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Wil Cardon: Flake Fights For Higher Energy Tax

May 25, 2012 By 3 Comments

Mr. Flake Pushed an Energy Tax that Republicans Opposed

In 2009, Flake Co-Sponsored A Bill to Raise Carbon Taxes

Career Politician Congressman Flake Claims to be a Conservative but His Colleagues on Capitol Hill Thought His Carbon Tax Was Anything But Conservative

“The bill puts the two lawmakers at odds with Republican congressional leaders, who’ve criticized the Democrats’ cap-and-trade plans as carbon taxes in disguise. ‘Cap and trade is code for increasing taxes, killing American jobs and raising energy costs for consumers,’ House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said. ‘The so-called ‘cap and trade’ proposal amounts to a carbon tax, plain and simple.’” (James Rosen, “Republican Lawmakers Back Carbon Tax (Yes, That’s Right),” McClatchy Newspapers, 5/13/09; www.mcclatchydc.com/)

Flake’s Carbon Tax Would Cost an Arizona Family of 4 $1,000 a year

Jeff Flake Says He’s Watching Out for Arizona, but He’s Not

For documentation and to try to get an explanation call Congressman Flake at 602-845-0333.

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Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Elected Officials, Energy, Legislation, Press Release, Taxation Tagged With: , ,

Jeff Flake provides ‘the rest of the story’

May 24, 2012 By 1 Comment

Jeff Flake

Dear Friends,

You may have seen an ad running on television from my opponent claiming that I want a massive energy tax and suggesting that I support cap and trade. This, of course, is untrue.

Let me give you, as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story.

In 2009, President Obama and the Democratic Majority in Congress were pushing the cap-and-trade bill, which most Republicans and I opposed. During debate on the bill, there were a number of us that thought we needed a way to expose the Democrats’ awful plan for what it was — a revenue grab in the worst way.

So we put together a revenue-neutral tax swap designed to counter the Democrats’ bill. Unlike cap and trade, our proposal cut taxes and did not increase spending. The legislation stipulated that any carbon tax revenue raised by the government would go directly into the Social Security Trust Fund, and at the same time the payroll tax would be lowered by the same amount. This way, there was no incentive for politicians to raise the tax, since they wouldn’t get their hands on the money to spend. It was used as a way to call the Democrats’ bluff. I should note that in the end, we succeeded — cap and trade failed.

Many notable conservatives supported our proposal’s honest, market-driven approach, including Arthur Laffer, a noted economist and former economic policy advisor to President Reagan, who said: “The bill that Jeff Flake cosponsored was a smart, free market, conservative approach to expose the Democrat’s Cap and Trade bill for was it was — a massive tax increase.”

Laffer penned an op-ed in the New York Times in support of our approach, as did conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer, writing in the Weekly Standard.

Rest assured that I will, as I have in the past, lead the fight in Congress for lower taxes, limited government and less regulation.

Sincerely,

Jeff Flake

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Elected Officials, Energy, Federal Government, Legislation, Press Release, Taxation Tagged With: ,

Laurie Roberts: Wilcox should not accept $975,000 from taxpayers

May 15, 2012 By 9 Comments

A m e r i c a n  P o s t – G a z e t t e

Distributed by C O M M O N  S E N S E , in Arizona
Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Former County Manager David Smith gave away large settlement amounts of taxpayers’ money out of anger (for being forced to resign?) 

Judge who dismissed criminal charges against Wilcox admitted he never adjudicated it on the merits


Supervisors did great political botch job

by Laurie Roberts

Arizona Republic

May 15, 2011

 

Take a bow, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

You, Max Wilson and Andy Kunasek and Fulton Brock.

Special accolades to Mary Rose Wilcox for a job exceedingly well done. Oh, it won’t rate the coveted Golden Rule in Government Award. I think we can rule that one out, based on her decision to trample the “do unto others” clause on her march to nearly a million dollars — of our money, that is.

But overall, applause all around. Hands down the best political botch job I have seen this year, and given that this is Arizona, that is saying something.

In the end Wilcox got her money, and Wilson, Kunasek and Brock got caught with their pants down. And the taxpayers? We got played.

As usual.

U.S. District Court Judge Neil Wake on Friday ruled that we owe Wilcox $975,000 — plus whatever the cost of her legal fees for having to return to court to pry loose her bonanza.

On Monday, the supervisors were busy tugging on their Sansabelts, pondering how they got outmaneuvered and whether to appeal.

“I still think it requires a board member to sign off on it,” Kunasek said.

This particular piece of political theater began in December 2009 when Wilcox was charged with 42 criminal counts, stemming from allegations that she voted to grant public funds to Chicanos Por La Causa while obtaining loans from one of its subsidiaries. Three months later, a Pima County judge dismissed the charges, citing prosecutorial misconduct, but noted that he never considered the merits of the case against Wilcox.

Cue the pain, the suffering and the inevitable lawsuit against us.

