Axe the Flat Tax! Forum on Monday

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

State Capitol, Phoenix – Organizers in southern Arizona are gearing up to stop the Legislature’s flat tax bill – an income tax plan that will raise taxes on 8 out of every 9 Arizonans while giving the rich a massive tax cut.

A forum sponsored by State Senator Paula Aboud and the Arizona Ecumenical Council will host a panel discussion with audience questions on Monday, Nov. 14th from 6:30-8 p.m. at Most Holy Trinity Parish, 1300 N. Greasewood in Tucson.

Moderated by Arizona Public Media’s Christopher Conover, panelists will include: UA economist Dr. Alberta Charney; CPA Annette Stevens; Jim Murphy, President & CEO of Pima Council on Aging; and Pastor La'Tresa Jester of Gideon Missionary Baptist Church. They will discuss the real world impact of the flat tax on Arizona's middle class families.

One such shocking impact is that people earning less than $10,000 adjusted gross income would see a 20,000 percent increase in their taxes and median income earners would see a 30 percent hike. Meanwhile, those making over $100,000 annually would get a tax cut and the lucky few who make more than $500,000 a year would have their taxes cut nearly in half (source: Arizona Department of Revenue).

“In these hard economic times the wealthy should be giving to charity – not getting it,” said Senator Paula Aboud. “And it is wrong for the Legislature to raise taxes on the middle class without receiving the public’s input.  That’s why I’m facilitating these forums: to give the public a chance to be informed about this change that could be coming their way.”

The "Flat Tax" (HB2636) was approved in the House last session with the support of 40 Republican legislators. It then made it through the Senate Finance Committee only to be held by the sponsor when military leaders and the Arizona Association of Realtors objected. The bill would eliminate deductions for mortgage interest, charitable donations, military pay exemptions and veterans’ and pension benefit exemptions.

"This 'Reverse-Robin Hood' scheme represents an out-of-touch agenda," Aboud said. “Taxing struggling Arizonans to benefit the wealthy is no way to improve our state’s weak economy.”