Citizen Staff Writer

Citizen Staff Report and The Arizona Republic

GLENDALE – While No. 4 Goodyear Millennium High School spent just shy of 3 1/2 hours to stun top-seeded Scottsdale Chaparral 5-2 Friday, No. 2 Catalina Foothills made fast work of upstart Prescott High 5-0 in boys tennis.

The two meet at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Paseo Racquet Center for the 4A-I state championship. Foothills has won the last four state titles.

Foothills swept the three doubles and got quick victories from Mike Tringali (6-0, 6-2) and Ravi Ram (6-0, 6-2) in singles.

“People might think (Foothills) has an advantage (getting off the court early), but the advantage for us is realizing we belong here,” Millennium coach Mo Tafolla said. “We’ve put ourselves on the map by reaching the state finals, our first ever.”

Despite its mastery of Prescott, Foothills coach Robb Salant wasn’t overly pleased.

“I wasn’t happy with how we played,” Salant said. “We can’t just come out and throw our racquets out there and expect to win. We have to work. Millennium is a scrappy team. I probably don’t like our chances as much as I did before I saw them play. Don’t get me wrong. I still like our chances and I’m glad I’m coaching this team.”

4A-I girls tennis

The only thing standing in the way of No. 4 Scottsdale Chaparral and a clean sweep of all three 4A-I girls tennis titles is No. 2 Catalina Foothills.

Last weekend, Chaparral’s Nikki Parker brought home the state singles title, and Molly Ruby and Elizabeth Hammond won doubles.

Friday at the Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale, Chaparral beat No. 1 Goodyear Millennium 5-3 to advance to team finals.

After Chaparral moved on, Catalina Foothills beat No. 6 Phoenix Sunnyslope 5-2 to set up Saturday’s 2 p.m. championship.

The highlight of the afternoon will be when Parker faces Catalina Foothills’ Zaina Sufi in a rematch of last weekend’s singles championship.

Sufi knows she needs to change things up in order to come out on top.

“I need to wait for my shots,” Sufi said. “Last time I forced it too much.

“I’m excited for it. She’s great, but I want another shot at her.”

Catalina Foothills won two of its three doubles matches to start its match and was never trailing at any time.

4A-II Boys tennis

The Palo Verde boys tennis team set the tone early in its match against Scottsdale Notre Dame on Friday, winning two out of three doubles matches in the 4A Division II semifinals at the Paseo Racquet Center.

But Notre Dame, the No. 2 seed, climbed back into it, tying the best of nine match at 4 in singles action before Palo Verde’s Anthony Monestero clinched the win, beating John Blumenreich 6-3, 6-3.

The 5-4 win puts No. 3 Palo Verde in Saturday’s championship match vs. No. 4 Chandler Seton Catholic, which upset No. 1 Scottsdale Arcadia 5-4 on Friday.

Saturday’s championship starts at 11 a.m. at the Paseo Racquet Center.

1A baseball

The Tanque Verde baseball team dominated its opening-round game Friday in the Class 1A state playoffs, beating Flagstaff Northland Prep 10-1 behind a 12-strikeout performance from pitcher Josh King, who also drove in a pair of runs.

Tanque Verde will play Pima at Tempe Diablo Complex 2 p.m. Saturday.

Foothills boys, girls, Palo Verde boys reach state tennis finals

Class 4A tennis championships

Three Tucson teams will play for Class 4A tennis team championships Saturday at Glendale’s Paseo Racquet Center.

Class 4A Division I – Boys

No. 2 Catalina Foothills vs. No. 4 Goodyear Millennium, 2 p.m.

Class 4A Division I – Girls

No. 2 Catalina Foothills vs. No. 4 Scottsdale Chaparral, 2 p.m.

Class 4A Division II – Boys

No. 3 Palo Verde vs. No. 4 Chandler Seton Catholic, 11 a.m.

Baseball/softball

There are 26 southern Arizona Class 4A and Class 5A baseball and softball teams in state playoff action Saturday around Arizona.

For updates on those games and all the small school state tournament action, log onto www.tucsoncitizen.com/blog Saturday for updates.

The Arizona Republic
THE BOUNCE

Former Santa Rita High wrestler Shawn Charles, a four-time All-American and two-time national runner-up at Arizona State, has been hired as the sixth head coach in the 47-year history of ASU’s program.

Charles, a native of Tucson, spent the past two seasons as assistant coach at Missouri. Previous career stops include one season as head coach at Fresno State, which disbanded its program, and assistant coaching stints at Brown, Nebraska, Central Michigan, Oklahoma and Iowa State.

He also served on the U.S. Olympic coaching staff in 2004 and 2008 and on the 2009 University World Team staff.

“I am excited to be back at my alma mater and to be the guy to put it all together and make Arizona State successful once again,” Charles said.

“One of my goals is to get the community involved with our program. I really believe that wrestling is a viable form of entertainment and I would really like to see the communities around Arizona get involved in supporting this form of entertainment.”