Wilcox claimed that she suffered terribly, losing not only her restaurant but her Golden Rule in Government Award, an honor withdrawn by the Arizona InterFaith Movement after she was indicted.

She joined fellow Supervisor Don Stapley and seven others in filing $46 million worth of claims against us for mistreatment at the hands of then-County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

In June 2010, the supervisors — the three who weren’t preparing to sue us — authorized then-County Manager David Smith to settle the claims.

In February, Smith talked about paying only their legal fees.

Then suddenly last month, as one of his last acts before retiring, he began doling out big money: $500,000 to retired Judge Barbara Mundell and Stapley’s secretary, Susan Schuerman.

Then, the shocker: He offered Wilcox $975,000.

“David Smith was leaving and he didn’t care if he angered the board,” Scott Isham, Wilson’s chief of staff told me on Monday. “This was an ‘Fyou’ out the door.”

County Attorney Bill Montgomery advised that the Wilcox windfall would have to be approved by one of her colleagues and the county treasurer. When her colleagues refused, Wilcox headed to federal court, hoping to convince Wake that she didn’t need anyone’s approval to cash in on her pain and suffering.

On Friday, Wake agreed with her.

It was almost hard not to, given the anemic defense put on by Steve LaMar, the attorney hired to defend the county.

He acted as if he’d never heard of Montgomery’s legal opinion, which, in any case, the judge said “clearly doesn’t apply.”

And LaMar’s argument — that any outlay over $200,000 needed board approval — fell apart when Smith testified that $500,000 checks had already been cut to Mundell and Schuerman.

Bottom line: Wake found that the supervisors long ago handed Smith a blank check to settle the claims as he saw fit.

Kunasek told me on Monday he always believed that Wilcox’s settlement would have to be approved by at least one board member.

“If I want to get reimbursed for cab fare, I need to have another board member sign off on it,” he said.

Both he and Wilson signed affidavits noting that they advised Smith that any Wilcox settlement would be subject to board approval. They just didn’t show up in court Friday to defend that point of view — a fact duly noted by the judge. Meanwhile, Smith was there to testify that he doesn’t recall ever being told any such thing.

“My authority was to settle claims and, acting within that authority, that’s what I did,” he said.

It took Wake about two seconds to order us to show Mary Rose the money, and an elated Wilcox proclaimed that justice prevailed.

“I will rededicate myself to being the best county supervisor I can be,” she told a reporter.

Of course, the best county supervisor she could be would be one who declines to take money from the people who for decades have been electing her.

Yeah, that’ll happen.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8635.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2012/05/14/20120514roberts0515-supervisors-did-great-political-botch-job.html#ixzz1ux7Zm9Z5
 
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Filed Under: Arizona Politics, County Government, Crime and Punishment, Elected Officials, Ethics, Spending, Taxation

Job Creators Cheer Referral of Proposition 116

April 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Small Business Job Creation Act rolls back job-killing equipment and machinery tax

PHOENIX, Ariz., April 25, 2012 — The Arizona Secretary of State today received transmission from the Arizona Legislature of a crucial ballot referendum designed to spur new job creation and economic development. The state constitutional amendment, called the Small Business Job Creation Act, is positioned to be on Arizona’s November 6, 2012 General Election ballot as Proposition 116.

“Arizona’s small business job creators have heard loud and clear from their state legislators that help is on the way to rollback the job-killing equipment and machinery tax,” said Farrell Quinlan, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business who drafted the referendum with Senate Majority Leader Andy Biggs and other lawmakers.

“The heavy tax burden we place on small business’ equipment and machinery is self-defeating and anti-growth because it punishes the very investment in job creation that Arizona needs to fuel our economic recovery,” Quinlan said.

The Proposition 116 referendum, enumerated Senate Concurrent Resolution 1012 in its legislative form, seeks to amend the Arizona Constitution to reset the personal property tax exemption for new equipment and machinery purchases to an amount equal to the earnings of 50 Arizona workers, approximately $2.4 million. The current constitutional exemption is $50,000 indexed to inflation since 1996 or $68,079 in Tax Year 2012.

“We are very encouraged about Proposition 116’s ultimate success at the ballot box due to the unanimous bipartisan support it received from legislators. It’s a real testament to the soundness of this public policy proposal that every Republican and Democrat lawmaker voted for it. Proposition 116 proves the adage that good policy makes for good politics,” Quinlan concluded.

The unanimous legislative support for SCR 1012 is a rare example of bipartisan consensus from the contentious and often bitterly partisan 50th Arizona Legislature. The Arizona Senate passed the legislation 30-0 on February 16, 2012 and the Arizona House of Representatives passed it 51-0 with eight absent and one vacancy on April 23, 2012.

Proposition 116 must garner 50 percent plus one vote of those voting on the measure this November to amend the state constitution. If passed, the new provisions will affect personal property purchased in 2013 and thereafter while personal property already on the tax rolls will remain unaffected.

