PHOENIX -- State senators voted to make further budget cuts over the objection of foes who said it will endanger senior citizens, leave roads unplowed, make the border less safe and result in the closure of all state parks.
But they refused to cut the budgets of two Republican elected officials. And in a political deal, they agreed not to raid a special fund that provides money to maintain the trails for off-road vehicle users.
The plan, approved on a 16-11 party-line vote, takes about 7.5 percent of the spending authority of most state agencies. And it allows state agencies to meet that goal by cutting the salaries of any or all workers by 5 percent.
The plan exempts public education and universities, where existing agreements with the federal government to get stimulus dollars prevent lawmakers from cutting any more than they already have.
But the big debate was not about cuts but the decision to "sweep' close to $50 million from special accounts. These funds come not from tax revenues but from special sources, ranging from user fees and assessments to fines and penalties from wrongdoers.
One of the biggest is the $9.2 million from funds administered by the Parks Department.
Jay Ziemann, the agency's deputy director, said his agency gets no direct tax dollars. Instead, he said, it lives on user fees and other special funds.
Some parks already are closed several days a week as part of earlier cost-cutting measures. This sweep, Ziemann said, will cripple the system.
"Put it this way: More staff we have to lay off, more parks we have to close, the less revenue we generate,' he explained.
"So then we have to lay off more staff,' Ziemann continued. "More parks close. And it just becomes a spiral that eventually we can't sustain.'
But Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said there are other options, like hiking admission fees to parks. Pearce said lawmakers have the "best we can' in the past to protect parks.
"But you simply have no money,' he said, referring to the $1.6 billion state deficit. He said that means parks may have to give way to higher priorities like education and public safety.
Sen. Al Melvin, R-Tucson, said the Parks Department should work more with volunteers. He said the Friends of Oracle Park, in his neighborhood in southern Pinal County, raises between $15,000 and $20,000 a year.
One notable exception to the sweeps was the off-road vehicle fund. Senate President Bob Burns, R-Peoria, said House GOP leaders told him it was politically necessary to get a vote they needed.
Rep. Jerry Weiers, R-Glendale, admitted to Capitol Media Services he threatened to withhold his vote for the plan unless the nearly $500,000 was restored.
The money raised by a $30-a-year fee on users of off-road vehicles funds everything from trail maintenance to law enforcement. Weiers said it would not be fair to divert that cash for something else.
But the legislation sweeps other funds paid by users of state lakes and companies that need permits for waste disposal. Lawmakers also are sweeping fees paid to the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Weiers was unimpressed.
"It wouldn't hurt my feelings if the Corporation Commission went away,' he said.
But Kris Mayes who chairs the commission said those fees go for everything from protecting Arizonans from "shyster securities brokers' to funding the handling of paperwork necessary for filing new corporations.
Mayes said that, given the state's economy, "I'm pretty sure that forming new corporations is more important than off-road vehicle trails.'
The GOP budget plan also takes money from the office of Attorney General Terry Goddard. He's a Democrat who already has announced he is exploring a bid for governor next year.
But no funds were taken from either Secretary of State Ken Bennett or State Treasurer Dean Martin, both Republicans.
Burns said he can't explain the former decision. But he said the latter stems from Martin's complaint he needs the people to handle state investments.
Martin said he was willing to take some cuts but said he could not handle the same 7.5 percent as everyone else. At that point, Martin said GOP leaders told him they would exempt him, at least for now.
Sen. Rebecca Rios, D-Apache Junction, said some of the same consideration should have been given to the Attorney General's Office.
She said the dollars being taken will hamper that agency's ability to deal with human trafficking and drug trade. Rios also wants cash restored to protect Arizonans from consumer fraud and racketeering.
"The AG's office is providing a lot of protection against a lot of bad apples that come out, especially in these tough economic times, and often times prey on our elderly folks and other vulnerable folks in our community,' Rios said.
The fund sweeps also take away money the Department of Transportation had planned to use for snow removal.
Kevin Biesty said previous budget cuts took away cash needed to keep roads clear. He said his agency planned to get around that by raising money by selling off some vehicles.
But the measure approved Thursday sweeps that money, too.
Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, said Republican leaders said they will shift around some ADOT funds when the Legislature reconvenes in January. Biesty, however, said unless lawmakers give his agency more money, there simply won't be enough cash for snow removal all winter.
Sen. Jonathan Paton, R-Tucson, said if Democrats are so unhappy with the cost-cutting plans they should come up with some alternatives of their own.
House Minority Leader David Lujan, D-Phoenix, said his caucus has proposed alternatives, like suspending the dollar-for-dollar tax credit that helps send children to private and parochial schools. But he said Republicans have been unwilling to consider that despite its $65 million a year price tag.
