Payson Roundup Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Controversial voucher bill stalled Plan to divert hundreds of millions to private schools stuck by
Pete Aleshire
roundup editor
A Senate-approved bill that would make virtually any student in the state eligible for a tax-payer provided voucher to attend private school may not make it through the House, say observers. The Senate’s passage of a bill to remove virtually all limits on Empowerment Scholarship Accounts provoked a groundswell of protest, which has stalled passage of the bill in the House. Started several years ago to give special needs students alternatives, the school voucher bill is currently capped at about 5,500 students – although it has grown consistently in recent years. The current law provides vouchers worth on an average between $3,500 for students trying to leave public failing schools or $8,000 for special needs students seeking better services. However, the Senate-approved bill would make almost any of the 1.1 million Arizona K-12 students eligible for the vouchers, which could be used to at least partially cover tuition in private or religious schools. Analysts say the measure could potentially
cost the state hundreds of millions in funding for public schools. The author of a companion bill in the House, Justin Olson, this week put the bill on hold, saying he couldn’t count on enough votes to get the bill through that chamber. Moreover, a spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey has expressed reservations about the bill, fearing it could hurt the chances voters will approve Proposition 123, which would settle a lawsuit involving inflation funding for the schools. Proposition 123 grew out of a compromise settlement for a lawsuit filed by a coalition of school districts. Lower courts have already ruled the Legislature illegally withheld an inflation adjustment for K-12 schools mandated by a 2000 initiative approved by the voters. Courts ordered the state to repay $336 million in withheld inflation adjustments in the current fiscal year, but hadn’t yet ruled on an estimated $1.4 billion in back-due payments. Gov. Ducey worked out a deal between legislative leaders and the coalition of schools pursuing the lawsuit to boost school funding by about $350 million annually — a little more than $300 per student. Some of that
money would come from the general fund, but 60 percent would come from increasing distributions from the state land trust, which is already reserved for public schools. The deal will collapse if voters in May don’t approve increasing the distribution from the land fund from the current 2.5 percent to about 7 percent for the next 10 years. Proposition 123 has already drawn the opposition of people like state treasurer Jeff DeWitt, who maintains the increased distribution from the state land trust will leave less money for schools in the long run. Backers of Proposition 123 worry that a bill enormously increasing taxpayer money going to private and religious schools could undercut support for Proposition 123. Already critics of Proposition 123 say that the measure effectively takes money from the schools’ savings account to pay back only a portion of the illegally withheld inflation adjustments — leaving lawmakers free to devote a portion of a surplus growing towards $2 billion on additional tax cuts. Rep. Olson told the Arizona Capitol Times he’s considering changes in the voucher bill, including postponing the date at which it would take effect to 2020.
Forest thinning effort still struggling From page 1A said the company has already invested $20 million in the project and will soon invest another $100 million, much of that to build a high-tech mill to handle the hundreds of millions of small trees it will harvest under the 4FRI contract, which includes almost all of Rim Country in a boundary stretching from the Grand Canyon to the New Mexican border. The new plant will process 300 million board feet annually — close to the capacity of the entire Arizona timber industry before lawsuits and a lack of remaining big trees started shutting the industry down some 15 years ago. “Active, economically sustainable forest restoration must become a way of life in Arizona and in other fire-plagued regions across the country,” Good Earth said in its monthly report. The Forest Service has undertaken forest restoration and thinning efforts previously, including 10 years worth of projects that have created a roughly 50,000 acre, cleared buffer zone around most Rim Country Communities. But that involved some $50 million in Forest Service funding. The Forest Service cleared another 30,000 acres in the White Mountains, which effectively saved Springerville and Alpine from the massive Wallow Fire. However, the White Mountain Stewardship contract required a roughly $1,000-per-acre taxpayer subsidy, although it also revived a small-scale logging industry in the White Mountains. Thinning the roughly 3 million acres badly overgrown in Arizona’s Ponderosa pine forest at that pace would cost about $3 billion in taxpayer money. That means 4FRI represents the best chance at the moment to undertake thinning and restoration on a scale likely to avert a
