politics Archives - 探花精选 /tag/politics/ Business is our Beat Wed, 21 Oct 2020 16:50:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/cropped-Icon-Full-Color-Blue-BG@2x-32x32.png politics Archives - 探花精选 /tag/politics/ 32 32 Nation鈥檚 top economic adviser talks recovery, urges Arizona to reject Prop. 208 /2020/10/21/kudlowchamber-w-pic-of-kudlow-and-screen-shot-of-hamer-tweet-at-https-twitter-com-glennhamer-status-1318270257228738560/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kudlowchamber-w-pic-of-kudlow-and-screen-shot-of-hamer-tweet-at-https-twitter-com-glennhamer-status-1318270257228738560 /2020/10/21/kudlowchamber-w-pic-of-kudlow-and-screen-shot-of-hamer-tweet-at-https-twitter-com-glennhamer-status-1318270257228738560/#respond Wed, 21 Oct 2020 16:50:16 +0000 https://chamberbusnews.wpengine.com/?p=14479 The White House鈥檚 senior adviser on economic affairs outlined what Arizona businesses can expect if President Donald Trump is re-elected during an event sponsored by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Arizona Bankers Association last week.  The nation鈥檚 top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, also urged the business community here to reject Arizona鈥檚 […]

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The White House鈥檚 senior adviser on economic affairs outlined what Arizona businesses can expect if President Donald Trump is re-elected during an event sponsored by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Arizona Bankers Association last week. 

The nation鈥檚 top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, also urged the business community here to reject Arizona鈥檚 Proposition 208 tax increase. 

Larry Kudlow

Pushing Arizona鈥檚 income tax rates higher during the pandemic would be foolish timing, said Kudlow, the assistant to the president for economic policy and the director of the National Economic Council. 

鈥淲hile men and women are returning to work, this is not the time to raise taxes,鈥 said Kudlow,  who leads the coordination of the president鈥檚 domestic and global economic policy agenda.

Unwise timing for a hike in income tax rates聽

If passed, the so-called 鈥淚nvest in Ed鈥 proposition will raise the state鈥檚 top income tax rate by 77.7 percent, making Arizona鈥檚 top income tax rate higher than every other state in the West except California, and one of the ten-highest nationwide. 

鈥淲e are coming out of a pandemic contraction. We do not want to be removing money from the economy,鈥 Kudlow warned. 

Higher income tax rates would erode Arizona鈥檚 economic edge at a critical time. Right now, Arizona is seen as a desirable location to live, play and do business. 

鈥淎rizona鈥檚 personal and business taxes have been moderate down the years. It鈥檚 a hot sunbelt state and you don鈥檛 want to destroy that story,鈥 he said.  

Data speaks to successes聽

During the event, Kudlow detailed Trump鈥檚 platform for the economy moving forward, the administration鈥檚 successes so far, and efforts to help those still struggling from pandemic disruptions including small businesses, the airline industry and the unemployed. 

One only has to look at data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve to count the success of the administration鈥檚 economic policies over the past four years, he said.

Prior to the pandemic, the standard of living went up for the first time in 20 years, corporate and individual income taxes dropped, and regulatory red tape was reduced, Kudlow said. 

鈥淚nequity fell, poverty fell, unemployment fell, the living standard rose and family income rose,鈥 he said.

Platform forward would be a repeat of past four years聽

Basically, the economic plan for the next term would be a repeat of the White House鈥檚 guiding principles the past four years, he said. 

鈥淭hat is, lowering business taxes across the board, lowering individual taxes, and rolling back costly and burdensome regulations,鈥 Kudlow said.

Keeping the economy open and reopening schools while practicing all the lessons learned about masking, social distancing and hygiene is a top priority, he said. 

Also high on the list are investment in new technology advances in energy, particularly in natural gas fracking and horizontal drilling, and the brokering of 鈥渂etter鈥 global trade deals to mimic the success of the new free trade agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). 

Good news for full economic recovery聽

A rash of economic indicators show that the pandemic recovery will be V-shaped, Kudlow said. A V-shape recovery is characterized by a quick and sustained recovery in measures of economic performance after a sharp economic decline.

