On April 3, 2010 I blogged about Arizona wasting money to sue the feds, claiming the Health Care Reform violates the U.S. Constitution. Now the Arizona government is violating the Arizona Constitution.
The Arizona FY2011 Budget has been approved and signed by the governor of Arizona.
This budget violates Article 9 Section 5 of the Arizona Constitution, which I quote here:
Arizona Constitution Article 9 Section 5. Power of state to contract debts; purposes; limit; restrictions
Section 5. The state may contract debts to supply the casual deficits or failures in revenues, or to meet expenses not otherwise provided for; but the aggregate amount of such debts, direct and contingent, whether contracted by virtue of one or more laws, or at different periods of time, shall never exceed the sum of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and the money arising from the creation of such debts shall be applied to the purpose for which it was obtained or to repay the debts so contracted, and to no other purpose.
In addition to the above limited power to contract debts the state may borrow money to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, or defend the state in time of war; but the money thus raised shall be applied exclusively to the object for which the loan shall have been authorized or to the repayment of the debt thereby created. No money shall be paid out of the state treasury, except in the manner provided by law.
This is violated on Page 1 of the budget summary:
FY2011 Budget Summary Page 1
By November 2009, the State’s cash situation had deteriorated
to the point that it was forced to secure a $700 million line
of credit from a bank. In total, the General Fund has available
approximately $2.7 billion in borrowing capacity, both internal
and external to State government, but the cash situation is so
critical that it is monitored daily. Whether that borrowing capacity
will get the State through the year remains to be seen.
Simple math tells me that $700 million is a lot more than $350 thousand. Apparently the Arizona Governor, Legislature and others involved don't use the same math as the rest of us.
If the Arizona Constitution has been amended to increase the $350 thousand limit they are not making it easy for us to know that. The Arizona Constitution as shown on the State Legislature website still says $350,000.00.
In addition to all of this my understanding of the Arizona Constitution also requires that the budget be balanced, which it is not.
It's obvious to me that Arizona leaders have eliminated reality from government.
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