wildfire disaster. The 4FRI project is supposed to clear 30,000 acres annually for a decade — all without any taxpayer subsidy at all, except for the money the Forest Service spends on preparing the timber sales and doing the necessary environmental studies. An array of forest researchers, environmental groups and local officials, including Gila County Supervisor Tommie Martin initially developed the 4FRI concept. The group found a rare consensus by focusing on the need to thin thickets of small trees, while mostly leaving trees larger than 16 inches in diameter alone. Many of those same officials have criticized Good Earth Power for its
F O R The following reports and arrests were released by the Payson Police Department and Gila County Sheriff’s Office. All persons listed in this report are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. After reviewing cases, the Gila County Attorney’s Office often drops or modifies charges. If your name is listed and you are exonerated, please contact the Payson Roundup at editor@payson.com. Feb. 8: Nicholas Alan Sheldahl, 36, Goodyear – drug paraphernalia-possession, interfering with judicial proceedings-disobeys or resists lawful order, domestic violence and disorderly conduct-fighting; Ashley Nichole Umbower, 25, Payson – dangerous drugs-possession, drug paraphernalia-possession, domestic violence and disorderly conduct-fighting; Cody Timothey Krantz, 36, Payson – failure to pay a fine; Edwin Rangel, 25, Colorado – possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and misconduct involving a weapon. Feb. 9: Minor in possession of vapor product; Dean Randall Scott, 25, Payson – false reporting to law enforcement agency, shoplifting-concealment and probation violation; Dustin John Firestone, 26, two probation violations, failure to appear-2nd degree, two counts of failure to pay a fine, false reporting to law enforcement agency and shoplifting; Sonya Marie Abbott, 38, Payson – shoplifting; Jay Joseph Landry, 34, Payson – three counts of aggravated domestic violence. Feb. 10: Ernest R. Kabelka, 69, Payson – disorderly conduct-fighting; Joshua Allen Davy, 24, Transient – disorderly conduct-fighting; Arthur Raymond Ohlinger, 29, Payson – shoplifting. Feb. 11: Male Juvenile, 15 – minor in possession of vapor product; Marisa May Fleischaker, 19, Payson – 2 counts failure to appear-2nd and 1st degree. Feb. 12: Male Juvenile, 17 – minor in possession of vapor product; Male Juvenile, 17 – minor in possession of vapor product; Female Juvenile, 16 – minor in possession of vapor product.
T H E
slow start on its massive contract. Good Earth said the need to build up a fleet of logging trucks and construct mills that can handle the small-diameter timber has proved costly and time consuming. “The greatest challenge could prove to be navigating local issues and interests while remaining focused on the most fundamental 4FRI goal: to create a viable and sustainable economic model. We must all keep our eyes on that goal.” The company said the wet winter stopped many of the already-approved thinning projects, but work has resumed as the weather has warmed and the forest has started to dry out enough for the heavy machinery to operate. The company said it will add a third shift to the Lumberjack Mill in Heber and add capacity to an operation in Williams producing compost and other wood products. The company has Forest Service approval to thin 19 Task Orders, but at the moment only one project is active. Five are awaiting drier conditions, including the 1,000-acre Mercer Task Order in Rim Country. Nine other task orders are currently inactive, but planned for 2016 — including the 4,300-acre East Clear Creek Task Order. This thinning project would cover a small portion of the 64,000-acre watershed of the C.C. Cragin reservoir. The Forest Service in partnership with Payson, the Salt River Project and the Forest Foundation is working on a separate effort to thin much of the rest of the watershed of the reservoir, to protect it from the effects of a possible crown fire. Good Earth concluded, “we are building an industry — and a model — that will not only continue, but which we believe will also be emulated in other regions and countries from this point forward.”
