Ann Kirkpatrick Could Learn From Andy Tobin’s Common Sense Approach

Well, this is embarrassing. Maybe the DCCC researchers should go back to school.

The DCCC’s latest ad in AZ-01 about school funding is one of those political whoops moments, given that Ann Kirkpatrick actually opposed a bipartisan plan that Andy Tobin helped pass to protect Arizona schools from deep budget cuts during the economic recession.

Proposition 100, referred to the ballot by the Legislature in 2010, passed with 65 percent of the vote. But while practically everyone else in the state – Democrats, Republicans, the business community, the education community, even Kirkpatrick’s own local state representative – came together to protect our schools, Kirkpatrick was so partisan she opposed the plan. Tobin supported it.

“On Arizona’s economic front, Kirkpatrick said she does not favor Proposition 100, which seeks a temporary 1-cent state sales tax increase to account for Arizona’s budget shortfall. Without the money from the tax increase, Prop. 100 proponents say the state’s education, health and human services and public safety sectors will suffer.” –The Daily Courier, 5/1/2010

Kirkpatrick could learn a lot from Andy Tobin’s common sense approach to solving problems. While Andy Tobin was joining with Democrats and Republicans to protect school funding, Kirkpatrick’s plan would have gutted the classroom. Not surprising though, this is the same partisan approach Kirkpatrick has taken on issue after issue.