Currently, about 80 percent of the economy has recovered and about 50 percent of the unemployed are back to work, he said. Industry sectors like construction, auto sales and manufacturing, and certain retail sectors are seeing 鈥渂ooming鈥 growth. 

Meanwhile, unemployment is dropping. Since the country was shut down at the start of COVID-19, about 14 million workers are back to work, bringing unemployment down to 7.9 percent, he said.

CARES Act helped keep businesses, individuals afloat

Part of the recovery is due to the CARES Act economic stimulus package that was passed by Congress and signed by the president to help the country survive the shutdown.

About 12 million people are still unemployed, he said. Moving forward, Congress is trying to broker another package to help those still struggling. 

鈥淲e look at this (package) as being smart and targeted,鈥 Kudlow said. 鈥淭he other side sees this as a political and ideological wish list.鈥

Nevertheless, the Republicans and the president are willing to 鈥渃ompromise and put up more dollars to make a deal.鈥

Meanwhile, $139 billion from the act is still waiting to be allocated. Congressional members need to pass stand-alone bills to appropriate the funding to aid those still in need. 

President 鈥渞ewards success鈥

In conclusion, Trump鈥檚 economic policies 鈥渉ave benefited those who need it most,鈥 Kudlow said. A vote for Trump will be a vote for America鈥檚 recovery. 

鈥淗e鈥檚 a president who wants to reward success and promote workers. Whereas my friends on the other side seem to always want to punish success.鈥

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National economists: Prop. 208 to reduce state鈥檚 competitive edge /2020/10/14/noprop208-w-graphic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=noprop208-w-graphic /2020/10/14/noprop208-w-graphic/#respond Wed, 14 Oct 2020 17:03:19 +0000 https://chamberbusnews.wpengine.com/?p=14402 A new report that analyzes the economic impact of Proposition 208 in Arizona shows it will likely place Arizona 8th or 9th in the nation for the highest income tax rates. Negative unintended聽consequences will likely follow, two nationally renowned economists said Tuesday.聽聽 The ballot initiative is intended to tax the state鈥檚 highest earners, but those […]

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A that analyzes the economic impact of Proposition 208 in Arizona shows it will likely place Arizona 8th or 9th in the nation for the highest income tax rates. Negative unintended聽consequences will likely follow, two nationally renowned economists said Tuesday.聽聽

The ballot initiative is intended to tax the state鈥檚 highest earners, but those at the bottom of the income scale would suffer most, said Stephen Moore, an American author and television commentator on economic issues, who released the report during a press conference hosted by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 not the rich people that are going to be hurt. The rich can pay higher taxes or they can go somewhere else. It鈥檚 really the people at the bottom who will lose jobs,鈥 Moore said. 鈥淎bout half the impact of this tax will be paid not by big corporations and not, you know, the very, very wealthy, but will be paid by the small business owners. 

Moore and fellow economist and researcher Dr. Arthur Laffer conducted an analysis of how tax rates have affected states over the past 30 years for the report, 鈥淎rizona鈥檚 Proposition 208 Loses Jobs and Harms Small Businesses.鈥 

What they found is that almost all states with lower income tax rates perform better than higher income tax rate states in most economic indicators. 

Initiative would almost double top tax rate

Proponents of the measure, also known as Invest in Ed, want to tax high income earners to provide funding for K-12 education. 

Under the initiative, Arizona鈥檚 top income tax rate would be raised from 4.5 to 8 percent 鈥 almost an 80 percent increase for individuals who earn $250,000 and joint filers who earn $500,000.  

Couldn鈥檛 come at a worse time for small business

The tax increase would come at a time that could further devastate a large number of small businesses that may be affected by the new tax, said Laffer, who is known as the “Father of Supply-side Economics” for inspiring a world-wide tax-cutting movement in the 1980s. 

Those most at risk are small businesses still struggling to keep their doors open during the pandemic. 