The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic
IN BRIEF

Although almost all of this week’s budget debate split along party lines (Republicans in favor, Democrats opposed), there was one island of tranquility where the warring parties put down their spears and united in a bipartisan rendition of “Kumbaya.”

Bringing us this moment of karmic come-togetherness is freshman Rep. Matt Heinz, D-Tucson. His idea is that the state should reduce by one year the length of time it holds unclaimed property. By doing so, the state could reap a one-time windfall of $40 million to $50 million, he estimates, because it could tap those unclaimed resources a year earlier.

“I know it’s a little gimmicky,” Heinz said in his best aw-shucks voice.

But members of the House Appropriations Committee liked it and adopted it as an amendment. Hey, that’s $40 million less in budget cuts, no small feat for a lawmaker, let alone a freshman.

The Arizona Republic

Citizen Staff Report and The Arizona Republic
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP

Citizen Staff Report and The Arizona Republic

On the first day of the Class 4A Gila Region track championship, Catalina High School’s Owai Khairandesh set a meet record of 1 minute, 58.19 seconds in the 800 meters Thursday at Amphi.

Teammate Daniel McIver edged Sahuarita’s Daniel Conorque in the high jump, clearing 6-feet, 6-inches to Conorque’s 6-4. Each jump surpassed Conorque’s 2008 meet record of 6-2.

Catalina’s boys lead second place Rio Rico 74-43 heading into Saturday’s final day of action.

In the girls meet, Catalina’s Magda Mankel (12:06.23) beat Rio Rico’s Aeoleone Bristow (12:27.92) in the 3,200.

Catalina’s girls (42) are beating Rio Rico (23) after four events.

Softball: 5A playoffs

At Phoenix’s Rose Mofford Park, No. 6 Salpointe Catholic beat No. 10 Mesa Dobson 5-1 to advance in the 5A Division I elimination bracket.

The Lancers play No. 11 Tempe Corona del Sol at Tempe Marcos de Niza High School at noon Saturday.

No. 5 Yuma Cibola 1, No. 16 Rincon/University 0 (9 innings): At Phoenix, Rincon’s ride ended Thursday when Cibola’s Alexis Gorman hit a one-out, ninth-inning single that scored Isabella Olea for the game’s only run.

Rincon (19-14) pitcher Kelsi Redding struck out 12 hitters.

“Rincon’s pitcher kept us off- balance,” Cibola coach Shelly Bauman said. “She did her job. It was tough.”

Baseball: 5A playoffs

Ironwood Ridge (17-13), the 15th seed, sent 16 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth inning, scoring 11 runs on 10 hits and beat No. 11 Tolleson 14-0 in five innings in a 5A-II elimination game.

“If this was video game, we would have unplugged it a long time ago and started over,” Tolleson coach Scott Richardson said.

Ironwood Ridge pitcher Kyle Kilgore allowed two hits while battling stomach flu all week.

“In the beginning of the game, I felt a little queasy,” he said. “But as the game went on, the nerves came down and adrenaline took over. I had my stuff today.”

Ironwood Ridge plays Peoria Centennial at 1 p.m. Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

(5A-II) No. 6 Peoria Centennial 5, No. 7 Sunnyside 2: The Blue Devils finish the season at 21-10.

(5A-I) No. 12 Salpointe 9, No. 9 Mesa Red Mountain 6: Michael Duarte went 3 for 4 with three RBIs for Salpointe, which plays No. 4 Phoenix Desert Vista at Phoenix Municipal Stadium at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The Arizona Republic
5A PREP TENNIS

The Arizona Republic

GLENDALE – It was an all Ironwood Ridge matchup in the Class 5A Division II boys doubles championship with No. 1 Timothy Holten and Dillon Kennedy defeating No. 2 Josh Taylor and Conor Spiegel 7-5, 6-1 for their second straight title.

Both sides came out strong in the first set, but Holten and Kennedy stepped it up in the second set against the familiar faces.

“It’s very odd facing your teammates,” Holten said. “But I’m glad they made it there too. It was a good battle.”

Kennedy thought the match was a good sign for Ironwood Ridge, which last week won its second straight team championship.

“It just shows how strong our team is that two of us can get that deep in the tournament,” Kennedy said. “It’s nice, but at the same time, it’s hard to see your teammates go down.”

Kennedy had a strong serve all match long, and Holten kept tracking down shots to his left and right with ease. The chemistry proved once again to be a winning combination.

“It’s awesome,” Kennedy said. “Two years in a row doesn’t happen very often so it’s special.”

Classmate Shannon Contreras fell 6-2, 6-0 in the 5A-II girls singles championship to Phoenix Pinnacle’s Priscilla Annoul.

Contreras, the team captain, earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament and advanced to the championship despite a large blister developing on her hand during Friday’s quarterfinal match.

5A-I girls

Senior Maggie McGeorge fell to Tempe Corona del Sol’s Kelsey Lawson 6-1, 6-1 in the Class 5A Division I singles championship.

