We’ve had almost 1,400 bills introduced by our intrepid state senators and representatives this session.
And, boy, were some of them doozies.
There was the no-leash-law-needed bill, the teacher speech bill, the guns in the classroom bill, the tuition surtax bill, the one that would add up to $2,000 a year to the tuition of a poorer student.
Just when I thought John Kavanagh’s $2,000 surtax bill was the dumbest of the session, my very own state senator, Andy Biggs, one-ups him.
With his SB 1155. A tax cut bill. Kind of. A better characterization of it might be “Damned if we do, damned if we don’t.”
It’s a pernicious little piece of legislation, one that would negate the extension of the sales tax passed in 2010, one opposed by Biggs and the rest of the Republican Poobahs.
Biggs — always on the lookout to “help” taxpayers — wants to keep government under control.
So he came up with this little gem:
Any piece of legislation enacted after May 31, 2013 that would increase the sales tax (in other words, any extension of the sales tax increase) would have to be offset by an equal cut in income taxes.
Which means?
As of 2013, the sales tax that voters overwhelmingly approved in 2010 ends. And with it, about $1 billion a year in revenue for our budget.
Several groups are planning a new vote to extend that tax beyond 2013.
Biggs’ legislation attempts to negate that extension. Here’s how:
If the sales tax is extended and the money is dedicated as it is now, the cut in tax revenue must affect other programs. That’d be about a billion in cuts, more or less.
Which means that Biggs has put a poison pill in the upcoming sales tax vote — if you approve it, we’ll still cut the budget. If you don’t approve it, you’ll cut the budget.
Either way, the budget is cut.
In a party line vote, the Senate’s approved this. What a surprise.
Since Biggs is my state senator, I emailed him to find out his rationale for the legislation.
As is typical of Biggs, no answer. It helps, of course, that he is unopposed in the upcoming election, but his non-answer is what we have come to expect from Biggs.
Biggs’ behavior is typical, unfortunately, of too many of our Republican legislators, legislators who regularly tell us they’re “for the people,” but have no problem ignoring the “people” when it suits those legislators’ wishes. Too often, our legislators choose to defy our wishes, giving lie to their constant claim of speaking for the majority. It’s outrageous conduct. Biggs is only the latest example of them thumbing their noses at us.
The question is, how long will we allow them to do that to us?
Mike McClellan is a Gilbert resident and former English teacher at Dobson High School in Mesa.
Arizona Willie posted at 3:04 pm on Thu, Mar 1, 2012.
It isn't just OUR legislators. Legislators in 8 states are passing legislation to outlaw undercover videos of factories and factory farms in order to protect the corporations from being exposed for breaking laws.
These laws give companies complete rein to abuse animals and have unsafe working conditions and if you get into their plant and shoot video of their crimes YOU go to prison ... not the criminal company.
Can you guess which party sponsors this legislation?
Hint ... it does NOT begin with a D.
samkat posted at 5:50 pm on Thu, Mar 1, 2012.
Mike: It is not often that you and I see eye to eye but in this piece, we are in mutual agreement. These are the same people who scream that their religious and personal freedoms are being trampled upon and then turn around and do the same to everyone else. Their mantra is less regulation and then pass 1400 bills per year, adding the the already bloated regulations we have to contend with. They claim to respect life but then leave over 10,500 unwanted children languishing in CPS custody. When they adopt all of these children, then I will believe they actually live up to their supposed convictions.
Dale Whiting posted at 6:17 pm on Thu, Mar 1, 2012.
Samkat, Mike, count me in too! Even Willie knows the problem begins and pretty much ends with an "R" and an "N." Barry Goldwater and William F. Buckley, Jr. must be turning over in their graves! Just where did today's crop of RN's come from?
Masterrogue666 posted at 10:35 am on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
@Mike McClellan: What about the President going against the majority of US citizens wishes by ignoring certain types of ILLEGAL ALIENS (although they are STILL CRIMINALS), or attempting several times to pass some form of amnesty?
His own party shot him down once! I wonder why there's no mention about things like that....
Leon Ceniceros posted at 11:53 am on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
Thank Gawd he taught English instead of History or Social Studies.....lol.
THESE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS AND THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR WERE ELECTED BY A............MAJORITY OF THE VOTERS.