According to state law, the Secretary of State will make official the designation of the Small Business Job Creation Act referendum as Proposition 116 after the petition filing deadline passes for citizen initiatives on July 5, 2012. The Secretary of State is required to assign numbers to propositions in the order the measures are filed with their office. SCR 1012 was the third referendum filed for the 2012 ballot following the two measures sent by the Legislature in 2011 that will be designated Proposition 114 and Proposition 115 respectively in accordance with statute.

NFIB has already begun organizing a campaign committee to support the passage of Proposition 116. Those interested in joining that effort should contact NFIB’s Arizona office at (602) 263-7690 or send an email to farrell.quinlan@nfib.org.

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NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association with 350,000 members nationwide and 7,500 in Arizona and has offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals.  Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists send their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.

Filed Under: Ballot Measures, Campaigns & Elections, Economic Development, Jobs/Labor, Legislation, Small Business, State Economy, Taxation Tagged With: , , , , ,

Arizona’s State and Local Governments: Weighing Us Down

April 19, 2012 By 2 Comments

By Byron Schlomach

Amid calls for increased state spending and fears of 2014 program cuts, some are calling for extending 2010’s sales tax increase indefinitely. However, Arizonans should understand how much their state and local governments cost before we let them charge us even more.

The graph below shows state and local governments’ direct expenditures as a percentage of private GDP for four states and the 50-state U.S. average from 1985 through 2009. This cost-of-government measure reflects government’s affordability to taxpayers.

Some states with high incomes and GDPs can conceivably “afford” more government. One of the most affordable state and local governments in the country in 2009 was Connecticut’s, partly because incomes (and GDP) in Connecticut is high. Currently, as can be seen in the graph, liberal New Jersey’s governments were more affordable than ours.

The percentage can go up because government spending rises or because GDP has fallen. GDP in Arizona has fallen lately (as it has in virtually every state) and this graph demonstrates that Arizona’s state and local governments have failed, worse than most, to shrink with Arizonans’ ability to afford them. Even before the recession, though, since 1999 the general trend has been less affordable government in Arizona.

In 1990, Arizona’s government burden as a percentage of private state GDP was the highest of all 50 states. The following decade saw tax cuts that shrank Arizona’s government burden until we were below the U.S. average. As a result, our economy boomed.

Now Arizona’s state and local governments are again above average in cost. Our government burden is closer to that of California than Texas, and the difference between the two states is striking. California’s unemployment rate is nearly 11 percent; Texas’ is above 7 percent, but only because so many people are moving there.

The numbers show that Arizona has failed to keep government small and economic growth high. We seem more focused on being a tired, flaccid has-been like California instead of an energetic economic leader like Texas.

Our state legislative leadership has it right: Resist increasing spending. Reduce the risk of raising taxes later. And lower the burden of government.

Dr. Byron Schlomach is the director of the Goldwater Institute’s Center for Economic Prosperity.

Learn more:

American Legislative Exchange Council: Rich States Poor States (PDF)

Joint Legislative Budget Board: (Legislative) Budget as Introduced (PDF)

Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting: The Executive Budget Recommendation (PDF)

Filed Under: Arizona Politics, Economic Development, Economics, Spending, State Budget, State Economy, Taxation

Tax Day Blues Should Lead to Thoughts of Reform

April 17, 2012 By 2 Comments

By Stephen Slivinski

It’s federal tax day, and many wonder why they owe the government so much money. And those who receive refunds might wonder why the federal government kept so much in the first place.

Yet the shared experience of filling out tax forms – or paying someone to do it for us – should also have us wondering if there’s a better way.

Although a big part of the tax bite stems from functions government has taken on that could easily be handled by the private sector, the costs of complying with the federal tax code are nothing to sneeze at either. According to the Internal Revenue Service’s own calculations, U.S. taxpayers and businesses spend 6.1 billion hours a year complying with federal tax statutes. Translate that time into hours worked instead, and it amounts to more than three million full-time workers, or about 2 percent of current U.S. employment. By comparison, the number of employed Americans between 2008 and today has dropped by about 4 million.

All of this at a cost of $163 billion – money that could have been spent starting businesses, putting more money into savings, or paying household bills.

And these estimates don’t include state-level tax compliance. Although filling out federal tax forms is something every taxpayer in each state has to do, the residents of nine states don’t have to file out a state income tax form. That’s because those states don’t have an income tax.

Those states benefit in more ways than just the cost of time and money spent on filling out tax forms and engaging in tax planning. For instance, those states tend to have higher net job creation rates – about 10 percent higher than those with an income tax between 2000 and 2007.

Why? Because income tax systems penalize work and investment. On the other hand, consumption taxes – like sales taxes – encourage wealth creation.

Arizona policymakers should head toward a broad-based consumption tax that could eliminate some of the current system’s complexity and unlock economic growth.

It’s certainly something that must have crossed the minds of beleaguered taxpayers this week.

Stephen Slivinski is senior economist for the Goldwater Institute.