Salpointe coach Perri Touché will lose McGeorge to graduation, and that loss brought on a few tears Saturday. She coached McGeorge throughout her career and thinks of her as one of her own.

“She’s been very successful on and off the court,” Touché said. “You name it, this kid has done it. It’s been an honor.”

Touché did have reason to celebrate and look forward. Her doubles team, a pair of freshmen cousins, earned the state title with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 victory over Xavier.

The girls, Lauren and Courtney Amos, battled through and won a first-set tiebreaker, which proved the turning point in the match.

Touché had a feeling the girls would win.

“The kids kind of got it,” she said, referring to the tiebreak. “They had momentum, and they were doing exactly what they were supposed to do.”

The Arizona Republic
1A PREP TENNIS

The Arizona Republic

PHOENIX – You might say they were poised for perfection.

The St. Gregory College Preparatory School boys tennis team completed a perfect season Saturday by beating Phoenix Valley Lutheran, 5-0, in the Class 1A championship at Phoenix Tennis Center.

St. Gregory went 15-0 this year to capture its second straight title.

“We definitely knew we had a good chance of bringing home the state title,” St. Gregory’s Jason Huo said after enduring a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win over Ben Meyer at No. 1 singles to seal the team title.

“We pulled through at the end. It’s a very gratifying moment for me and my team to win a state title.”

Three of St. Gregory’s wins came against 4A and 5A schools – a scheduling tactic coach Mark Swenson intends to continue.

St. Gregory’s Jess Weinstein beat T.J. Mendenhall, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 3 singles. Ryan Shainen beat Ben Bolognini, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 4. Youngwoo Seo beat Joel Kosberg, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 5. Chase Gerwin beat John Watson, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 6.

“I’m really happy with the season, not only with winning the state title, but doing well against the big schools,” Swenson said. “It feels important because we’re among the elite.”

Huo fell behind 6-5 in the second set before forcing a tie-breaker.

“Ben’s got an extremely solid forehand that I’ve got to look out for,” Huo said, adding he felt pressure to win the team’s decisive fifth point when he and teammate Sang Seo were still locked into long matches.

“It makes me really anxious. I had a fear of losing. One of us had to pull it out.”

The Arizona Republic
4A PREP TENNIS

The Arizona Republic

GLENDALE – Born 367 days apart, a pair of Palo Verde High School brothers battled it out Saturday in the Class 4A Division II tournament singles final.

With a powerful left-handed serve, the taller, younger Carlos Bermudez returned from a deficit to win the first set 6-4, then coasted in the second 6-1.

The top-seeded sophomore said he took pleasure in winning the tense match against brother Dominic, a sixth-seeded junior who won the individual championship as a freshman in 2007.

“I think he was nervous because I beat him last week, too,” Carlos said, referring to a win the 4A Gila Region championship. “(Our rivalry) goes back and forth, but, recently, I’ve been winning.”

The self-officiated match quickly became a heated one. Long rallies were often completed with close calls, brothers muttering under their breath and slapping their rackets against their thighs.

The competitors went through two different line judges after disagreements on calls. In between games they sat side-by-side on the bench, though neither looked tempted to speak to the other.

After graciously shaking hands at the end, Carlos was all smiles.

“This is what the school has been wanting,” he said. “The kids on the team want to win state, too.”

Palo Verde is a three seed in the team portion of the tournament and needs a win against Cottonwood Mingus on Tuesday to reach the semifinal.

4A-I boys

In a matchup of two friends and Catalina Foothills teammates, Zack Haffor got an early break in the first set against Daniel Hyman and rode that momentum to a 6-4, 6-3 win in the 4A Division I boys singles championship.

Just a short time earlier on a neighboring court at the Paseo Racquet Center, Goodyear Millennium’s Hunter and Yates Johnson topped Foothills’ Michael Tringali and Ravi Ram to capture the doubles championship.

Haffor and Hyman had to contend with fatigue after both played three-set matches in the semifinal round, and then in the championship both had to deal with the midday heat and moderate humidity on the near 90-degree afternoon.

“It was tougher than I thought,” Haffor said of the conditions. “But once I got that break in the first set, the momentum flipped and I was able to go from there.”

Haffor, the top seed, and Hyman, the No. 2 seed, each held serve in the first set before Haffor got that key break to enable him to take the first set, 6-4. Haffor didn’t let up after that, breaking Hyman’s serve twice more in the early going of the second set and then cruising to the championship.

While Haffor was happy to come away with the championship, beating his friend and teammate Hyman was bittersweet.

“It’s good because we’re really good friends,” Haffor said. “But it’s kind of tough because you’ve still got to drive back (to Tucson) together, knowing one of you won and one of you lost.”

Meanwhile, Millennium’s freshman twins, Hunter and Yates Johnson, took home the doubles championship with a 6-3, 6-3 win.

