TO CLIPS INDEX - Clips for February 1, 2008

State financial outlook is grim as tax take falls $84 mil short
The Arizona Republic -Feb. 1, 2008 12:00 AM
More grim numbers were released Thursday on the state's financial outlook: The tax take for
December fell nearly $84 million short of the projection on which state spending is based.
That deepens the state's budget hole and is yet another prod that lawmakers need to figure
out a way to balance the budget. The holiday season wasn't generous to state coffers ...

Bio firm invests $21.5 mil in TGen
The Arizona Republic - Jan. 31, 2008 09:23 PM
A Los Angeles biotech company plans to spend $21.5 million on two TGen-related programs
that aim to make Arizona the base of a personalized-medicine initiative that tests and develops
targeted cancer treatments. Abraxis Bioscience Chief Executive Officer Patrick Soon-Shiong
and the Translational Genomics Research Institute reached a letter of intent for the two programs
that local bioscience interests say can advance research and create spin-off companies.

Hospitals act to save trauma funds
The Arizona Republic - Jan. 31, 2008 08:43 PM
Arizona's elite trauma hospitals are urging state lawmakers to avoid cuts to a voter-approved
emergency-services fund used to care for thousands of Arizonans each year. Hospital
administrators worry that lawmakers, who must make cuts to settle a nearly $1 billion deficit this
year, will act on a state budget committee report issued in November.

Robb: Political notes: Romney vs. McCain, state budget woes
Arizona Republic - Feb. 1, 2008 12:00 AM
John McCain is trying to diss Mitt Romney's claim to executive branch experience. McCain says
he's a leader, while Romney has been a mere manager. This unfairly characterizes Romney's
background and distorts the experience issue. In addition to being a Massachusetts governor

Girls' $151 gift to UMC: a gesture beyond price
Arizona Daily Star - 02.01.2008
Lizzie Bell considers University Medical Center her second home. Diagnosed as a newborn with
a rare genetic disease, Diamond Blackfan anemia, the 13-year-old has spent much of her life at
the hospital. She needs blood transfusions every two to three weeks to survive. But a visit Thursday
 afternoon was all about helping other children. Lizzie, her sister and her friends presented UMC
with $151 in cash, plus some change, ...

He lived frugally while giving his time and fortune to others
Arizona Daily Star - 02.01.2008
"When a man dies, he clutches in his hands only that which he has given away during his life-
time." — Swiss-French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Lionel "Lee" Rombach lived a life
of abundance through austerity. He owned few possessions, got as much wear as he could out
of his clothing and ate a sparse diet, consisting largely of oats, beans, rice and powdered milk.
He calculated he could survive on less than $4 a day. He spent his career as a civil servant, ...

Revenue drop has Arizona $84M deeper in hole
Arizona Daily Star - 02.01.2008
The state moved another $84 million into the hole in December as consumers continue to rein
in their spending. New figures Thursday show Arizona collected $362.1 million in sales taxes in
December, which is slightly less than the same month in 2006. The biggest drop was in retail
sales taxes levied on the purchase of items ranging from pencils and computers to cars and
trucks. Sales taxes levied on contractors also were down.

Enviros, scientists launch global-climate 'teach-in' at UA
Arizona Daily Star - 02.01.2008
Environmental activists and scientists teamed up at the University of Arizona Thursday for a
"teach-in" on global climate change and conservation. The hope was to encourage college
students to start acting on solutions for the planet's future. "We believe global warming will be
 the defining issue of our generation," said UA student body President Tommy Bruce.

UA well drilling causes water waste, giant mess
Arizona Daily Star - 02/01/2008, 08:57 am
Drivers traveling on Euclid Avenue crossing Sixth Street this week have noticed a steady flow
of water filling the roadway. It's coming from a well being drilled on the University of Arizona
campus near the Park Student Union.

'Clear conscience' for UA candidate
Tucson Citizen - 02.01.2008
There are three large problems facing the world, according to Pramod P. Khargonekar, dean of
the University of Florida College of Engineering. The first is globalization, which "has destroyed
the values of time and space and the way people learn about the world." Second, is that about 5
billion of the world's 6.6 billion people are seeking an "American-style" of living, ....

NAU being laid low by flu outbreak
Arizona Daily Sun - February 01, 2008
Students sick with the flu have filled the waiting room at NAU's Fronske Health Center and even
the seat in the phone booth recently, says physician Tim Fleming. "The last two weeks have been
utterly unimaginable," he said. "I think it's the worst outbreak ... Ever since the Martin Luther King
three-day weekend, we've just had students in here, sick as can be, every day."

