This blog began last spring as Governor Brewer introduced a multimillion dollar project of questionable value. That project is her proposed 5C Arizona Centennial Museum. At the time, the new museum looked like a waste of money. That problem was compounded by the fact that the new history museum was to displace an existing top rated museum, the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. Many believe the proposed museum has less merit than the existing one, and millions of dollars should not be spent to degrade a state museum.
The controversy now has a new and more profound basis. The Governor said she had to terminate coverage for organ transplants because Arizona simply does not have the money. Surgery has been cancelled for at least one 32 year old patient at this time. The Arizona Republic has estimated that Arizona is saving 1.3 million dollars (per year) in state funding by canceling transplant coverage. Prior posts on this blog show the Governor is spending more money than that to support her new museum. The money has been transferred to the Arizona Historical Society, and is clearly shown in the FY 2011 budget summary.
Despite her obviously flawed priorities, the Governor appears defiant in the face of criticism about funding cuts for transplants. A recent article in the Arizona Daily star quotes her as saying:
Bickering and ankle biting is very unfair and not solving the problems of the state of Arizona.
Ankle biting.
Apparently the Governor does not appreciate hearing whining from the “little people”.
Reference:
Paul Davenport, The Associated Press, Arizona Daily Star, Rhetoric grows heated over transplant eligibility,
Posted Saturday, December 11, 2010
Note: See the July 21st post on this blog: Who will pay for the Arizona Centennial Museum
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