City & Local Reform
There are almost 90,000 local governments in America, with an average of one new local government born every day. Many are unaccountable to taxpayers and special interest-driven, and the Goldwater Institute’s “New Charter for American Cities” gives citizens the tools they need to fight City Hall and hold their local governments accountable.
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Arizona Supreme Court Denies School District's Appeal
Posted on May 31, 2013 | Type: Press ReleaseUpholding a decision that protects taxpayers from being abused by school districts misusing bond money, the Arizona Supreme Court affirmed a Court of Appeals ruling Wednesday by denying the Cave Creek Unified School District’s appeal in an ongoing legal fight between the Goldwater Institute and the district.
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Charter Schools Should have Better Access to Empty Public School Buildings
Posted on May 28, 2013 | Type: Blog | Author: Jonathan ButcherThe wave of school building closures comes at a time when charter schools are disproportionally represented in the list of the top performing schools in the state. As TUSD shutters schools, shouldn’t the district find a way for successful charter schools to move in and give families better options?
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Pension Systems Looting the Taxpayer
Posted on May 22, 2013 | Type: Blog | Author: Byron SchlomachHave you ever squeezed a balloon and had parts of it squeeze out between your fingers? Unless you pop the balloon with a pin, it will reemerge somewhere else when you squeeze it. Public employee pensions have become balloons, and abuse of public pension systems keeps oozing despite attempts to put the squeeze on it.
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Cheatham v. DiCiccio
Posted on April 24, 2013 | Type: CaseIn September, Goldwater Institute investigative reporter Mark Flatten released an investigative report showing that Phoenix and other Arizona cities spend millions of dollars every year to pay employees to perform union work on city time. It's called "release time." The Goldwater Institute is taking on the city's contract with the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA). By executing this deal with PLEA, the members of the Phoenix City Council have violated the Arizona Constitution and their duty of loyalty to the taxpayers.
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Media Advisory: Ruling Halts Taxpayer-Funded Union Activism
Posted on April 23, 2013 | Type: Press ReleaseMaricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper granted a preliminary injunction Tuesday against the practice of “release time” in a Phoenix labor contract with the local police union, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA). Release time is a provision in government labor contracts allowing public employees to collect taxpayer-funded salaries and benefits while being "released" to do union work, including lobbying, electioneering, and other forms of political activism.