Despite looking physically overmatched against the Foothills seniors Tringali and Ram, both of whom are more than 6 feet tall, the Johnson twins kept their opponents off balance with their array of volleys and groundstrokes to come away with the title.

4A-I girls

In her first year of playing high school tennis, third-ranked Nikki Parker of Scottsdale Chaparral upset the No. 1 seed, Zaina Sufi of Catalina Foothills, 6-4, 6-4 in the 4A-I singles title match in Glendale.

Sufi put the first games up in each set, but 15-year-old Parker was consistent, never falling more than a game behind.

“I just kept pushing every point,” Parker said. “I kept playing and being aggressive. I gave it all I had. Everything. I left it all out there.”

THE BOUNCE

The Arizona Republic

Cactus League fans spent an estimated $359.5 million in 2009, a 7 percent increase over last year, giving Arizona an economic boost at a time when it needed help the most.

Two new teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cleveland Indians, helped contribute to the increase, as did the addition of a week’s worth of games. The Cactus League played 246 games in 2009 during a five-week season, compared with 177 during four weeks in 2008. This year’s numbers included 11 World Baseball Classic exhibition games, which, for the most part, were sparsely attended.

While the net attendance was up 20 percent, per-game attendance dropped about 1,000 from a year ago. But last spring was a particularly strong season and missed the fallout from the recession, which took hold in the summer and fall, said Robert Brinton, the Cactus League’s president.

In Tucson, the Arizona Diamondbacks drew 121,281 fans to 18 games and the Colorado Rockies drew 75,557 to 16 games.

The Chicago White Sox, who played their first season in Glendale after moving from Tucson, drew 91,782 fans to 15 games.

“Spring training delivered at a time when we really needed it,” Brinton said. “It’s the spring-training stimulus package, better than a government one. It’s like having a Super Bowl every year.”

Cactus League officials estimated that the economic impact of fan spending was $335 million in 2008 and $311 million in 2007.

According to Major League Baseball, overall spring-training attendance in both the Cactus League and Florida’s Grapefruit League was up 3.3 percent.

Arizona’s 20 percent increase more than offset Florida’s 7 percent decrease.

The Grapefruit League surpassed the Cactus League in total attendance, but that is likely to change next year when the Cincinnati Reds move to Goodyear, joining the Cleveland Indians.

SPRING SPIKE

Attendance at the Cactus League’s 246 games in 2009 was 1.58 million, up from 1.32 million at 177 games for 12 teams in 2008. Average attendance for the league’s 14 teams fell from 7,436 per game in 2008 to 6,418 in 2009.

Average attendance in 2009 :

1. Cubs 10,690

2. Dodgers 9,130

3. Giants 8,476

4. Mariners 6,927

5. Diamondbacks 6,738

6. White Sox 6,119

14. Rockies 4,722

*Excludes 2009 World Baseball Classic games.

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

UA hoops fans optimistic about Miller era

Re: UA basketball team will have buzz . . . in weaker Pac-10

• I have a lot of faith in the ability of new UA coach Sean Miller and his staff – more than I had in Lute Olson in the past few years. However, I think you are underestimating the rest of the Pac-10. A lot will depend on how many more recruits Miller lands in the next month. Right now, he needs more bodies to hold a decent practice. I look for the Cats to start slowly as the players and Miller get to know each other and finish strong at the end. Who knows if that will be enough? I prefer to keep expectations low and cut some slack. . . . I think Miller is a great hire, but it sure was torturous getting there. RJW52

• Enthusiasm is justified! The program was in total disarray after USC’s Tim Floyd rejected Jim Livengood’s offer. Now we have a skilled coach, two top 100 recruits we never thought we could get and the possibility of at least one more good recruit. BMW308428

The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic

Members of the U.S. Senate will be in Phoenix next week to hear how border violence is affecting the region.

On April 20, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will hear testimony from Gov. Jan Brewer, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and officials from Arizona communities near the Mexico border.

Drug violence has surged in Mexico. More than 6,000 people died in drug-related violence in Mexico in 2008, more than double the number from the previous year. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, a former Arizona governor, plans to send more than 100 federal agents to the border to help combat the wave of violence.

Some officials also say that rampant drug-related kidnappings in Phoenix are tied to the escalating brutality in Mexico.

The Phoenix field hearing is the latest in a string of similar border hearings held by Congress in recent weeks.

Next week’s meeting is special because senators can talk to people with firsthand knowledge in a state that’s affected the most, said Mark Buse, Sen. John McCain’s chief of staff. McCain sits on the committee and will attend the hearing with the committee’s chairman, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman.

McCain “thought it was very important to hold a hearing near the border, out in Arizona, where we can hear from . . . everyone who has been affected, everyone who has thoughts on the matter,” Buse said.

Some witnesses for the hearing, including Gordon and state Attorney General Terry Goddard, have already testified before Congress. Buse said their insights were still helpful.

The others on the list are Nogales Mayor Octavio Garcia Von Borstel, Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris, Jr., Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik and Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever.