Simply put, Arizona would move from having the 13th lowest income tax rate on small businesses to the 8th or 9th highest in the nation, Laffer said. 

Raising taxes when the nation is trying to recover from the COVID-19 is 鈥渋nappropriate and foolish,鈥 Laffer said. 

Almost all states with lower tax rates perform better

Such a drastic increase would dampen investment and growth, and research backs that up, they said. 

In conducting their research, the economists examined how similar types of tax increases over the past 30 years have affected states. Almost all states with low or zero income tax rates performed better in most economic indicators than those states with high tax rates, they found. 

High tax states saw less revenue for government responsibilities, including education, Laffer said. 

An analysis of the 11 states that introduced income taxes since the 1960s shows they are at the 鈥渧ery bottom of performance鈥 in not only economic and population growth, but revenue for public services, Laffer said. 

Harsh implications for Arizona

Using data from other states, the economists measured the impact Arizona鈥檚 Proposition 208 would likely have on jobs, wages, interstate migration, tax revenue collections, state competitiveness, and small businesses.

They found that all areas would likely suffer, making 鈥淎rizona residents poorer and the state鈥檚 economy less competitive.鈥 

Among their findings:

鈥n estimated 200,000 jobs and about $25.5 billion in personal income would be lost over the  next 10 years. 

鈥 Fifty percent of the tax would be borne by small business owners and operators that typically generate from half to two-thirds of the jobs in a state.  

鈥 Arizona鈥檚 economic competitive position among the 50 states would fall from No. 10 to No. 16, according to the ALEC-Laffer competitiveness index.

鈥he state would lose 700,000 people in net instate migration over just the next decade.

鈥age growth would decline in the state and after a decade average household income would be roughly $6,000 lower with the tax hike. 

鈥 loss of businesses, jobs and taxes from in-migration would reduce by half the proponents estimate of $1 billion in tax revenue gains 

鈥淭he preponderance of the evidence shows a negative effect when states raise income taxes,鈥 Laffer said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 because we鈥檙e a country where people can move across borders. We鈥檙e a very mobile population. Businesses, corporations and financial capital can move across borders and they do.

鈥淭hey move to places where they have the best pro-growth and pro-business atmosphere.鈥

About Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore is FreedomWorks’ chairman of the Task Force on Economic Revival. He previously served as president of the Club for Growth, chief economist of the Heritage Foundation, and as a member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board.

Stephen Moore

About Arthur Laffer

Arthur Laffer is the founder and chairman of Laffer Associates, an institutional economic research and consulting firm, as well as Laffer Investments, an institutional investment management firm utilizing diverse investment strategies. Dr. Laffer’s economic acumen and influence in triggering a world-wide tax-cutting movement in the 1980s have earned him the distinction in many publications as “The Father of Supply- Side Economics.”

Arthur Laffer

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Keeping entrepreneurship alive and thriving in the pandemic /2020/10/12/entrepreneur-w-pic-of-schweikert/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=entrepreneur-w-pic-of-schweikert /2020/10/12/entrepreneur-w-pic-of-schweikert/#respond Mon, 12 Oct 2020 17:37:32 +0000 https://chamberbusnews.wpengine.com/?p=14389 To check the pulse of entrepreneurs across the nation during COVID-19, Arizona U.S. Representative David Schweikert and other members of Congress met with business owners from across the nation during a virtual roundtable last week. The lawmakers said they wanted to hear directly from business owners so they can better craft effective legislation going forward […]

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To check the pulse of entrepreneurs across the nation during COVID-19, Arizona U.S. Representative David Schweikert and other members of Congress met with business owners from across the nation during a virtual roundtable last week.

Rep. David Schweikert

The lawmakers said they wanted to hear directly from business owners so they can better craft effective legislation going forward and find gaps where small businesses are falling through the cracks. 

Schweikert said small retailers and restaurants are showing some of the highest displacement numbers, and an 鈥渦nusually high鈥 number of new business filings indicates they are starting new businesses. 

Congress needs to find a way to help them succeed, he said.