SORRY TO TELL YOU THIS BUT THAT IS HOW A ........REPUBLICAN DEMOCRACY WORKS.........................
Mike McClellan posted at 2:07 pm on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
Leon, I'm sure your "Republican democracy" is just a Freudian slip, but don't we believe in majority rule? So how can a legislature negate the will of the majority by negating a sales tax increase?
Oh, I know . . . that's called "Republican democracy."
My bad.
Cerulean posted at 2:15 pm on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
Mike,
It seems that the legislature did not use the 1cent sales tax for education as they and the governor like to say they did.
It appears as though the 1 cent sales tax went to fund the private prison industry. Funny thing is while Arizona statute stipulates that private prisons must demonstrate that they can operate as efficiently as state run prisons – this year the legislature “eliminates the requirement for a cost and quality review of private prison contracts.” The legislature does not care if it cost more! Furthermore, “Rep. John Kavanagh, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, has accepted numerous contributions from people associated with GEO Group, which operates three prisons in Arizona and was bidding on the 5,000 bed prison RFP.”
Maybe Biggs proposal would not be such a bad idea. It would give us all a clearer picture of where budget priorities really lie.
http://tucsoncitizen.com/cell-out-arizona/
chatmandu002 posted at 2:38 pm on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
The liberal/progressive democrats can't give up their dogma of more taxes and even more spending.
Rational Human posted at 4:00 pm on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
Mike says, "So how can a legislature negate the will of the majority by negating a sales tax increase?" Did you flunk civics? We have a representative democracy here in the US. We vote for representatives to enact our laws. The majority voted for these politicians therefor the majority negated a sales tax increase.
Rich posted at 6:24 pm on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
Mike,
You miss the absurdity, but wrote it. 1400 bills. I really don't think government needs 1400 rules a year, do you, down to micromanaging your dog? The really sad thing is we've ceded government this type of power, and after a century of so many laws we break some daily, have no idea what they are, all you really have is a species of anarchy. The 'will' of the people, or the voters, or the lobbyists? Who can care? It's chaos we will forget all about next year at this time in consideration of the 1400 new bills that will be introduced next year. And in two years time one in a hundred people will actually know whether it's legal or illegal to let your dog off a leash, and frankly almost no one will care. Meanwhile, it ends up costing a fortune and they raise taxes, or fees or hock your children's future. Need another 1400 rules to live by?
Masterrogue666 posted at 10:05 pm on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
Cerulean, why did you change your avatar's image?
Arizona Willie posted at 11:01 pm on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
The Legislature should just propose laws.
All actual NEW laws should be voted upon by the people to prevent lobbiests from buying enough votes to get their special legislation snuck through.
If it isn't good enough to be put up for a vote then it shouldn't be passed.
Cerulean posted at 6:40 pm on Sat, Mar 3, 2012.
Masterrogue, [beam] I am having an identity crisis.
Arizona Willie, "If it isn't good enough to be put up for a vote then it shouldn't be passed." This is an excellent idea! However, the legislature hates public initiatives so your idea will never fly.
VofReason posted at 1:18 pm on Mon, Mar 5, 2012.
How about for every dollar of tax increases that goes to education, it is offset by a dollar that people employed in education have to add to their own pension program. That should stop the madness pretty quickly. I wonder what the total tab on state taxpayers is per year for paying people who retired from teaching is. Then let's talk about how education is underfunded in AZ or America for that matter.
JCAltmann posted at 8:36 am on Sat, Mar 31, 2012.
Here's what gets me. I went down and advocated for a bill to help Veterans and members of the Reserve and National Guard - simply to give Reserve and National Guard members the same veterans hiring preference points given to active duty veterans when they apply for state, county or city jobs. Two major Arizona city councils endorsed the legislation. The legislation had NO cost to anyone's budget and the preference points could only be awarded AFTER the service member had qualified for the job via test or resume, etc. FIVE Republicans in the Senate and FIVE Republicans in the House voted against. And I'm a Republican advocating the bill on behalf my national veterans organization.
There is no making sense of some of the votes, but thanks to Rep. Heather Carter and Rep. David Gowan, who helped start the bill in the House and thanks to Sen. Adam Driggs who championed the bill in the Senate. None of them are veterans, but those of us who have served in uniform appreciate their consideration.