I’m just asking

by

by David Safier
Why do Arizona Senate Republicans want to tax the rich?

Well, that's not exactly what they want. This is what was actually voted on.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday voted to slash the salary of every state and university employee earning at least $100,000 a year by that much for one year. And those earning at least $200,000 would see a 10 percent cut in what they earn.

OK, so the idea is to save the state money, I get it.

But if these people aren't overpaid, cutting their salaries, in effect, taxes them so we won't have to tax ourselves to pay for their salaries.

That means taxing the richest of the state employees. "Class warfare!" Republicans should scream. Everyone should share the burden.

Then, of course, there's the problem of keeping Arizona competitive. If we cut university salaries, profs and administrators will flee the state, and we won't be able to attract the best and the brightest. Isn't that what they always say about taxing businesses?

By the way, coaches at the universities won't get pay cuts. Thank God! We might lose some real talent if that happened. The reason is, their salaries don't come from state money. (In the interest of honesty, even when I'm ranting and being semi-sarcastic, I should add that people whose salaries come from federal sources won't have their pay cut either.)

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