Learn more:

Internal Revenue Service: National Taxpayer Advocate 2010 Annual Report to Congress (PDF)

Goldwater Institute: Investing in Arizona

Filed Under: Economic Development, Economics, State Budget, State Economy, State Government, Taxation

House Vote Comes Just in the Nick of Time

April 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Prescient lawmakers act before key economic indicator reports dangerous drop

PHOENIX, Ariz., April 10, 2012 — They had no way of knowing yesterday that today’s release of one of America’s most important economic indicators would show a possible stall in the nation’s recovery, but Rules Committee members of the Arizona House of Representatives proved very prescient in passing Senate Concurrent Resolution 1012.

“Today’s release of NFIB’s Small-Business Economics Trends report should remove any lingering doubt that the full House should pass SCR 1012 and get it on the November ballot for voters to have their say,” said Farrell Quinlan, Arizona state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), America’s largest small-business association. “Combine today’s report with next week’s tax filing deadline and it’s beyond debate that the House needs to act now to send the strongest possible message to Arizona’s job creators that help is on the way.”

For almost 40 years, NFIB’s SBET has been one of the nation’s bellwether economic barometers, used by Federal Reserve chairmen, Congress, and presidential administrations. Release of today’s report shows its Optimism Index falling two points overall in March after six months of gains. Small business in no small matter, because Main Street enterprises employ the majority of working Americans and generate most new jobs—not big businesses, and certainly not big governments or labor unions.

“The mood of owners is subdued—they just can’t seem to shake off the uncertainties out there,” wrote NFIB’s chief economist, William Dunkelberg, in today’s report. “What we saw in March is painfully familiar – this was the same pattern of growth followed by months of decline from 2011. History appears to be repeating itself—and not in a good way.”

A capital expenditures category is one of 10 measurements the SBET takes each month, and March showed a sharp drop in new equipment and vehicle purchases. This, according to Quinlan, is where Arizona can step in to help. SCR 1012, also called the Small Business Jobs Creation Act, would unleash small business expansion by resetting the personal property tax exemption for new machinery and equipment purchases to an amount equal to the earnings of fifty Arizona workers (almost $2.4 million). Last month the referendum unanimously passed the Senate 30-0 while an identical bill (HCR 2009) passed the House 47-10 with an overwhelming bipartisan majority.

“You can say you intend to hire more workers, and all you’re doing is expressing a wish or a sentiment,” said Quinlan. “But when we see you adding more machinery, other equipment, and vehicles, the new jobs are sure to follow. That’s why NFIB is amplifying our call for the Arizona House to schedule a vote on SCR 1012 sooner rather than later—before Tax Day and the 100th day of the legislative session, both of which fall on April 17 this year. We need to send a message now that Arizona is open for business.”

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NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists send their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.

Filed Under: Ballot Measures, Economics, Jobs/Labor, Legislation, Small Business, State Economy, Taxation Tagged With: ,

Arizona needs to take a comprehensive look at the tax code

April 4, 2012 By 4 Comments

By Stephen Slivinski

Tax policy is often like looking at a pointillist painting – stare closely at only a section, and you don’t have a sense of the whole picture. But when you back up, the picture comes into a focus.

Governor Brewer recently signed into law HB 2123 which will help policymakers and the public stand back and take a much-needed look at all the elements of the tax code at once.

The law creates a tax reform commission for Arizona that will be required to issue a report by October. The commission will take a look at how well or poorly the current system works overall relative to desired economic outcomes and the need to fund the government.

I know what you’re thinking, “oh good; another government commission.” But, other states, such as Georgia, have convened a similar sort of commission, and in many cases, the committee hearings and the resulting reports have motivated a healthy debate about the best sort of tax system the state should have. And that’s a good thing.

Too often, tax changes are made on an ad hoc basis or by voters at the ballot box based on political whim. Additionally, tinkering in one part of the tax code – usually by making exceptions for certain types of businesses – can lead to unintended consequences and pressures to keep taxes high on other business and industries.

Fundamental tax reform necessarily starts with a broad approach. The piecemeal fashion the Legislature and voters pursue now leads to relatively high tax rates and a narrower tax base. In other words, high taxes on some, low taxes on others, and a growing constituency of beneficiaries – whether it be special interest lobbyists, tax accountants, or legislators hoping to woo a certain type of business or industry – entrenches the current tax system and might even make it worse.

The first step in reforming the tax code is to view it in its entirety. Commissions are a common way to do that and they also help policymakers and the public understand what’s broken and – perhaps most important – whether any taxes should be substantially reformed, reduced, or terminated to help create jobs and raise family incomes.

Stephen Slivinski is senior economist with the Goldwater Institute.

