Most political operatives and historians (including Democrats) recognize that President Jimmy Carter made a horrible gaffe in his 1980 Presidential Debate with then-former California Governor Ronald Reagan when he appeared to trivialize the threat of nuclear weaponry and proliferation when he said he discussed the vital national security matter with his young daughter Amy.
While not as dramatic as Carter’s 1980 blunder, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, in seeking to advance his case for passing an ill-advised flat tax for the Grand Canyon State, shared the below post on social media:
Dr. Poulos may be a brilliant dentist but what does he know about economics?
He clearly does not know about geography considering Arizona borders California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.
He probably means competing with trickle-down tax cut to the fiscal bone states with Republican Governors (although Utah may fit those criteria as well.)
To make good economic policy, Mr. Ducey should consult more reputable economists. He should not speak with discredited supply-siders, and definitely not his dentist.
The Governor also posted this historically dubious assertion:
Mr. Ducey is clearly alluding to the Proposition 208-Invest in Ed Tax, the one where the wealthy mostly masquerading as small businesses where individuals making over $250,000 will pay a paltry $35.00 for every extra thousand dollars they earn and married families will contribute $70.00 for every thousand if they earn over $500,000.00
Poor wealthy.
They are suffering too much.
They need that extra $70 for the next family meal at Denny’s.
Again, Governor Ducey is attempting to utilize tried and false right-wing economic dogma that tax cuts for the rich (sales taxes that impact the poor and middle class are okay) is the ticket to long-term economic stability and prosperity.
If that were the case, Democrats, with their history of being more willing to raise taxes would have a worse job creation record than Republicans. Is that accurate? Look below and judge.
It is interesting that Jimmy Carter presided over ten million jobs created in just four years than the 14 million Ronald Reagan, the political god of Supply Side-Voodoo Economics, created in eight.
Of the four Presidents who were in office when ten million or more jobs were created, three were Democrats (Johnson, Carter, and Clinton.)
To be fair to Trump, a global pandemic did hurt his numbers but his economic performance before the Coronavirus was really nothing more than a continuation of trends that started in the Obama/Biden Administration.
Moving Forward with the State Budget
The State Budget appears to be at an impasse in the Arizona House of Representatives. Legislative District Five Representative Regina Cobb, according to the June 18, 2021, Yellow Sheet, apparently called local governments and some legislators who support them too “greedy” in their demands.
Really.
The people wanting to give the ultra-wealthy a tax cut so they will not be burdened by paying more toward fully funding public schools are accusing the people who want to fully fund the police of being greedy.
Who is the law and order party here? Not Cobb’s.
Who are the ones willing to sacrifice public safety to help their donors recover from a $35.00 per thousand tax cut? Cobbs.
Over in the Senate, fringe Legislative District 16 Senator Kelly Townsend has said she will keep that body in session unless there is agreement on a vote to audit the November ballot results on Proposition 208-Invest in Ed. That is the proposition that had a margin of victory of 113,000 votes and Ducey’s COVID State of Emergency ends (to be fair, in this case, Ducey can not have it both ways by reopening the state and keeping the state of emergency-which is it? Maybe he should ask his dentist for advice.)
The House Republican leadership, reluctant to do what is right and negotiate a fair budget deal with Democrats, have said they will prepare a skinny budget so the state does not shut down in July.
Democratic House Leader Reginald Bolding, in comments to AZ Central, said that with a budget surplus, there was no need for a skinny budget, and “instead of having conversations about tax cuts, we should be having conversations about investments.”
If Joe Biden and Democrats in Washington, despite the odds against them, can find time to try and find bipartisan solutions with Republicans, then Doug Ducey and the Republicans in Arizona can set aside a few days to try and reach a deal with the Grand Canyon State Democrats.
Maybe Mr. Ducey should ask his dentist and see what he thinks.
Regina Cobb, you got the name wrong. A non practicing dentist who was bankrupt telling local governments they are too greedy? Considering the streets in her town are crumbling because of cuts to local revenue to shore up the state budget, that she voted for thats pretty funny.
Thanks Frances.
Funny. Reminds me of the old Seinfeld show where he used the term repeatedly “anti-dentite.” As for trickle-down economics that brings to mind what trickle down really means for the working class. The renting of a basement apartment in an outhouse. In other words the middle class will always get S – – – on.