Arizona FRC, FLL and FTC teams need your help!!!!!

[falconmaster]

It has come down to this. The economy is has sunk so low that the tax credit program that funds extracurricular actives such as helping to fund FRC, FTC and FLL teams is possibly going to be cut. In Arizona where we rank just about last in funding for education the state legislature is considering cutting a program that funds almost all the FLL teams, FTC teams and FRC teams in Arizona. Without this program, Arizona's FIRST teams will be decimated. Please help us by sending an email to the list of legislators seen below. Arizona teams really need to do this now!!!! Any other teams out there that wish to help please send a Graciously professional email to these legislators to help us out. Thanks! Further below is the article in the Arizona Republic

House
http://azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=H&SortBy=1
Senate
http://azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=S

Click on the link right here to get all the emails at once loaded into outlook.
aaguirre@azleg.gov,callen@azleg.gov,...ight@azleg.gov



Tax break under fire in budget fighting
State urged to suspend education tax credits
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...edits0126.html

by Emily Gersema and Mary Jo Pitzl - Jan. 26, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Education groups are pushing state lawmakers to consider suspending Arizona's popular tax credit for donations toward public-school extracurricular activities and private-school tuition to avert $125 million in basic education-funding cuts.

They argue that suspending this taxpayer benefit would avoid an unusual situation: cutting funds for things like textbooks, computers and transportation while continuing to allow the credits to fund after-school programs.

"If we're talking about a budget deficit of this magnitude, we're essentially talking about the state paying for these activities," John Wright, president of the Arizona Education Association, told a state House panel.

The idea has been embraced by many Democratic lawmakers, and Wright said he is getting "some" traction with Republican lawmakers. However, he declined to name names, saying members "aren't ready to stand up and wave the flag."

Anyone who does could face an abrupt end to a political career because the program is so popular.

As Republican state legislators aim to offset this year's $1.6 billion shortfall and a looming $3 billion deficit next year, the education tax credits have been absent from budget-cutting proposals.

Tinkering with the school-tax-credit donations is a political grenade, policy analysts say.

"Voting against a tax credit can be seen as a vote to raise taxes," said Michael Griffith, a school-finance expert for the Education Commission of the States, which tracks education-policy issues.

The tax-credit program was not on the list of potential cuts released two weeks ago by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, and his House counterpart, John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills.

Pearce recently told The Arizona Republic that he supports school-tax credits.

But House Minority Whip Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix, says he believes all tax credits in Arizona, including those given for school support, should be reviewed.

Last year, the state gave back more than $95 million in tax credits to individual taxpayers for donations to public and private schools, according to the Arizona Department of Revenue.

"What's the point of having these tax credits in place for schools when at the same time you're taking money from the schools anyway?" Campbell said in an interview.

Every year, more Arizona taxpayers obtain dollar-for-dollar tax credits amid intense marketing efforts of schools, school districts and even booster clubs.

The Arizona Department of Revenue reports that 204,000 taxpayers claimed the public-school credit in 2007, up from 74,000 in 1998. And an estimated 76,000 donors claimed the tax credit for private schools in 2007, up from 4,200 in 1998.

Schools and parents see these donations as a win-win. Donors get credits on their state taxes, plus a federal tax deduction for a donation; public schools get money for field trips and other after-school activities while private schools can cover all or part of a student's tuition.

Since 1998, Arizona public schools have raked in more than $263 million in private, tax-deductible donations, while private schools have collected $293 million for scholarships.

That represents a total $556 million in lost state revenue over 10 years.

School budgets this year are in the line of Republicans' fiscal fire because education spending constitutes about $4 billion - or 43 percent - of the state general fund.

Chuck Essigs, a lobbyist for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, said lawmakers should try to spare educational programs and jobs when weighing cuts.

"Which is better for the citizens of Arizona: lose five days of school or the tax credits?" he asked.

Janice Palmer, governmental-relations director for the Arizona School Boards Association, said that "if there has to be some cuts, let's take a look at things that would be the least detrimental" to teachers, administrators and students.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne warned that "the constituency is too strong" in support of tax-credit donations to private and public schools. He cannot imagine legislators would change the credits to pull the state budget out of the red.

If legislators were to clamp down on school-tax-credit donations, "it seems to me there ought to be better financing for school activities," said David Juber, a Gilbert resident who donated last month to Chandler's Basha High School band program with his grandson in mind.

The use of tax-credit donations also has come under fire by conservatives who question the use of public-school donations for activities like field trips abroad or to Sea World and by liberals who criticize any support for private- and charter-school tuition breaks.

Sen. Jay Tibshraeny, R-Chandler, said he has received dozens of calls from constituents asking him to protect school tax credits from the budget ax.

"To look at those only - that would create some sort of hardship," he said.