After opening statements from senators on the panel, witnesses will testify and committee members will ask questions. Like most Senate hearings, the public can’t comment or ask questions.

The public can submit testimony to McCain’s office, which could be added to the committee’s record later, Buse said.

It’s unclear what action the senators plan to take after the hearing. The panel is gathering information, so McCain doesn’t have specific proposals yet, Buse said. “Obviously everything is on the table right now,” the chief of staff said. “The senator believes that this issue is not going to go away.”

Tucson Citizen and The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic and Tucson Citizen

Russ Pennell, coming off a Sweet 16 appearance in his only year at Arizona, will become the new men’s basketball coach at Grand Canyon University.

Grand Canyon informed current coach Dan Nichols on Wednesday about the decision to bring in Pennell.

Pennell declined comment to the Tucson Citizen. A news conference is set for 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Grand Canyon.

The 47-year-old Pennell, who took over for Lute Olson before the start of last season on an interim basis, has agreed in principle to a long-term deal.

Pennell will take over a Division II program that went 13-14 in Nichols’ only season. Pennell guided UA to a 21-14 record and kept alive the Wildcats’ streak of 25 NCAA Tournament bids.

Grand Canyon is petitioning to become Division I in basketball.

The school also plans to build a 6,000-seat basketball arena. The school likely would move up from Division II after next season, but it would have to go through a four-year probation period before becoming eligible for the NCAA Tournament.

Pennell formerly was an assistant coach under Rob Evans at Arizona State and ran the Premier Basketball Academy in Gilbert for elementary and high school players.

During the Final Four, which Pennell attended in Detroit, he told the Tucson Citizen that he had a few options.

He will become the second former UA head coach to guide Grand Canyon.

Ben Lindsey coached the Antelopes from 1965-81, taking them to a NAIA national title before being named the UA coach for the 1982-83 season. He went 4-24, 1-17 in Pac-10 play, and was fired after one season. UA then hired Olson.

Nichols came to Grand Canyon after spending seven seasons as head coach at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix.

GRAND CANYON COACHES

Year(s) Coach Record

1949-51 Howard Mansfield 2-19

1951-60 Dave Brazell 112-85

1960-61 Don Reed 12-10

1961-65 Dave Brazell 39-49

1965-81 Ben Lindsey 317-137

1981-83 Jay Arnote 40-19

1983-86 John Shumate 58-33

1986-88 Paul Westphal 63-18

1988-90 Bill Westphal 51-15

1990-04 Leighton McCrary 217-177

2004-08 Scott Mossman 65-47

2008-09 Dan Nichols 13-14

2009- Russ Pennell -

The Arizona Republic
ARIZONA’S BUDGET DEFICIT CRISIS

The Arizona Republic

The deficit looming in the state budget is at least $3 billion.

That’s a staggering figure, and difficult for state lawmakers to digest, much less the average citizen.

How big is $3 billion?

• If you cut out all general-fund money sent to the state university system, essentially shutting it down; eliminate the state prison system; close the state parks; stop state funding to the arts and welfare services; and get rid of the Commerce Department, you still wouldn’t close the gap.

• To erase the deficit, every man, woman and child in the state would have to send the treasury $473.28.

• Or, given the state’s current rate of spending- an average of $27 million a day – a budget $3 billion lighter than projected would mean government would have to shut down three and a half months before the year is up.

Arizona ranks second in the nation when it comes to the size of its deficit in comparison with its base budget: 28 percent, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Only Nevada, another fast-growth state hit hard by the mortgage meltdown, ranks higher.

Arizona builds half of its budget on the sales tax, which has faltered as the economy has gone south. It’s been followed by declines in the income tax, creating less money to cover the state’s costs, which are projected to hit $11 billion for 2009-10.

This upside-down situation has triggered revisions of the last two state budgets, and is the reason for the growing deficit that lawmakers must balance, as the state constitution requires, before the new budget year starts July 1.

Gov. Jan Brewer, who took office just over two months ago, minces no words describing the deficit. “We have a catastrophe here in Arizona,” she said. “It’s unbelievable. It gets worse each day.”

How we got here

It was only three years ago that Arizona lawmakers and then-Gov. Janet Napolitano were quarreling over how to spend a $1 billion surplus.

As long as the state’s tax collections kept growing, the state could afford spending.

But collections started to slow in 2007, and the last two state budgets needed mid-course corrections to bring them back into balance. The work is not over on the current-year budget that ends June 30: It’s about $500 million out of balance, even after a $1.6 billion “fix” was enacted in late January, cutting programs and services by nearly $600 million and adding in federal bailout money.

After plugging that growing hole, lawmakers need to tackle the deficit for next year.

Resolving a $3 billion deficit is made more difficult by the constraints lawmakers face.