鈥淭his may be really important for the country鈥檚 economic recovery and those in the policymaking world are going to have to think about everything from access to capital, to the regulatory state, and how do we help microbusinesses that are going to be run from home for awhile,鈥 Schweikert said. 鈥淗ow do you help them hit the launchpad and take off? That needs to be part of the economic recovery plan as we work through this.鈥

Schweikert co-hosted the event with Rep. Bill Foster (IL) and Rep. French Hill (AR) who spoke of legislation to help, including possibly extending the federal Paycheck Protection Program that helped millions of small businesses keep their employees on the payroll, their lights on and rent paid for months during COVID-19 shutdowns. 

All three, once young entrepreneurs themselves, are co-chairs of the bipartisan House Entrepreneurship , which serves as a forum for lawmakers to stay abreast of the most pressing issues facing businesses.  
The event, the Entrepreneurship Roundtable, was hosted with the . The center is a nonpartisan research, policy, and advocacy organization that works with policymakers in Washington and across the country to achieve a policy environment that promotes new business formation, survival, and growth.

Bumpy ride for all聽

At the roundtable event, entrepreneurs from a range of industries including technology, real estate, digital food service, engineering, and marketing detailed the damage all experienced and what they need moving forward. 

All reported deep dives in revenues from the disruptions. All have also managed to keep their companies open. 

Federal stimulus programs helped, they said. 

鈥淲e might have survived without federal assistance, but it would have meant significant layoffs and downsizing. We did not lay off one person,鈥 said Jimi Allen, CEO and founder of , a marketing and visual services company in Aurora, Colorado.

Almost all of the executives said they benefited from two federal stimulus loan programs created earlier this year to help businesses with 500 or fewer employees: the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, they said.  

Remote workers here to stay?

All of the companies said they have had to go to completely or partially remote operations.  

Lori Anna Harrison of Scottsdale real estate marketing firm , said working remotely has been so successful for her company, they have no intention of switching back. 

鈥淲e will never go back to brick and mortar,鈥 said Harrison. 鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 impacted clients at all. We are able to give the same level of service.鈥

Businesses owned by people of color being left behind聽

Sky Kelley, the Black owner of Avisare, a Los Angeles company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help government agencies and small businesses procure contracts, said COVID-19 almost devastated her business. 

When the pandemic hit, Avisare was in the late stages of negotiating a major contract with their first private client. That deal instantly went away, she said. Other deals also fell through with government agencies that suddenly were financially strapped as well. 

Meanwhile, all of her highly skilled engineer employees, who were earning six figure incomes, had to move to independent contractor status.

When Kelley applied for a PPP loan, she was turned down. After repeated phone calls and reapplying for an EIDL loan she finally received $68,000. 

Nevertheless, Avisare has survived by scrambling to find new business, she said.

鈥淲e were able to ride through it, but we had to get really creative and do double duty while also managing kids and home and childcare.鈥澛

Kelley also expressed concerns that businesses owned by people of color are falling by the wayside during the pandemic, especially companies owned by African Americans.

Legislation to support entrepreneurship聽

After hearing from the company heads, Schweikert and the other congressional members spoke of measures they and others are making to help spur innovation and prevent entrepreneurs from falling through the cracks. 

The New Business Preservation Act, for example, would provide funding for innovation and startups. The bill also has provisions to protect women and people of color. 

Schweikert said Congress is continuing to work to come to agreement on a stimulus package for small businesses. 

America鈥檚 edge relies on entrepreneurship, he said. 

“Small businesses have always been, and will continue to be, an integral part of our communities,鈥 Schweikert said.

