Hello!

I want to share with you my letter that I wrote to Governor Jan Brewer about paying of Arizona's deficit. Here it is:

Dear Governor Brewer:

Hello! My name is Sara Enochs and I am a mom who is interested in paying off Arizona's deficit. No, I don't have $1.6 billion dollars, but I do have an idea that would raise $340 dollars per resident over the next 24 months, that would be $14 dollars a month per person. There are 6,500,180 residents of Arizona and I believe that we all want to help Arizona. Here's my idea.

I would contact Arizona companies such as Shamrock, Peter Piper Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery, Harkins Theatres, and ask them to participate in a fundraiser by putting a sticker of Arizona's flag on one of their more popular items and increase the price of that product by one dollar. Each month I would invite our residents to buy these products and encourage them to spend $14 each month to help Arizona.

I want to start the fundraiser sooner than later. So, I was thinking that for the first three months, I would place $1, $2, and $5 dollar coupons near the cash registers at grocery stores, banks, or post offices. When our residents visit these places, they can choose to contribute to pay off the deficit.

I would explain to Arizona that we need to raise $14 dollars per person per month. My family is a party of six, so that would be $8 dollars, more or less per month. Yes, that's a lot to ask of some families. Hopefully, our residents will come up with their own fund raising ideas such as walk for Arizona, golf tournaments, raffles, pie contests at the State Fair, hot air balloon race, fishing tournaments, rubber duck races, an Arizona chili bake off, or black tie affairs, (we can advertise in our Arizona magazines and newspapers) ...to give back to the State of ARizona what we as residents have received for free such as fire and police protection, education, health care, and roads, etc. The intent is truly trying to drive this down to the grass-roots level and let people get much more excited about a "fundraiser" vs. a new "tax".

Once our Arizona companies have participated in the program, then I would as our national companies to participate such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Frito-Lay, etc. My ultimate goal is to have all 50 states do this kind of fundraiser. After two years, all of the State deficits would be paid and then we could start paying off the US deficit in the same manner from 2012 to 2016.

I think this program would do a few things. One, it would help American owned companies. Two, it would allow the citizens of the United States to do something to help America. Three, maybe if we knew how much it takes to run government programs, we wouldn't ask government to spend so much money on us.

Believe it or not, we want to help. We want our streets to continue to be free of crime. We want our kids to continue to obtain a quality education. We want our residents to continue to be employed.

In closing, I have two sons with autism. Merrinda Trindle, our caseworker at the Division of Developmental Disabilites, has made sure that we get the help my boys need. Now, I want to make sure Arizona gets the help it needs. We do need to be reminded what the State of Arizona has done for us, so that we can help too.

I am American. I can pay off the deficit!

Hope to speak to you soon,

Sara Enochs

So, I haven't heard back. I sent the same letter to Senator John McCain and President Clinton.

Are you having a hard time picturing it? Think of Susan. G. Komen's foundation to eradicate breast cancer. Why can't we eradicate the deficit the same exact way?

What do you think? Should we raise taxes or do a fundraiser? Are there other options?

For a list of major budget cuts proposed to children and families in Arizona, visit the Children's Action Alliance webpage at www.azchildren.org.