Arizona Governor Jan Brewer commends UA in alternate State of the State address

By KELSI THORUD Published January 16, 2013 at 2:16am Updated January 16, 2013 at 2:16am

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer announced in a speech Tuesday morning that $8 million from her budget will be given to the UA’s College of Medicine.

Brewer gave an alternate version of her 2013 State of the State speech, where she laid out her goal for the state of Arizona for this coming year at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tucson. The original address was given in Phoenix on Monday night.

Brewer commended the UA on its outstanding faculty and student body. She said she was impressed with the expansion of the UA College of Medicine to Phoenix and that the state would help it to stand as one of the premier medical schools in the nation. Brewer also applauded the UA for generating the most profit out of all Arizona universities and promised to keep funding leading research and breakthrough projects.

The governor specifically focused her speech on competition, stressing that Arizona “must compete for the most desirable jobs for our citizens, the finest teachers in our schools, the most talented students and faculty in our universities. And each of our
citizens must likewise compete to earn a living, build a future and raise a family in a safe and healthy environment.”

Brewer also spoke about the growth of Arizona’s national success.

“Our housing market is on the mend, recovering faster in metro Phoenix than anywhere in America. We’re adding jobs at the swiftest clip in years — nearly 23,000 in November alone. In fact, Arizona is ranked fifth in the nation for job growth during 2012.”

The tone of the governor’s speech quickly turned serious when she transitioned from the state’s successes to the changes that need to be made.

Brewer spoke out on behalf of the abused and neglected children of Arizona, campaigning for a more efficient hotline system and announcing she will add 150 child protective service caseworkers and boost child services funds through her executive budget, which will be released Friday.

She then switched her focus to Arizona’s economy, vowing to simplify sales tax code to help small businesses and “remove one more barrier to economic growth and make Arizona even more competitive.”

The governor also went into detail about her Medicaid plan, promising Arizonans that she will continue to expand the coverage and benefits of her plan to low income and uninsured families.

“I’m committed to doing this, and I want you on my side,” Brewer said. “Let’s work together in an atmosphere of respect and do what is best for Arizona.”

Finally, Brewer discussed the topic of education and its importance for Arizona’s economy and competitiveness.

“Everyone knows that global competition for jobs has changed,” she said. ”Our schools must keep pace.”

The governor announced a plan to change school funding by rewarding schools that see an improvement in student achievement. She assured citizens that by changing the distributions of funds, schools would rise to the higher standards now set by the rest of the world.

Brewer summed up her speech by referring back to her theme of competition and promoting a sense of pride and hope for the citizens of Arizona.

“Let us not squander the many blessings we’ve inherited,” Brewer said. “Let us leave a legacy of our own as we make the difficult decisions that keep Arizona on the path to prosperity.”