15:09Ellen Brown, Founder, Public Banking Institute and Author | 15:52'P3s Want Profits. NIB Is Basically a Bank at Cost.' | 15:56Who Can Invest in the NIB? | 16:40Muttardy: How the NIB Would Be Capitalized? | 17:08Brown: Individuals Can Invest in the NIB | 18:37Crumbling US Infrastructure Hurts Competitiveness | 18:57China Invests 8% of GDP in Infrastructure. US Invests 2.4%. | 19:35Putting People to Work Building Infrastructure Will Rebuild the Middle Class | 20:00Given Current Economic Uncertainties, How Would Our Strategies Change if We Had NIB Now? | 20:36Dr. Robert Hockett, Edward Cornell Professor of Law and Finance at Cornell University | 21:45The US Relies Too Much on Private Sector Initiative | 21:51If Your Motive Is Profit Maximization, It Is Not in Your Interest to Prioritize the Public Good | 22:15Brown on Inflation: Shortages Are to Blame | 23:28COVID Relief Money that Was Sent to the Banks Is Just Sitting There Unspent | 24:05COVID Relief Money that Went to People Is Long Gone | 24:28'People Are Spending Now But They Have Less Money than Before COVID' | 24:52'There's Not a Lot of Demand Competing for the Goods. The Problem Is Shortages.' | 25:11The American System Model of Building Infrastructure to Promote Growth & Production | 25:19Keep the Farmers and Small Businesses in Business | 25:30Hamilton: 'This Bank Is to Be Used for Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Development of the Economy' | 25:56'We've Had an Infrastructure Bank Before. The Problem Is Political.' | 26:33'If the Money Goes to Productive Purposes — Things that Do Pay Back — then You Have a Sustainable System.' | 27:06Muttardy: 'Policy Banks' Are Investing Money in the Most Productive Place | 27:52The US Needs a Long-Term Infrastructure Plan | 28:29What Are Common Objections to NIB? | 29:31Muttardy: The NIB Has Checks and Balances as Well as Transparency | 29:59NIB Will Have Engineers to Help Local Governments Design Efficient Systems | 30:37All NIB Loans Are Transparent for Public to See | 31:42Who Owns the Infrastructure Built with NIB Loans? | 32:02Hockett: Who Owns the Infrastructure Depends Upon the Project | 32:41Muttardy: Most NIB Loans Will Go to Public Entities who Own their Infrastructure | 34:03To Relieve Bottlenecks, NIB Can Make Private Sector Loans | 34:30The NIB's Role in Affordable Housing | 35:35Hockett: Historical Perspective on Housing | 36:19And more…