Are Tax-And-Spenders Moving Off Arizona’s Endangered Species List?

by David Safier

(TASL) Could it be that tax-and-spenders are coming back into style? An editorial in the Citizen says that a business group, the Time Coalition, is advocating raising our sales tax by a cent to pay for improvements to transportation.

The Citizen agrees with the idea of raising taxes but suggests the bulk of the tax increase come from gas taxes, vehicle registration, drivers license fees and toll roads. Transportation taxes for transportation funding.

I won’t venture to say what the right mix of taxation is, except to observe that sales taxes are regressive, so that’s a bad way to go. I say, tax those who can most afford it. But the idea that both a business group and the Citizen say, “Let’s raise taxes so we can spend the money to improve our infrastructure” — that gives me hope.

For decades now, we tax-and-spend-liberals have been an endangered species. Like our national symbol, the noble eagle, our numbers in the wild have dwindled over recent years, due mainly to the toxins spread in the environment by drown-government-in-a-bathtub conservatives. TASL sightings became rare, as the tenacious few hid in their cliff top aeries, away from the predators who hunted us for sport.

But we refused to go away completely. Some of us clung to our perches, while others were sheltered in nurturing environments, where our numbers and our strength grew.

And now tax-and-spend eagles are once again being spotted on a regular basis, spreading our wings and flying proudly.

During his days in Congress, John Ashcroft warbled, “Let the eagle soar, soar as it never soared before!” I know he was singing about us. (If you’ve never heard Ashcroft sing, you owe it to yourself.)

So, fellow Tax [those who can most afford it]-And-Spend [with a wise and generous hand]-Liberals, spread your wings boldly, and wear your tassel (TASL) with pride. Soon, it will be our day once again.