Volume I: Facts
Analyses of Arizona state government finance, using data of the Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and of the combined finances of all state and local governments within Arizona, using data of the U.S. Census Bureau. A historical perspective is provided for both datasets. For combined state and local government finance, comparisons are made to other states and to the national average. In addition, other measures of the tax burden by state are examined.

Volume II: Concepts and Issues
Addresses the conceptual and empirical relationships between taxes, government revenue, and economic growth. Also discusses current issues specific to Arizona state government finance. This is a revised version of the report "Tax Reductions, the Economy, and the Deficit in the Arizona State Government General Fund," incorporating new and updated material.

Volume III: Options for Managing the Arizona State General Fund
Presents options and offers recommendations for managing the Arizona state government general fund. The near-term budget deficit is addressed as well as ways to prevent budget deficits from recurring every time economic growth slows.

The purpose of the stabilization fund is to reduce the fluctuations in general fund revenue caused by the economic cycle. These fluctuations result in large budget surpluses in some years and large deficits in other years. Without considering the structural deficit, the budget stabilization fund almost certainly will not have the funding necessary to offset the cyclical reduction in revenue that will occur during the next recession.

The Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT’s) process for working with Local Public Agencies (LPAs) in the development and delivery of their transportation projects has evolved over the years. Recent changes in Arizona’s economy have reduced the distribution of state funds for local transportation projects, which has increased the demand for federal funding sources. In response to the anticipated increase in LPA projects desiring the use of federal funds and the continuing need to meet state and local transportation requirements, this updated manual highlights the steps necessary to capably deliver LPA projects in compliance with federal, state, and local requirements.

The ADOT Local Public Agency Projects Manual has been a collaborative effort among the various Divisions, Groups, and Sections within ADOT, as well as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Arizona Division, with input from LPAs. ADOT would like to express sincere gratitude to Logan Simpson Design Inc. for successfully facilitating that effort and for their contribution to the production of this manual. Their hard work and in-depth coordination with ADOT and FHWA staff has been invaluable to the preparation of this manual.

This "document was prepared in 2008-2009. In addition to field reviews and available research, significant information was obtained from public opinion and concerns voiced during the public and Citizen Advisory Committee meetings held along the route. The primary objective of this report is to document desired efforts along the Fredonia-Vermilion Cliffs Scenic Road that will sustain its resources for future generations. Additionally, this document fosters the necessary relationships required to promote and protect the intrinsic qualities that define this scenic road experience."--Foreword

Economic convergence was only a matter of time for Ireland. That it happened when it did and in such a short period of time was the result of both thoughtful decision-making on the part of many stakeholders and a favorable set of external economic developments. To continue to achieve rapid economic growth, however, Ireland will not be able to rely on increased labor utilization but must succeed in raising output per worker. This, in turn, will require more entrepreneurial activity and participation higher value-added activities. Ireland will need to participate more in the creation of knowledge and not simply be operational in the application of knowledge-based technologies. Arizona, like Ireland in the 1980s, has an opportunity to change its growth trajectory. Arizona can follow Ireland’s lead today and pursue the returns that can accrue from strategic investments or continue on its current path.

This paper complements a detailed assessment of job quality, based on analysis of industrial and occupational mix, recently completed by the Seidman Institute’s Center for Business Research. The overall conclusions in this report are consistent with those of the more extensive CBR research. Arizona’s economy grows very rapidly, but per person or per worker measures of wages, compensation, incomes, and gross state product are below the national average. No evidence exists that the situation is improving appreciably (or deteriorating). Indeed, the state appears to be creating income, wealth and quality jobs at rates that are similar to those displayed by other states. Arizona is a job-generating marvel and is among the nation’s leaders in aggregate growth. If the state is successful at improving the quality of its labor force and creating higher-quality jobs, its per worker and per person comparisons will improve.

Education decisions are among the most important choices people ever make. So we were surprised and disappointed to see an article so loosely reasoned and reckless in its conclusions as “Five Reasons to Skip College” published in Blank Slate at Forbes.com on April 18, 2006. The article never provides a numerical assessment of the costs and benefits of going to college, uses statistics inappropriately and in a way that biases the conclusions against college, contains conceptual errors on how to evaluate the return on a college education, and greatly exaggerates the only substantive criticism of typical evaluations of the financial worth of a college degree.

Universities contribute to the local community in three distinct ways: 1) Traditional Economic Impact; 2) Benefits to Individuals and Society; 3) Creation of Knowledge. Among the results are higher incomes of individuals and the community as a whole, higher-quality jobs, enhanced economic development, and improvements in prosperity and quality of life.

As the transition from the industrial age to the information age/knowledge economy continues, economic competitiveness has taken on added importance and new meanings. The concepts of competitiveness, productivity, and prosperity can be applied to individuals, companies, regions (such as metropolitan areas or states), and countries, though the meaning/interpretation of each may vary somewhat by the unit of analysis.