R E C O R D
Feb. 13: James David Goble, 28, Payson – DUI with BAC of .08 or higher and DUIalcohol, drug, vapor or combination thereof; Male Juvenile, 17 – false reporting to law enforcement agency, minor with alcohol in body and disorderly conduct-fighting; Male Juvenile, 16 – minor with alcohol in body, threatening or intimidating-cause injury or damage property and disorderly conduct-fighting and minor with alcohol in body; Kathy Elaine Sain, 57, Payson – burglary-3rd degree-non-residential, fenced commercial or residential yard; Mario A. Rosas Ortega, 31, Payson – DUI-aggravated, while suspended for DUI. Feb. 14: Female Juvenile, 16 – runaway from the child’s home or parent, guardian or custodian and criminal trespass-2nd degree; Lela M. Caldwell, 18, Payson – domestic violence and two counts of assault-intentionally or recklessly causing physical injury; Jake Dean Lamons, 45, Transient/Payson – burglary (vehicle)-3rd degree-non-residential, fenced commercial, or residential yard; Irma Ramirez-Zumaya, 46, Flagstaff –DUI, extreme DUI and having an open container. Feb. 15: Judy Ann Gandee, 55, Payson – criminal damage-deface or damage property, domestic violence and disorderly conduct-fighting. Feb. 16: Armando Leigh Bahe, 35, Payson – failure to pay a fine. Feb. 17: Noah T. Pierson, 36, Payson – failure to appear-2nd degree; Paul Arthur LaBonte, 77, Payson – fail to stop on striking an unattended vehicle; Joseph Daniel Hunter, 36, Payson – drug paraphernalia-possession and DUI-aggravated, while suspended for DUI; Anthony Louis Miotto, 28, Pine – drug paraphernalia-possession and narcotic drugs-possession; Julee Marie Chester, 27, Payson – drug paraphernalia-possession, marijuana-possession, narcotic drugs-possession and dangerous drugs-possession. Feb. 18: Jarrod Ryan Darlington, 32, Payson – possession of stolen property; Steven Douglas Berrocal, 43, Payson – unlawful to consume alcohol in public;
Montague Emile Basile, 53, domestic violence and disorderly conduct-noise; Andrew Anthony Tampone II, 33, Mesa – driving with a suspended/canceled/revoked license. Feb. 19: Patrick Daniel Crooks, 22, Tonto Basin – marijuana-possession, drug paraphernalia-possession, failure to pay a fine and failure to appear-1st degree; Richard Anthony Wusterbarth, 67, Payson – disorderly conduct-fighting; Male Juvenile, 17 – drug paraphernalia-possession and marijuana-possession; Male Juvenile, 16 – conspiracy and marijuana-possession for sale; Male Juvenile, 15 – conspiracy, marijuana-possession for sale and burglary-3rd degree-non-residential, fenced commercial, or residential yard; Male Juvenile, 16 – conspiracy, marijuana-possession for sale and burglary-3rd degree-non-residential, fenced commercial, or residential yard; Lacey Ray Runyon, 40, Payson – DUI-alcohol, drug, vapor, or combination thereof; Joshua Allen Davy, 24, Transient/Payson – two counts of disorderly conduct-fighting; December Leona Tudor, 43, Mesa del Caballo – disorderly conduct-fighting; Jeromy O’Neil Ellis, 26, Payson – disorderly conduct-abusive or offensive language or gestures; Paula Kay Warren, 60, shoplifting-concealment; William Stroud, 44, Payson – warrant Feb. 20: Timothy Michael Cotten, 60, Payson – three counts of DUI-aggravated, while suspended for DUI; Larry Robert Gonzales, 40, Overgaard – drug paraphernalia-possession, dangerous drugs-possession and narcotic drugs-possession; Deana Loreleine Garner, 55, Payson – promoting prison contraband-possession of contraband by prisoner in correctional facility or in transit, marijuana-possession, drug paraphernalia-possession, dangerous drugs-possession for sale, narcotic drugs-possession; Talisa Ann Thiele, 27, Transient/Payson – marijuana-possession and drug paraphernalia-possession; Justin Carl Daily, 33, Payson – drug paraphernalia-possession; Billy Leonard, 31, Star Valley – disorderly conduct and domestic violence.
9A
WEATHERREPORT Forecast by the National Weather Service
Tuesday
PAYSONREPORT
Sunny
Weather courtesy of Bruce Rasch, weather.astro50.com
74/38
Payson Statistics DATE H Feb. 19 65 Feb. 20 74 Feb. 21 74 Feb. 22 68 Feb. 23 56 Feb. 24 63 Feb. 25 73 Feb. 26 73 Feb. 27 73 Feb. 28 74 Feb. 29 74
Wednesday
Sunny
78/38 Thursday
Sunny
75/38 Friday
Mostly sunny
PRECIP.
Precipitation 2016 thru today 4.24 30-year Average through February 3.92
73/38 Saturday
L 36 32 33 30 28 27 28 33 33 32 34
Mostly sunny
February 2016 0.39 Feb. Average 1.91
Average Payson Precipitation from the office of the State Climatologist at Arizona State University.
70/39
PAYSON POLLEN COUNT FORECAST Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
10.0 9.8 9.8 9.8 Dominant pollen: Juniper-Ash High: Pollen levels between 9.7 and 12.0 tend to affect most individuals who suffer from the pollen types of the season. Symptoms may become more severe during days with high pollen levels. Medium: Pollen levels between 7.3 and 9.6 will likely cause symptoms for many individuals who suffer from allergies to the predominant pollen types of the season. Low: Pollen levels between 0 and 7.2 tend to affect very few individuals among the allergy-suffering public. Source: pollen.com
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