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Arizona governor vows to take commerce higher in 2020 /2020/01/14/arizona-governor-vows-to-take-commerce-higher-in-2020/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=arizona-governor-vows-to-take-commerce-higher-in-2020 /2020/01/14/arizona-governor-vows-to-take-commerce-higher-in-2020/#respond Tue, 14 Jan 2020 16:00:31 +0000 https://chamberbusnews.wpengine.com/?p=12712 Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey laid out a multitude of goals for 2020 that revolve around issues important to business and industry during his sixth State of the State address Monday. Among his priorities? No new taxes. Stronger ties with Mexico. Innovation in water conservation and management. Broadband for rural areas. Workforce training. Highway expansion. And […]

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Gov. Doug Ducey at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Legislative Forecast Luncheon on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. (Graham Bosch/探花精选)
Gov. Doug Ducey at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Legislative Forecast Luncheon on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. (Graham Bosch/探花精选)

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey laid out a multitude of goals for 2020 that revolve around issues important to business and industry during his sixth State of the State address Monday.

Among his priorities? No new taxes. Stronger ties with Mexico. Innovation in water conservation and management. Broadband for rural areas. Workforce training. Highway expansion. And much more.

Ducey, whose tenure has centered around spurring economic growth and boosting the state鈥檚 鈥渞ainy day鈥 reserves to a whopping $1 billion, stated that businesses and citizens can expect more of the same this year.

鈥淲e got here by doing things our way. The Arizona way. And I鈥檓 here to tell you, you ain鈥檛 seen nothin鈥 yet,鈥 Ducey said as he addressed a crowd of lawmakers, civic leaders and others at the state Capitol to coincide with the opening day of the legislative session.

Building on state鈥檚 economic boom

The governor spoke for over an hour, laying out plans to increase funding for academic achievement for low-income children, pay raises for many state workers, increased mental health services and reduced government fees and 鈥渞ed tape.鈥

He also touted Arizona鈥檚 successes.

The state now outshines most of the country in almost every venue, he said: 鈥淭he prime rate is dropping, school test scores are rising, and our debt is way down. Household incomes have hit a record high and our poverty rate has dropped faster than any other state in the nation.鈥

Arizona already outshines rest of nation

Arizona now is in the top ten when it comes to jobs in transportation, technology, science and healthcare, Ducey said.

He highlighted keystones of his administration: eliminating regulatory red tape, reducing government fees and making Arizona the first state to grant universal recognition of out-of-state occupational licenses.

It鈥檚 no surprise why 300 people are moving here every day, he said.

鈥淥ther states and Washington, D.C. politicians may be focused on growing government. Arizona grows opportunity,鈥 Ducey said. 鈥淥ur population is surging, but the size of our government is actually shrinking.鈥


Here are eight business takeaways from Ducey鈥檚 speech:

No new taxes

鈥淟et me reiterate what I鈥檝e said in five prior State of the State speeches and two inaugural addresses, because apparently it bears repeating. No new taxes. Not this session. Not next session. Not here in this chamber. Not at the ballot box. Not on my watch.鈥

Investment in teachers, students and schools

鈥淚n total, we鈥檝e pumped $4.5 billion in new investments into Arizona schools. With our latest budget, that figure will rise to $6.6 billion. And we鈥檝e done all of this without raising taxes.

鈥淚n addition, an even larger investment in school counselors, cops on campus and school safety. A stronger focus on CTE (Career and Technical Education) and the trades. More money for the Arizona Teachers Academy and Teach for America. And a full, complete and accelerated restoration of flexible funding two years ahead of schedule.鈥

Rural jobs

鈥淭here鈥檚 no shortage of new jobs in Arizona, but many vital jobs remain unfilled in our rural communities. So, we鈥檝e got a plan 鈥 a Rural Jobs Initiative.

鈥淔irst, tourism and state parks. There鈥檚 no place more beautiful to vacation than scenic Arizona, and with an infusion of new dollars, we’re going to work with Tourism Director Debbie Johnson to ensure the whole world knows it.

鈥淣ext, workforce. Small business is the backbone of our economy. So, we鈥檙e launching a partnership with Local First Arizona to strengthen small businesses, get rural Arizonans back to work and bolster our local economies.鈥

Long term water planning

鈥淲e will continue to protect Lake Mead, the Colorado River, groundwater and our [agriculture] jobs. But we shouldn鈥檛 be dealing with this issue one generation at a time. We need a strategic ongoing effort to turn Arizona into the international capital for water technology.

