Coconino County treasurer warns federal cuts will affect all Arizonans

Democratic Coconino County Treasurer Sarah Benatar says Arizona is facing huge problems as a result of President Trump’s recently signed tax and immigration bill.

Benatar and a handful of Democratic state treasurers primarily warned about the impacts of Medicaid cuts in an information session hosted by the national advocacy group Americans For Responsible Growth.

Benatar criticized the Trump administration and Republicans in Washington for making those cuts while extending tax breaks for the wealthy.

“This administration has done their very best to ensure that the wealthy have immediate access to tax breaks on the backs of hard working Americans, the impact on them, though, has in large part been purposely concealed until after the midterms,” she said.

Benatar noted Medicaid is 74% of the funding the state of Arizona receives from the federal government.

But she warned impacts from the GOP spending plan will be felt across the board, from school meal affordability to funding of fire districts and the ability to keep rural hospitals open.

“It's going to hit all of our communities. It's not going to be — this is not a rural problem. This is not an urban problem. This is an American problem. It is going to hurt every single American in one way or another,” she said.

Benatar called county treasurers the “bank” for Arizona’s taxing districts.

“We're getting creative, but that means debt, so it's serious conversations where there are large school districts of, how are we going to pay the bills? How are we going to keep the lights on?” she asked. “I've been a county treasurer for over a decade, and I've never had to see and plan for this level of how do we make sure we have the cash on hand, even if it's coming later? Because the answer is, we don't know if it's coming at all.”

The other treasurers on the call — state leaders from Connecticut, Washington and Colorado — all called out Trump specifically.

“It seems as though the president wakes up every day with a new concept and rolls it out even unbeknownst to his staff,” Colorado Treasurer Dave Young said. “I would encourage congress to reel in the president — actually assert their authority,” he said.