PHOENIX — Bryan Jeffries, the chief of Arizona’s firefighters’ association, has been arguing to anyone who will listen that his members — and the state’s police officers, too — should volunteer to cut their own pension benefits.

http://goo.gl/YE4BhB

The Arizona Tax Research Association would like to correct an important error in the Arizona Capitol Times (July 11). The National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers union in the nation, ranks Arizona 29th for school year 2012-13 in average salaries for K-12 “public school teachers.” The Capitol Times article incorrectly reported Arizona at 42nd.

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http://www.kpho.com/story/26000987/judge-hands-arizona-public-schools-3…

PHOENIX (CBS5) -
It's a major victory for Arizona's public school system, which has taken some major financial hits over the past few years.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled Friday that Arizona schools are owed $317 million in funding for the upcoming budget year, because of the state legislature's failure to properly fund education.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2014/06/06/arizona-debt-vo…

Most folks are familiar with the soaring national debt, which stands at $17 trillion — about $55,000 per citizen — and has grown on average $2.3 billion per day since 2012.

But Arizonans may not be familiar with their state and local debt, about $42.7 billion. That's $6,400 per citizen.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/politics/2014/06/07/arizona…

Three candidates vying to become Arizona's next governor said Friday that, if elected, they would do away with state income taxes, the source of nearly half of the $9 billion that flows into state coffers each year.

The remarks at a gubernatorial forum hosted by the Arizona We Want Institute revealed contrasting plans for the state's fiscal future.

http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2014/06/02/income-tax-cuts-emerge-as-key…

Depending on who wins the Republican primary in the hotly contested governor’s race, Arizona may see some major cuts, even the outright elimination, in income taxes.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/2014/06/03/police-firefigh…

Police and firefighters who largely have opposed changes to their pension benefits now are urging Gov. Jan Brewer to call a special legislative session this summer to reform the financially troubled Public Safety Personnel Retirement System.

Andrew Wilder, a spokesman for Brewer, said the governor is open to having a special session on pension reform.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2014/05/26/maricop…

As it prepares to seek a property tax increase, the Maricopa County Community College District is facing questions about the large amount of money it has in reserve.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2014/05/16/arizona-elimina…

Political debates on improving the economy often focus on tax policy. Among the most disputed: tax credits to lure new business.

We asked two experts: What if Arizona eliminated tax credits for businesses?

THAT'S A KNEE-JERK REACTION

http://www.bna.com/trouble-paradise-valleyan-b17179890485/

An Arizona town ruffled feathers when it enacted a local ordinance raising a “parcel tax” based on property values to fund local fire services. Because the town bypassed the ordinary procedures required by state law to enact or raise a property tax, the Arizona Legislature was left to put out the fire.