鈥淟ook at all that Israel has done. Why not Arizona? We鈥檝e been a leader on water, and with this approach, we will continue to be an even stronger leader far into the future.鈥

Improving infrastructure with I-10鈥檚 widening

鈥淭he Phoenix-Tucson corridor is an economic artery for our state, and it needs expanding. It鈥檚 time to accelerate completion of I-10鈥檚 widening 鈥 in both directions 鈥 between our two largest cities.

鈥淥ur budget puts the pedal to the metal with the construction of a new six-lane bridge over the Gila River. This replaces a 56-year-old bridge. 62,000 people drive over it every day. That鈥檚 23 million a year. So, let鈥檚 break ground ASAP.鈥

Connecting rural Arizona to high-speed internet

鈥淩ural areas still lack high-speed internet. Let鈥檚 triple our investment in Rural Broadband Grants and also invest $50 million in Smart Highway Corridors to install broadband along our rural interstates.

“This will make our highways safer and smarter than ever before and pave the way to get all of rural Arizona logged on.鈥

Filling labor gaps

鈥淎SU, U of A and NAU have also stepped up to fuel our economy, and we鈥檙e about to pour on the gas. [Arizona Board of] Regents Chair Larry Penley has proposed what he calls 鈥楾he New Economy Initiative.鈥

鈥淚t鈥檚 an innovative approach that enhances our capacity to graduate more students for the critical jobs of today and tomorrow. It鈥檚 just the latest effort by our universities to solve problems and do it the Arizona way.鈥

Eliminating government red tape

鈥淚鈥檝e issued a new Executive Order, with a new reform: If the government ever deems a new regulation absolutely necessary, it must first identify three others to eliminate. The result: New regulations will naturally mean less regulations.鈥


Business community cheers

The Arizona business community leaders cheered the governor鈥檚 message of continued economic momentum.

鈥淪mall-business owners are thrilled to hear that despite record state revenues, our governor will not be going on a spending spree with our taxpayer dollars,鈥 said Chad Heinrich, the Arizona state director for the National Federation of Independent Business. 鈥淲hile states like our neighbor California and others like Illinois and New York continue to lose residents, Arizona is the No. 1 inbound state for a reason: Low taxes, reasonable regulations and a government that is open to small-business entrepreneurs.鈥

Arizona Chamber of Commerce of Industry President and CEO Glenn Hamer was equally enthusiastic about the governor鈥檚 message and his pledge to hold the line on efforts to overspend.

鈥淭he governor made clear that he is going to work to improve our state鈥檚 tax climate, while removing regulatory barriers to growth. Competitive tax and regulatory environments have been central to our economic growth,鈥 Hamer said. 鈥淲e share his commitment to strongly resisting measures that will reverse our economic progress.鈥

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Request To Speak – Episode 9: Arizonans of the Year /2019/12/20/request-to-speak-episode-9-arizonans-of-the-year/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=request-to-speak-episode-9-arizonans-of-the-year /2019/12/20/request-to-speak-episode-9-arizonans-of-the-year/#respond Fri, 20 Dec 2019 19:05:28 +0000 https://chamberbusnews.wpengine.com/?p=12541 In 2019’s聽final episode of “Request To Speak,”聽host Garrick Taylor, executive聽vice president聽of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, asks his guests for their “Arizonan of the Year” 鈥 anyone from the state who they feel has had a significant impact on Arizona residents. Featuring Bob Charles, director of First Strategic; Jessie Armendt, Compass Strategies senior […]

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In 2019’s聽final episode of “Request To Speak,”聽host Garrick Taylor, executive聽vice president聽of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, asks his guests for their “Arizonan of the Year” 鈥 anyone from the state who they feel has had a significant impact on Arizona residents. Featuring Bob Charles, director of First Strategic; Jessie Armendt, Compass Strategies senior associate; and Lorna Romero, owner and founder of Elevate Strategies.