Learn more:

Goldwater Institute: Arizona must choose the right path on tax policy

Goldwater Institute: Unleashing Entrepreneurial Forces: States Can Spark Business Creation, Attract Venture Capital Investment, and Increase Job Growth by Eliminating Taxation of Capital Gains

Goldwater Institute: Investing in Arizona: How the Legislature Can Get Arizona’s Economy Moving Again by Reducing the Barriers to Investment and Job Creation

Filed Under: Arizona Politics, Economics, State Budget, State Economy, State Government, Taxation

Conservative Bloggers Voice Support For Marketplace Fairness Act

March 27, 2012 By 11 Comments

Conservative Bloggers Voice Support For Marketplace Fairness Act

Consensus continues to grow regarding the need for e-fairness legislation as two prominent conservative bloggers recently voiced their support for the Marketplace Fairness Act. Neil Stevens’ post over the weekend on the conservative blog RedState explains how he’s come around on the idea of e-fairness legislation.

From Neil Stevens’ post on RedState:

“Also, we’re back to discussing the Marketplace Fairness Act. As we’ve discussed before, this is a bill that would give Congressional approval to an interstate compact between the states to collect sales tax across state lines, requires member states to harmonize their tax rules to fit in with the interstate system. The bill is gaining Congressional support this time around. In theory I’m fine with this. It’s Constitutional and it’s reasonable. I disagree with Overstock.com’s complaints of complexity, because the compact imposes restrictions on the way the states can tax items, and also creates mechanisms to ease collection of the taxes.”

In yesterday’s post on Hot Air, Jazz Shaw goes even further – saying he’s no longer “on the fence” about the Marketplace Fairness Act – especially after yet another conservative voice, Maine Governor Paul LePage (R), declared his support for it.

From Jazz Shaw’s post on Hot Air:

“As I’ve stated before, I was on the fence about this one for a long time. Even leaving aside the “taxes are bad” thing, anything which could impede online commerce just strikes a sour note with many of us. I had also considered the possibility that maybe this could be worked out at the state level, but a recent attempt in Illinois to do just that produced… nothing. But after sifting through all of the pros and cons, I have to admit that it may be time to just get it over with and do this.

The reason? Like it or not, fiscal conservatives must, at a minimum, believe in a level playing field. Equality of opportunity, not results… remember? After looking over the new Ryan Plan Part 2, I’m reminded that as we tighten our belt at the federal level, more and more things will need to be pushed back down to the states. Each of them will have to manage their budgets as they see best, and for the majority of them a state sales tax is part of their revenue stream. While it may be depressing, the feds need to provide each of them a chance to compete evenly…”

It may be time to just bite the bullet and pass this legislation.”

Filed Under: Economics, Federal Government, Legislation, State Budget, State Economy, Taxation, Uncategorized

Michael Monti: Mark Mitchell’s Pet Project Would Waste Millions of Taxpayer Dollars

March 26, 2012 By 1 Comment

Michael Monti says taxpayers would be left holding the bag for Mark Mitchell’s boondoggle

(Tempe, Arizona) Mark Mitchell has recently been touting his ‘plan’ for a Tempe Conference Center, but he has failed to say who will pay for it. That’s because it’s the Tempe taxpayers who would be on the hook for millions.

Businessman and candidate for Tempe Mayor Michael Monti points out that Mitchell has done little to outline specifics of his conference center plans and has been unable for over a decade to get ASU on board, “Any plan must include ASU, the leading State agency in Tempe, which could contribute a significant amount to such a project merely by agreeing to book all of its guests into such a hotel and conference facility. Mark Mitchell has been on the Tempe Council for 12 years, has talked about a Tempe Conference Center his entire 12 years, and has never been able to get ASU to the table in such a proposal.”

Michael Monti has delivered detailed proposals and even held community forums for a plan to bring a public swimming beach to the Tempe Town Lake, without taxpayer funding. Meanwhile the centerpiece for the Mitchell campaign, his proposed hotel/conference center, is scarce on details. What we do know is that such projects, like those in Phoenix, can cost taxpayers dearly. The Phoenix Convention Center? $600 Million. But where will the funds for a Tempe version come from at a time of budget cuts and tax increases?

In addition, the Valley has a number of conference centers. If Tempe were to build one, it would be competing regionally in an already saturated market.

Monti is well aware that he might derive a financial benefit from a downtown Tempe Conference Center, but he still feels the idea is out-of-step and misplaced, “As a Mill Avenue business owner I realize such a project may be good for my business, but I think it would be a bad idea for the city. Secondly, I think it’s time we start looking to south Tempe for civic projects. The Mill Avenue corridor is blessed with a host of amenities. It’s time south Tempe had a bigger say in these decisions.”

Monti is calling for Mitchell to lay out a detailed budget of this project as well a plan to make certain taxpayers won’t be left with the bill.

Monti said, “I am all for bringing more tourists to Tempe. My personal livelihood depends on it. But I am not willing to soak the taxpayers for such a project. The Tempe city budget cannot survive a spending spree by Mark Mitchell merely to satisfy an insatiable need to spend taxpayer money. If built with public money, this project would only serve as another monument to a politician. We should learn from missteps made by other communities (City North in Phoenix) with regard to developer incentives and taxpayer subsidies. If the private sector could cover the entire cost, that would be great. If not, then we need to take a pass on this given the fragile state of our city budget.”