About $7.3 billion of the budget is out of lawmakers’ control, driven either by existing law or mandates created by voters. For the coming fiscal year, if budget cuts were the only option, that would mean $3 billion coming from the remaining $3.7 billion. But GOP legislative leaders long ago conceded they can’t cut their way to a balanced budget. While cuts remain a key component, lawmakers also are looking at other moves to close the deficit. They include delaying scheduled payments to schools and universities and borrowing against future lottery dollars or against Arizona’s share of the federal tobacco settlement.

Federal stimulus dollars are estimated to bring more than $4 billion to Arizona. Many of those dollars are intended for specific causes, such as education, transportation and Medicaid, but they would ease the state’s obligation to those areas, if only for a year or so.

Brewer has agreed to accept stimulus dollars, and although some lawmakers have complained it could obligate the state to higher spending in the future, they have been willing to use the money to help balance the budget.

A few weeks after taking office, Brewer put another option on the table: a temporary tax increase. She said she concluded that tax cuts, budget maneuvers and even help from Washington won’t be enough to get the state through what she argues will be three rough budget years. House Speaker Kirk Adams said the state must be “extremely careful” about further burdening taxpayers during the economic downturn.

In addition to a tax hike, Brewer has called for tax reform, an idea that’s been raised often in times of budget duress, only to go nowhere.

What’s ahead

On Tuesday, the Legislature’s Finance Advisory Committee will release its latest forecast of the state’s economic condition. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee also is expected to revise its estimate of the state budget deficit upward. Senate leaders said last week it could go as high as $3.7 billion.

The ultimate deadline is July 1, when the 2009-10 fiscal begins. By that date, the state must have a budget that balances – if only for a little while.

Brewer said she hopes to get the tax-hike question before voters in September, if not sooner. But doing that would either require a majority vote in the Legislature – something that’s possible if Democrats band together with some Republicans – or a petition-gathering process that is tedious and time consuming.

Brewer has toyed with the idea of presenting voters with two scenarios: What Arizona would look like with a budget balanced with cuts and accounting maneuvers, and what the state would be able to do if a temporary tax increase, presumably in the sales tax, were in place. But before that comparison can start, lawmakers have to figure out how they’re going to tackle the deficit: Erase it with cuts and maneuvers or bridge it with temporary measures.

HOW MUCH IS $3,000,000,000?

Every man, woman and child in AZ would have to send the treasury $473.28.

OR

If you cut out all general-fund money sent to the state university system, essentially shutting it down; eliminate the state prison system; close the state parks; stop state funding to the arts and welfare services; and get rid of the Commerce Department, you still wouldn’t close the deficit gap.

The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic

Spring training could have a future in Tucson after all.

Southern Arizona leaders are working on legislation that would let Pima County voters decide if they want to raise sales taxes to build a new stadium and spend money renovating the existing homes of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.

The move comes in response to the Chicago White Sox departing this spring for a new stadium near Glendale. Executives for the remaining teams have said they don’t want to stay in the Old Pueblo if they are the only squads in southern Arizona, and both squads are considering proposals from communities near Phoenix.

The Rockies’ lease at Hi Corbett Field ends in 2011, and the Diamondbacks’ lease at Tucson Electric Park expires in 2012. However, the departure of the White Sox triggers an early-exit clause for the other two teams.

Tom Tracy, chairman of the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, said a yet-to-be-determined new stadium could be home to another major-league squad and possibly a Japanese baseball team.

“We want to show the Diamondbacks and Rockies we are committed to keeping them here, and we want to give them top-flight facilities,” Tracy said.

The plan, sponsored by state Rep. Vic Williams, R-Tucson, asks the Legislature to let Pima County voters decide on creating a sports taxing district similar to the one in Maricopa County. The district then would levy additional sales taxes on hotels, car rentals, restaurants, bars and retail. The tax rate would range from 0.15 to 0.45 percent.

Tracy said the additional taxes would generate about $17 million annually for 30 years, a steady revenue stream to pay off bonds for ballpark construction.

A similar bill died in the state Senate last year.

Leaders eye tax plan for spring training facilities

Citizen Staff Writer

The Arizona Republic

Raytheon Corp. says new “guided” missile technology developed in Tucson can help reduce civilian deaths and other collateral damage in combat.

Missiles equipped with Raytheon’s Paveway IV kit have new safety features aimed at preventing premature detonation.

The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence already has spent about $70 million on the technology, which it used in November and December in Afghanistan.

“We need to target precisely and accurately and hit precisely . . . where we want to,” said Commander Kevin Seymour of the UK’s Royal Navy strike wing, adding that the Paveway IV accomplishes that goal.

The system combines laser and global-positioning-system technology included in previous Paveway models to help missiles navigate through clouds and dust and more accurately pinpoint critical targets. The new kit also can be fitted to smaller missiles, resulting in less shrapnel when the bomb explodes on target.

Raytheon officials expect other foreign military agencies will buy the Paveway IV, which could be a boon for the company as some analysts expect the Obama administration to cut U.S. defense spending.

