by David Safier
Meanwhile back at the Legislature, the majority are not looking out for your interests. Their friends the corporate honchos were lining up yesterday at the Ways & Means committee to ask for a bailout in the form of the permanent suspension of the education equalization property tax.
The facts on this are clear, and agreed to by both sides: this move would reduce the state's general fund by $257 million annually, thus reducing the amount we can spend on education. In exchange, the state's largest property-owning corporations get a huge tax bailout.
What do you get as an owner of an average Arizona home? About $3 a month. And possibly doubled class sizes for your kid's public school.
What do big corporations with Arizona property get? Take, for instance, the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant. Their corporate owners would gain $3.2 million a year in cash just for that facility alone. 53% of the owners are California utilities.
Sound good to you?
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Ah, the right wing’s favorite education strawman: “You libruls just wanna THROW MONEY AT THE SCHOOLS!1!” Do you guys have any original, or new material?
It would seem a common thread that runs through David’s writing is the more money we can throw at education the better educated our children will be. Farley has no clue but I expected more from David.
Sure, because states with the highest average income are also the states with lowest taxes. Or not. Really not even close.
The assumption above is that continuing this property tax is a good idea. Why not advocate for doubling the Arizona state property tax? I imagine many government beneficiaries would gladly lobby for a restoral or increase in their budgets. Many DES and DOC staff might be rehired.
The reason why not is that taxes drive prosperity elsewhere.