Michael Monti, owner of Tempe’s historic Monti’s La Casa Vieja, co-founded Local First, Arizona. He is also active in the Tempe Diablos Charities, and is the youngest inductee in the Arizona Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame.

To make a campaign donation on line click here here or mail a check to

Monti4Mayor
P.O. Box 24476
Tempe, AZ 85285

His campaign is based on bringing private sector ideas to government, fiscal responsibility, civic involvement, economic opportunity, and innovation. His proposals include:

Financial incentives for city workers who save tax dollars
The creation of the Tempe Community Corps to increase volunteerism, and aid Tempe neighborhoods
Partnerships with ASU and the business community to bring more jobs to Tempe
The creation of a public swimming beach at Tempe Town Lake, paid for by the private sector
Partnerships with the ASU College of Nursing to aid Tempe seniors
Encouraging businesses to embrace eco-friendly projects such as the Blink Car Charging Stations at Monti’s La Casa Vieja
A ban on texting while driving in Tempe
A gift ban and stricter reporting requirements for Tempe elected officials
An eight year term limit for the mayor’s office

Arizona leaders and organizations that have endorsed Michael Monti include:

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman
Tempe Council Member Onnie Shekerjian
Tempe Democrat and Former Council Member Barbara Sherman
Tempe’s first elected Mayor, Rudy Campbell
The Tempe Chamber of Commerce
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery
Congressman David Schweikert
Former Tempe City Council Member ‘Hut’ Hutson
Former State Rep. Laura Knaperek Tempe Democrat Carl Hayden
Former Tempe Councilman Joseph Lewis
Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane
Barry Goldwater Jr.
Former State Senator and Tempe Councilwoman Bev Hermon
Former Tempe Council Candidate Angie Taylor Thornton

To visit the Monti4 Mayor Website click here or log on to www.monti4mayor.com (@monti4mayor).

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Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, City Government, Conservatives, Press Release, Spending, Taxation Tagged With: , ,

Stop ObamaCare in Arizona!

March 22, 2012 By 2 Comments

To all Arizona Taxpayers and Health Care Consumers,

As we approach the second anniversary of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid federal government takeover of health care, we must continue to fight for health care freedom.

Those of us who cannot make it to the Hands Off My Health Care Rally in Washington, DC on March 27 have a chance to tell Nancy Pelosi what we think of her health care legislation (now that we all know what’s in it!) this Saturday afternoon, March 24, when Pelosi visits Tempe.

We also have a duty to get the Arizona Legislature to STOP Gov. Jan Brewer from setting up an ObamaCare exchange here in Arizona.

Take Action to STOP ObamaCare in Arizona!

ObamaCare will make health care more expensive and less accessible, and will stifle innovation through huge new tax and regulatory burdens. And ObamaCare will ultimately put all control over health insurance and health care in the hands of Washington bureaucrats.

Unfortunately, Governor Jan Brewer is spending $30 million in federal funds (i.e., your federal tax dollars) to set up an ObamaCare health insurance exchange in Arizona. The exchange is a new bureaucracy that will soon require tens of millions of dollars annually in new surcharges, fees and/or taxes on Arizona families and businesses.

Worse still, the imposition of an ObamaCare exchange here in Arizona may prevent ObamaCare from being repealed. As enacted, ObamaCare is dependent upon state exchanges (such as Gov. Brewer’s exchange) for the distribution of federal subsidies. Once Arizonans become addicted to federal subsidies, ObamaCare will be extremely difficult to repeal.

AFP-Arizona is calling on Arizona’s Legislators sign the Health Care Freedom Pledge and to STOP Governor Brewer from imposing an ObamaCare exchange.

Here is the key text of the Health Care Freedom Pledge:

“I hereby pledge to OPPOSE any bill, regulation, legislation, or executive action that implements President Obama’s health care legislation, including bills that create new bureaucracies that must be funded by new surcharges, fees, or taxes of any kind.”

AFP-Arizona is asking all Arizona Legislators to sign the Pledge by the tenth day after the end of the 2012 legislative session (probably sometime in late April). Legislators who fail to sign the Pledge are leaving the door open to the imposition of an ObamaCare exchange in Arizona–and harming the prospects for the repeal of ObamaCare.

Please use this link to take action to stop ObamaCare in Arizona.

You and your friends, neighbors and co-workers can also take action at our AZ Health Care Freedom page: http://americanhealthcarefreedom.com/who-stands-with-you/

And again, please join us in Tempe on Saturday to give Nancy Pelosi the reception she deserves… (More info at http://tinyurl.com/pelositempe)

To see how the Committee members (and other Legislators) scored on AFP-Arizona’s 2011 Legislative Scorecard, along with cumulative scores for past years, click here.

To learn more about AFP-Arizona’s 2012 Legislative Agenda, and to see how the Health Care Freedom Pledge will be scored on AFP-Arizona’s 2012 Scorecard, click here.