Howard Rubel, a stock analyst who follows Raytheon for Jefferies & Co. Inc. in New York City, wrote in a recent report that international sales “should nicely exceed U.S. defense spending over the next few years.”

The Royal Navy is Raytheon’s first Paveway IV customer.

About 350 of Raytheon’s 11,500 workers at its Tucson-based Missile Systems division designed and developed the Paveway IV and assemble the guidance-control components for the warhead system.

The system is the latest phase in Raytheon’s Paveway line.

Enhanced versions of the Paveway II and III systems include GPS and laser technology, but the IV also is equipped with new safety features the UK requested.

The fuse used for Paveway IV has a special feature that reduces the likelihood of missiles accidentally detonating if subjected to intense heat.

The new system also does not arm a missile until right before hitting a target.

“(So) you don’t have the risk of it exploding prematurely and hurting innocent people,” spokesman Mike Nachshen said.

Seymour said the Royal Navy dropped 12 Paveway IV missiles in Afghanistan last year.

Texas Instruments’ Defense Systems and Electronics Unit originally developed the Paveway line in the 1960s. Raytheon acquired that part of Texas Instruments in 1997.

More military agencies are likely to jump on board for Paveway IV when they order new aircraft, which have to be equipped with the missiles, said Harmon Stockwell, senior manager of business development for the Paveway program.

Ricky Freibert, Paveway program director at Raytheon, said a Middle Eastern country has expressed interest in buying Paveway IV missiles but declined to say which country.

Raytheon won the contract to build the Paveway IV for the UK in 2003, incorporating specific features the Royal Navy required.

The fuse used for Paveway IV has key features found in previous models, including an “airburst” function that allows a missile to explode before hitting a target.

The bomb can be programmed to explode at a specific altitude, which is useful for canvassing larger target areas, Freibert said.

However, the fuse can also delay explosion until after a missile hits a target to minimize collateral damage. For instance, a bomb could be timed to hit a specific corner of a building and not explode until after it has broken through a wall.

One bonus to the system is the flexibility it provides agencies. Like other Paveway programs, missiles equipped with Paveway IV do not need to be programmed before being shipped out on an aircraft, said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a security information Web site in Alexandria, Va.

The Paveway IV also can be used with lighter weight bombs, which results in less shrapnel from explosions and greater efficiency for carrying missiles.

“In today’s environment, where it is so important to not destroy infrastructure, a larger warhead is not necessarily better,” Stockwell said.

Raytheon Missile Systems

Headquarters: Tucson

Business: Division of Raytheon Corp., which builds weapons and defense technology for domestic and foreign military agencies

President: Taylor Lawrence

Employees: 11,500 in Tucson, 12,500 total

Revenue: $5.4 billion in 2008, up 7.7 percent from 2007

Web site: www.raytheon.com

The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic

From the houses of anti-speed-camera advocates to the state House of Representatives, speed-enforcement cameras in Arizona are under siege.

This session, the Legislature has produced at least 14 bills filed on the topic, with most aiming to eliminate it or make tickets less punitive.

In the state Senate, a pair of resolutions would put the question of whether and how to use photo enforcement on highways to Arizona voters.

Just in case lawmakers choose not to act on the bills in front of them, two initiatives and a Constitutional amendment have been filed with the Secretary of State’s Office.

Organizers are gathering signatures every day, they say.

“We can’t print the petitions fast enough,” said D.T. Arneson, a volunteer with camerafraud.com, which opposes photo enforcement of traffic violations. “The response is explosive.”

Others aren’t so sure. A January poll of registered voters by Public Opinion Strategies said that 61 percent of voters surveyed support the use of cameras to catch speeders on freeways that run through Arizona cities, with 67 percent supporting cameras on city streets.

The poll was sponsored by American Traffic Solutions, which holds photo-enforcement contracts in Phoenix, Mesa, Tucson, Pima County and more than 125 municipalities and government agencies in the United States and Canada.

James Tuton, the CEO of ATS, said his company had no influence on the poll’s results. He said they affirm the basic desire of most Arizonans to use cameras to supplement law enforcement.

Tuton said the system should be improved. He opposes grouping cameras closely together, for example, and says a better public-awareness campaign would improve the system’s effectiveness and public support for it.

“We have a ‘fix it, don’t kill it’ concept,” Tuton said.

Photo enforcement

under siege

A sampling of some of the proposals to eliminate or modify photo enforcement.

• House Bill 2106

What it would do: Prohibit photo enforcement on state highways.

Where it stands: Passed out of committee, but was stricken from a House consent calendar. Awaits a further vote.

• House Bill 2124

What it would do: You could not be ticketed unless you were going more than 20 mph over the posted speed limit, or faster than 35 mph in a school zone.

Where it stands: Awaits a committee hearing.

• Senate Bill 1347

What it would do: Require various signs in advance of enforcement zones, including one that says you have to be going 11 mph over the posted speed to get a ticket.

Where it stands: Awaits a committee hearing.

