TUCSON -- Gubernatorial hopeful Len Munsil proposed a three-word solution to the state's problems with education funding, overcrowded prisons and people without health insurance: secure the border.

The Republican contender lashed out Tuesday night at the record of incumbent Janet Napolitano, promising to do a better job of managing the state while vowing to slash state income taxes.

He also pledged to his audience at the University of Arizona to do more to hold down future tuition increases, but conceded later he has no specific plan to do that.

But Munsil, hoping to capitalize on what may be the most vulnerable part of Napolitano's four-year record, said many of the state's problems can be traced to what he said is her reluctance to do more to stop illegal immigration.

For example, asked about the state's high dropout rate, Munsil said there were many factors. "One of them that the governor fails to address is that we have an unsecured border,'' he said. "What that means is we have children dropped into our classes at every grade level who don't speak English.''

Munsil said Arizonans are "compassionate people'' who do not turn children away from school. "But that has a huge effect on our ability to move kids through the system,'' he said.

Similarly, when the issue of the large number of uninsured in Arizona came up -- perhaps one out of every six residents -- Munsil said one reason is because "we have not secured the borders of the state of Arizona.''

He also said tuition rates at the state's three universities have shot up at least in part because people here illegally can attend and pay the lower state-subsidized tuition available for Arizona residents.

Munsil noted that Napolitano vetoed legislation which would have required illegal immigrants to pay the higher tuition charged to out-of-state residents.

And in a post-debate briefing, Munsil said the high cost of operating the state's prison system also can be traced to illegal immigration.

Munsil said his plans to have state do more to keep people from crossing the border illegally provide a much sounder solution to the state's problems than those pursued by Napolitano.

For example, he has proposed creating what essentially would be a state border patrol, though Munsil has yet to detail how much that would cost. On that issue of health insurance, Napolitano talked about expansion of the Kids Care program under her watch which provides coverage for children of the working poor.

And she mentioned a special program run by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state's Medicaid program, which allows private businesses to purchase coverage. And Napolitano, when asked about that dropout question, cited her support of full-day kindergarten and more state funds for education.

"Her answers always involve more and more government,'' Munsil said. "Government is not always the solution.''

Libertarian candidate Barry Hess sided with Munsil on that account. In fact, Hess said the state should do nothing to deal with the issue of uninsured Arizonans.

Napolitano said illegal immigration does affect the state -- and has a cost to taxpayers. "Yes, it is true that we have illegal immigrants who are in our prisons,'' she said. "They are in our emergency rooms and we have to keep working on that. But that's not the sole cause of everything and every problem in Arizona.''

Napolitano defended her record of measures aimed at dealing with illegal immigration but repeated her stance that the real responsibility lies with Washington. But she rejected the contention that Arizona would save more money in the long run by having state taxpayers financing more border security rather than wait for Congress to do more.

"Once the state spends its money you never get reimbursed by the feds,'' the governor said. "And the plain fact of the matter is the federal government is pouring money into the border.''