For Liberty, Tom

Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity
www.aztaxpayers.org

Filed Under: Federal Government, Health Care, Press Release, State Budget, State Government, Taxation Tagged With: ,

Arizona Taxpayer Alert: Zombie Film Hand-Out Rises Again!

March 19, 2012 By 1 Comment

Dear Arizona Taxpayer,

Like the zombies in bad horror movies, the film industry keeps coming back and keeps trying to get the Arizona Legislature to give the industry subsidies paid for with your tax dollars.

This year, the film zombies are trying once again to raise their taxpayer-funded subsidies from the grave. In a zombie sneak attack, they have attached the bill as a strike-all amendment (“striker”) to another bill, HB 2127.

On March 14, AFP-Arizona and our allies kept the striker from being heard in the Senate Commerce Committee, but the zombies have risen again from the muck! Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 20, at 10:00 am), the zombies will try to push their striker to HB 2127 through the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Dems on the committee appear to be in favor of the corporate-welfare handout to the film industry. But to pass the bill out of committee, the zombies will need to pick up several Repub votes. The following Senators are under a lot of pressure from the industry to vote for the striker. Please send them quick emails to encourage them to hold the line against the zombie movie subsidy.

Senator Sylvia Allen sallen@azleg.gov
Senator Andy Biggs abiggs@azleg.gov
Senator Rich Crandall rcrandall@azleg.gov
Senator Ron Gould rgould@azleg.gov
Senator Lori Klein lklein@azleg.gov
Senator Jerry Lewis jlewis@azleg.gov
Senator Al Melvin amelvin@azleg.gov
Senator Rick Murphy rmurphy@azleg.gov
Senator Don Shooter dshooter@azleg.gov

For more information about the zombie subsidies, see these great links from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club:

http://www.azfree.org/arizona-and-the-film-tax-credit-sequel/
http://www.azfree.org/film-tax-credit-testimony/

And thanks for all you do to defend and expand free enterprise in Arizona!

For Liberty,

–Tom
Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity
http://www.aztaxpayers.org

Filed Under: Elected Officials, Legislation, Press Release, Taxation

Wendy Rogers Signs Cut, Cap and Balance Pledge

March 19, 2012 By 3 Comments

“Time to cut up Washington’s credit card” 

 (Tempe AZ) Lt Col Wendy Rogers has signed the Cut, Cap and Balance Pledge. The pledge was a created by a coalition of over 40 conservative grassroots organizations who are calling on elected officials to support spending cuts and balancing the federal budget.

“Let’s face it,” said Rogers, “Our nation is broke and it’s time to cut up Washington’s credit card once and for all. I refuse to put my children and grandchild deeper into debt,” she continued. “Only by balancing the budget and finally controlling government spending is this going to happen.”

The original bill, which was approved by the House but rejected by the Senate, limited 2012 spending to $82 billion less than current spending levels, and it capped overall federal spending as a percentage of GDP, bringing it to less than 20 percent of GDP by 2017. The bill provided for a debt ceiling increase if and only if Congress sends a constitutional balanced budget amendment to the states for a vote.

The full text of the pledge reads:

I, Wendy Rogers, pledge to oppose any debt limit increase unless all three of the following conditions have been met:

Cut – Substantial cuts in spending that will reduce the deficit next year and thereafter.
Cap – Enforceable spending caps that will put federal spending on a path to a balanced budget.
Balance – Congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — but only if it includes both a spending limitation and a super-majority for raising taxes, in addition to balancing revenues and expenses.

Lt Col Wendy Rogers is a 20-year career veteran of the United States Air Force and was one of the nation’s first female pilots in today’s Air Force. She owns a small business in Tempe with 10 fulltime employees. Lt Col Rogers is running for Congress from where she has lived for the past 15 years in Arizona’s newly created 9th Congressional District, which includes Tempe, and parts of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler. Campaign website is www.WendyRogers.org.

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Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Government Reform, Legislation, Pledges, Press Release, Spending, Taxation Tagged With: ,

Goldwater Institute has new Rival, Grand Canyon Institute

March 15, 2012 By 15 Comments

I’m surprised Jerry Lewis isn’t Chairman of this new “Think Tank” (all they ever thought of was ‘enhanced investments’ of other people’s money.  Well dear readers, now you know what they’re doing with themselves.  Wouldn’t be at all surprised if they haven’t already been calling our our Senate and House members.      Squish…

Arizona Heralds Arrival of New Bipartisan Think Tank 

Too often ideology, rather than economics, has guided policy in Arizona, with the result being a state that finds itself caught in an unsound fiscal situation with one of the worst structural deficits in the country.  Arizona continues to lag in the development of a diversified, education-led economy, and relies on a greatly atrophied tax system that fails to provide the resources needed to sustain critical investments for the state’s future.