• Senate Bill 1364

What it would do: Make cities determine the speed of 85 percent of the vehicles on a highway with speed cameras and then set the cameras to issue tickets only to vehicles traveling at least 11 mph over that speed.

Where it stands: Awaits a committee hearing.

• Arizona Photo Enforcement Act

What it would do: Proposed Constitutional amendment would prohibit the use of photo enforcement except within school-crossing zones while school is in session.

Where it stands: Supporters attempting to gather 230,047 signatures to get it on the 2010 ballot.

• Arizona Citizens Against Photo Radar

What it would do: Proposed initiative would ban the issuance of citations from speed cameras.

Where it stands: Supporters attempting to gather 153,365 signatures to get it on the 2010 ballot.

Citizen Staff Writer

The Arizona Republic

and SHERYL KORNMAN

skornman@tucsoncitizen.com

Arizona has added 123,000 food-stamp recipients since the recession began in December 2007.

The growing number of individuals on the food stamp roster gives the state one of the nation’s fastest-growing caseloads of food stamp recipients.

In October 2007, more than 500,000 individuals received food stamp assistance statewide, Liz Barker Alvarez, spokeswoman for the state Department of Economic Security, said Friday. The department administers the program.

By last October, that number had grown by 22 percent, to 706,577 statewide.

Tens of thousands more Arizonans are eligible for food assistance, federal officials estimate.

In Pima County, the number of food stamp recipients grew from 98,211 in October 2007 to 116,297 last October, an increase of 20 percent.

In Pima County, the average allotment to a family receiving food stamps is $255.37 monthly, Alvarez said.

As the recession deepens with no end in sight, officials across Arizona and the nation are likely to see increasing requests for help in obtaining food, the most basic of needs.

The millions of additional people turning now to food stamps are putting a further strain on taxpayers.

Marco Liu, who heads the food-stamp program for DES, said many of Arizona’s new recipients have lost work or had their hours cut, pushing them to seek help.

“It really is a combination of things,” he said, adding that many of the state’s recipients work but still meet federal income criteria to qualify.

This year, a person making less than $14,000 or a family of four earning less than about $29,000 can qualify for food stamps.

Arizona’s caseload spike parallels its steep job losses.

The state ranks third in the country in the number of jobs lost since 2007. In that year, when the nation’s food-stamp list shrank nearly 1 percent, Arizona’s caseload grew nearly 1 percent. In 2008, the nation’s rolls grew 7.3 percent while Arizona’s grew 15.2 percent, records show.

The price of the program also has shot up rapidly. Last year, Arizonans received more than $63 million in food-stamp aid, compared with less than $20 million in 2001. The increase, which far outpaced the state’s population growth, stemmed from a rise in both federal funding and number of applicants.

Like many states, Arizona has sought to enroll more recipients. Liu said that’s partly because the state pays only some administrative costs and, unlike with some federal programs, everyone who is eligible is entitled to receive aid.

Cynthia Zwick, executive director of the Arizona Community Action Association, said the state has fallen far short in its efforts to reach everyone who is eligible. Two years ago, the Legislature trimmed $50,000 in funds for outreach by her organization, Zwick said. With the loss of federal matching funds, she estimated, her budget for food-stamp outreach dropped to $57,000 from $157,000.

“It’s wholly inadequate to do a good job,” Zwick said. “What it means, practically, is that many families that are eligible for the benefit aren’t finding out about it. It has been underenrolled in Arizona for years.”

Liu said Arizona would like to emulate Oregon’s outreach efforts, but U.S. Department of Agriculture records suggest the states are far apart in what they are willing to spend. Arizona set aside $28,500 in 2008 for outreach, compared with Oregon’s $433,000. The federal government matches the funds.

Federal reports show 39 percent of eligible Arizonans did not participate in the program in 2006, the latest period studied by the USDA. By comparison, 15 percent of eligible Oregonians didn’t participate. Nationally, 33 percent of those eligible do not participate, the USDA reports.

The program is limited to Americans and some legal immigrants and is based on the number of people requiring assistance in each family. Those receiving assistance earn less than 130 percent of the federal poverty line. They can buy food but not other items such as cigarettes or alcohol, using a debit card issued to them.

$3.40 in aid per day

Despite the program’s rising costs, those who receive the aid find it doesn’t go far.

For years, the program’s aid covered enough to ensure that recipients could afford the “Thrifty Food Plan,” a low-cost, minimally acceptable diet established by the USDA. But since 1996, assistance has fallen increasingly short of covering what is needed to follow the diet, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington-based organization that advocates for the poor.

In 2008, the average monthly benefit per person was about $102, USDA figures show. That amounts to less than $3.40 in aid per day. Liu said other initiatives help meet the area’s needs, such as welfare plans, food banks and subsidized lunches for students.

Do I qualify?

The state provides a Web tool to help Arizonans find out if they might qualify for more than two dozen government programs, from food stamps to emergency cash assistance. Go to

www.arizonaselfhelp.org