Rich colleges, poor students: Time for a mandate?
Arizona Daily Sun - February 01, 2008
The following editorial appeared today in The Christian Science Monitor: Endowments at colleges
and universities have ballooned. Senators rightly press the case for tuition relief. Last week, two
key U.S. senators asked the nation's 136 wealthiest colleges and universities for information on
their tuition hikes, financial aid and endowments. With those treasure chests rising rapidly, the
lawmakers wonder if a college education can be made more affordable.

Adjunct profs just as skilled
Arizona Daily Sun - February 01, 2008
I must add another perspective to your recent article about the use of adjunct professors
(disclosure: I was one at NAU for 13 years) in our universities. The implication is that we are
somehow deficient in dedication and training. What we are is fully trained and most anxious
for a tenure-track job.

A better world, one cup at a time
ASU Web Devil - February 1, 2008
A group of ASU students hope their new venture will offer more than just a place to grab a cup
of coffee — they'd like it to become a hub of the community. Molecular and cellular biology
graduate student Damien Salamone and molecular biology junior Mohamed Abdalla said they
created SkyCafé, a new shop at SkySong — ASU's business innovation center in Scottsdale —
to provide a sense of community for employees and visitors.

A student's idea; our state's law?
ASU Web Devil - 02/01/2008, 08:42 am
One ASU student could see his idea to limit the Arizona Board of Regents' power in regulating
tuition become law this legislative session. Chris Gustafson, a political science and history
junior, wrote House Bill 2272 as a project in a political science class last semester.

Aramark compromises on meal plan proposals
ASU Web Devil - 02/01/2008, 08:42 am
Students will have a choice between six different meal plans next semester under a tentative
compromise between representatives of campus residents and Aramark, ASU's dining provider.

Candidate talks about UA role
UA Arizona Daily Wildcat - 2/1/08
Pramod P. Khargonekar, dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Florida, spoke
about the role of the university as a distributor of knowledge that's faced with the challenge of
competing in an increasingly innovative and technological global market. "The availability of
cheap technology is changing the way people learn and live," he said. "What happens in China
 or Russia affects what happens here in the U.S. and we are at the beginning of this aim, rather
than at the end."

Budget shortfall puts tech funding in jeopardy
Phoenix Business Journal - February 1, 2008
One of the most ambitious government-funded technology programs in Arizona may be in
jeopardy as state leaders look to reverse a $1.3 billion budget shortfall. The Senate and House
appropriations committee chairmen are suggesting a rollback of numerous state programs,
and none is more sweeping than the $25 million earmarked for the 21st Century Fund, which
backs Science Foundation Arizona. The move could pit legislators against industry leaders ...

ASU proposes master's degree in urban design for architecture school
Phoenix Business Journal - February 1, 2008
Arizona State University's College of Design is hoping to take its growing national reputation
to the next level with a new master's degree program in urban design. The proposed curriculum
has been submitted to the Arizona Board of Regents and could be approved in the next several
weeks, allowing students to begin classes in the fall. The two-year, full-time program would
operate under the auspices of the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

Business groups divided over how to pay for school construction
Phoenix Business Journal - February 1, 2008
Business groups are split over whether the state should pay for new school construction via
bonds and debt financing, or cash. The school funding issue is at the crux of how the state is
dealing with a $1 billion budget deficit. Gov. Janet Napolitano wants to use bonding and other
debt financing akin to a mortgage to pay for $864 million worth of school construction for fiscal
2008 and 2009.

College savings plans can make the grade
Inside Tucson Business - February 01, 2008
With the costs of higher education continually rising, it’s more important than ever to get an early
 start saving for a college education. For parents or grandparents considering education-funding
possibilities, Section 529 state-sponsored College Savings Plans may be the way to go.

GOP lawmakers tax repeal plan appears doomed
Inside Tucson Business - February 01, 2008
Republican state lawmakers’ goal to permanently repeal a property tax this year appears doomed
because two GOP senators now say they won’t vote for it. The Arizona Capitol Times reports Sens.
Tom O’Halleran, of Sedona, and Carolyn Allen, of Scottsdale, said they expect to take some heat
for their decisions but they believe this is not the year to pursue permanent repeal of the tax.