To remedy the dire situation, Arizona now has a new nonpartisan think tank, the Grand Canyon Institute, led by a bipartisan group of former state lawmakers, economists, community leaders, and academicians. The Grand Canyon Institute will serve as an independent voice reflecting mainstream American values and a pragmatic approach to addressing economic, fiscal, budgetary and taxation challenges confronting Americans with a special emphasis on Arizona issues.  As Arizona begins its second century, the Grand Canyon Institute aims to bridge this immense gap between policy and results by providing sound research expertise from a network of fellows to help inform the public and lawmakers …

Over time, the board of the nonprofit will expand and be composed of an even more diverse, broad based, bi-partisan group of business, community, and academic leaders who share the Institute’s vision during the 21st Century.

The Institute serves as an independent voice reflecting mainstream American values and a pragmatic approach to addressing economic, fiscal, budgetary, and taxation challenges confronting all Americans with a special emphasis on Arizona issues.

Board of Directors

Carolyn Allen (R)

Jack L. August, Jr., Ph.D. (D)

Jeff Chapman, Ph.D. (D)

Tom Chapman (R)

George Cunningham (D)

Susan Gerard (R)

Ryan Harper (R)

Pete Hershberger (R)

Paul Johnson (I)

Bill Konopnicki (R)

George Seitts (R)

Dave Wells, Ph.D. (D)

Filed Under: Arizona Politics, Government Reform, Liberals, Political Parties, Political Science, Taxation

Arizona must choose the right path on tax policy

March 15, 2012 By 2 Comments

By Stephen Slivinski

On March 12, the state senate in Oklahoma passed a bill that would immediately turn the state’s income tax into a flat tax, cut the tax rate in half, and strip away the extraneous tax credits and special carve-outs. Then, over a 10-year period, it would slowly phase the income tax out of existence by cutting the rates each year until they reach zero.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, special interests filed a ballot initiative for November that would extend the “temporary” sales tax increase passed by voters in 2010. Additionally, the initiative will lock-in automatic future increases in education spending, burdening taxpayers with ever-higher tax bills. Passage of this initiative will also guarantee that Arizona’s average state and local sales tax rate remains the second highest in the nation.

There is another path, however. The Speaker’s “jobs bill” (HB 2815), which has already passed the House, would eliminate the capital gains tax in Arizona, something no state with an income tax has yet done. In addition, the House has also passed HB 2123, which creates a tax-reform commission that will consider proposals to eliminate the income tax altogether, and issue recommendations by October.

This year, voters and policymakers will have a clear choice on what path tax policy in Arizona should take. Should we choose the path of high tax rates, a tax base with all sorts of special carve-outs, and business as usual at the Capitol? Or should we choose the path that lowers tax rates, makes the tax code more sane, and sets the state up for robust job growth and entrepreneurial activity that could make the state an economic powerhouse?

The choice is clear. Oklahoma has taken its first step down the right path. Arizona should too.

Stephen Slivinski is a senior economist with the Goldwater Institute.

Learn more:

Wall Street Journal: The Heartland Tax Rebellion

Oklahoma State Senate: Statement on the Passage of Tax Reform Bill SB 1571

Goldwater Institute: Unleashing Entrepreneurial Forces: States Can Spark Business Creation, Attract Venture Capital Investment, and Increase Job Growth by Eliminating Taxation of Capital Gains

Goldwater Institute: Investing in Arizona: How the Legislature Can Get Arizona’s Economy Moving Again by Reducing the Barriers to Investment and Job Creation

Filed Under: Arizona Politics, Economic Development, Economics, State Budget, State Economy, State Government, Taxation

David Schweikert on with CNBC’s Larry Kudlow

March 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Is the U.S. economy falling off the cliff? Watch the fireworks fly as Arizona Congressman David Schweikert talks takes, entitlements, Geithner’s amnesia, and the Left’s serious math problem on CNBC’s Kudlow Report.

YouTube Preview Image

Filed Under: Debt, Elected Officials, Federal Budget, Federal Government, Spending, Taxation Tagged With: ,

BREAKING NEWS: Help is on the Way for Children on Waiting Lists

February 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Governor Jan Brewer has signed SB 1047 to expand Arizona’s Tuition Tax Credit program. This law creates a new tax credit specifically designed to help the thousands of Arizona students currently on waiting lists to attend the private school of their parents’ choice.

Under this new law, individuals can receive an additional $500 dollar-for-dollar tax credit, and married couples $1,000 – that doubles the amount you can already receive in tax credits to help children attend the school of their family’s choice!

What’s more – the scholarship tax credit program actually saves the state money! The average cost to taxpayers per student in a public school is over $8,500 while the average tax credit scholarship is around $2,000, providing much-needed cost savings to the state.

Despite the efforts of some in the Legislature to derail the bill, SB 1047 got overwhelming support in both the state House and Senate, thanks in part to the efforts of the bill’s sponsor, Senator Rick Murphy.

Click to see how your representatives and senator voted.

Please take time today to send Governor Brewer a note on her website, thanking her for signing this bill, and for her ongoing commitment to improving education in Arizona by expanding school choice.

Filed Under: Education, Government, Legislation, Taxation Tagged With: , , ,
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