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Request To Speak – Episode 8: Predictions for 2020 /2019/12/19/request-to-speak-episode-8-predictions-for-2020/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=request-to-speak-episode-8-predictions-for-2020 /2019/12/19/request-to-speak-episode-8-predictions-for-2020/#respond Thu, 19 Dec 2019 19:59:42 +0000 https://chamberbusnews.wpengine.com/?p=12526 Next up on “Request To Speak,” host Garrick Taylor asks his guests about their predictions for 2020, including the presidential election, a U.S. Senate race and聽the Arizona Cardinals. Featuring guest panelists: Bob Charles, director of First Strategic; Jessie Armendt, senior associate at Compass Strategies; and Lorna Romero, owner and founder of Elevate Strategies. Join us […]

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Next up on “Request To Speak,” host Garrick Taylor asks his guests about their predictions for 2020, including the presidential election, a U.S. Senate race and聽the Arizona Cardinals. Featuring guest panelists: Bob Charles, director of First Strategic; Jessie Armendt, senior associate at Compass Strategies; and Lorna Romero, owner and founder of Elevate Strategies. Join us again tomorrow!

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Request To Speak – Episode 7: A Look Back at 2019 /2019/12/18/request-to-speak-episode-7-a-look-back-at-2019/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=request-to-speak-episode-7-a-look-back-at-2019 /2019/12/18/request-to-speak-episode-7-a-look-back-at-2019/#respond Wed, 18 Dec 2019 19:00:57 +0000 https://chamberbusnews.wpengine.com/?p=12500 On the latest episode of “Request To Speak,” Garrick Taylor, executive vice president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, welcomes a panel of political experts to discuss what happened in the world in 2019 鈥 for better or for worse. Featuring guest panelists Bob Charles, director of First Strategic; Jessie Armendt, senior associate […]

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On the latest episode of “Request To Speak,” Garrick Taylor, executive vice president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, welcomes a panel of political experts to discuss what happened in the world in 2019 鈥 for better or for worse. Featuring guest panelists Bob Charles, director of First Strategic; Jessie Armendt, senior associate at Compass Strategies; and Lorna Romero, owner and founder of Elevate Strategies. Stay tuned for Episode 8: Predictions for 2020.

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AZ to Steyer: Thank you, next /2019/07/09/az-to-steyer-thank-you-next/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=az-to-steyer-thank-you-next /2019/07/09/az-to-steyer-thank-you-next/#respond Tue, 09 Jul 2019 19:00:25 +0000 https://chamberbusnews.wpengine.com/?p=10075 With another move attacking Arizona Public Service, it appears California billionaire and now presidential candidate Tom Steyer cannot seem to quit Arizona. Steyer鈥檚 attacks against the Arizona utility date back to the 2018 election cycle when his attempt to mandate onerous new renewable energy standards was rejected by voters in a 2 to 1 margin. […]

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With another move attacking Arizona Public Service, it appears California billionaire and now presidential candidate Tom Steyer cannot seem to quit Arizona.

Steyer鈥檚 attacks against the Arizona utility date back to the 2018 election cycle when his attempt to mandate onerous new renewable energy standards was rejected by voters in a 2 to 1 margin.

Now, Steyer is using a digital ad to accuse the company of corruption. This is the second time in recent months that Steyer has inserted himself into Arizona issues.

Many observers attribute his behavior to a desperate attempt to increase his name ID in the state and salvage his reputation after and painful and expensive loss in the fall.

鈥淐alifornia billionaire Tom Steyer can鈥檛 stop meddling in Arizona politics,鈥 Arizonans for Affordable Electricity spokesperson Matt Benson said. 鈥淚t was just last year that Arizona voters overwhelmingly rejected Steyer鈥檚 Prop 127, which would have added $1,000/year to the typical family鈥檚 electricity bill. Now he鈥檚 back 鈥 this time as a self-described 鈥榬atepayer advocate.鈥

“You鈥檙e not fooling anybody, Tom.鈥

The California billionaire, who made millions investing in fossil fuels, is inserting himself in Arizona policy conversations claiming the state is being misguided by corporations and elected leaders. But the state鈥檚 economy has been booming for the past year with local economists touting the diversity in job and industry growth.

Arizona鈥檚 economy continues to grow at one of the fastest rates in the nation, ranking聽fourth in the U.S. for GDP growth last year and second in the country for personal income growth.

More than聽300,000 new jobs have been added since 2015聽and Arizona is projected to聽add another 165,000 new jobs聽by 2020.

Also, the greater Phoenix metropolitan area has officially eclipsed its pre-recession job peaks in almost every industry.

鈥淎rizona is open for business and our economy is booming,鈥 said Governor Doug聽Ducey in a statement. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not by accident: Arizona鈥檚 pro-business policies, low taxes and light regulations are delivering more job opportunities and bigger paychecks for Arizona workers.鈥

Business community advocates say Steyer鈥檚 latest advertisements are likely to prove as unsuccessful as his previous political activities in the state.

鈥淭his guy apparently can鈥檛 take a hint,鈥 Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry spokesperson Garrick Taylor said. 鈥淎rizonans have rejected over and over Steyer鈥檚 job-killing agenda, but yet he keeps coming back here. Arizona鈥檚 economy is doing just fine without Steyer, thank you very much, in large part because lawmakers and the governor have studiously avoided the sort of policies he advocates.鈥

Steyer鈥檚 efforts in Arizona began in 2018 when his progressive political action committee, NextGen Climate Action, launched an effort to mandate that utilities provide half their annual retail sales from renewable energy sources by 2030 鈥渋rrespective of cost to consumers.鈥 The effort excluded zero-emission nuclear energy from the definition of renewable energy.

Then in May, Steyer portrayed himself as a ratepayer advocate by engaging in an APS rate case before the Arizona Corporation Commission. Many were quick to point out that his 2018 energy mandate, known as Proposition 127, would have increased costs on Arizona residents, including low-income families and small businesses. Estimates revealed the typical Arizona family would see its utility bills increase by $1,000 or more over the course of a year.

In addition to the $28 million Steyer dumped into the failed campaign, he also attacked Republican candidates, spending more than $3 million against Attorney General Mark Brnovich and engaging in the Arizona Corporation Commission race through dark money groups such as ChispaAZ.

On Tuesday morning, Steyer announced his candidacy for president in a digital video. Steyer plans to spend at least $100 million on his campaign.

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Request to Speak Episode 6 /2019/05/02/request-to-speak-episode-6/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=request-to-speak-episode-6 /2019/05/02/request-to-speak-episode-6/#respond Thu, 02 May 2019 19:18:16 +0000 https://chamberbusnews.wpengine.com/?p=8370 Host Garrick Taylor sat down with Roy Herrera and Courtney Shadegg on the latest episode of Request to Speak to discuss why we see politicians change their minds on different issues, the relevancy of ideological identifiers and their book recommendations. Read/Watch/Listen: Roy Herrera recommends a book: “Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and […]

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Host Garrick Taylor sat down with Roy Herrera and Courtney Shadegg on the latest episode of Request to Speak to discuss why we see politicians change their minds on different issues, the relevancy of ideological identifiers and their book recommendations.

Read/Watch/Listen:

  • Roy Herrera recommends a book: “Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration” .
  • Courtney Shadegg recommends a book: “Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution” .
  • Garrick Taylor recommends a graphic novel: “A Fire Story” .

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Ham(m)er Time! Episode 31: Sen. Karen Fann /2019/03/29/hammer-time-episode-31-sen-karen-fann/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hammer-time-episode-31-sen-karen-fann /2019/03/29/hammer-time-episode-31-sen-karen-fann/#respond Fri, 29 Mar 2019 19:01:44 +0000 https://chamberbusnews.wpengine.com/?p=7739 In the latest episode of Ham(m)er Time! Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, sat down with Arizona Senate President Karen Fann and talked about the transition to her new leadership role, the importance of the DCP聽and the hidden gems of Prescott.

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In the latest episode of Ham(m)er Time! Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, sat down with Arizona Senate President Karen Fann and talked about the transition to her new leadership role, the importance of the DCP聽and the hidden gems of Prescott.

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