Letters to the Editor • TAXES: Local
Phoenix wants you to vote to "Raise Their Debt Ceiling"
Below is the editorial I sent to the Republic:
by Roy Miller
Below is the editorial I sent to the Republic:
Vote NO on Phoenix Proposition One
All Phoenix voters need to know about Proposition One is that a yes vote
will let Phoenix continue its profligate spending. Phoenix voters
should vote NO on this so that their spending will limited by the
statewide spending limits adopted in 1979. If ever there were a need for
spending restraint it is now.
Below is the information that Tom Jenney put out. I think it is as well
written as anything I could do and I would suggest that you use as much
of it as you can.
PLEASE FORWARD TO PHOENIX VOTERS
Dear Phoenix Taxpayer:
By Tuesday, August 30, Phoenix voters will decide the fate of
Proposition 1, the so-called “Home Rule” budget measure. Posted on the
AFP-Arizona website (www.aztaxpayers.org, scroll down on the left side)
is information about Proposition 1:
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/files/2011phxprop1info.pdf
Here is the short story…
Deceptive Marketing
Contrary to the Yes-on-Prop-1 propaganda, “home rule” is not any kind of
spending limit: it is a budgetary regime in which the Mayor and City
Council can spend as much money as they can raise in taxes. Under “home
rule,” the sky is the limit.
What’s at Stake
If the majority of voters votes Yes—in favor of Prop 1—things will
continue as normal. In other words, the Mayor and City Council will be
free to increase city budgets (and spend our taxpayer money) at
irresponsible rates for the next four years.
However, if the majority votes No—against Prop 1—Phoenix will have to
reduce its spending to the baseline established by increases in
population and inflation since 1980. This chart shows the alternatives:
http://static.taxcutsforall.com//files/phoenixbudget1981-2015.pdf
According to city spokespersons, the failure of Prop 1 would make
Phoenix reduce its current budget by roughly $870 million, beginning in
Fiscal Year 2012-2013 (the fiscal year beginning July, 1 2012). That
would be a reduction of approximately 25 percent of the city’s projected
budget. AFP-Arizona believes that the city’s bloated budget could
sustain a 25-percent reduction, and that the reduction would force the
City Council to make long-needed reforms and achieve dramatic
efficiencies in city operations.
Resistance is NOT Futile
In November of 2009, voters in left-of-center Tucson narrowly rejected
the Prop 400 “home rule” proposition. Given that Prop 400 failed by a
few hundred votes, it is entirely possible that the home-made street
signs put out by the Pima Association of Taxpayers were decisive in
defeating the Tucson measure. The reason we haven’t heard much about the
defeat of Prop 400 is that Tucson lost only $21 million in spending
capacity out of a billion-dollar budget. Because of different fiscal
circumstances prevailing in Phoenix, the consequences of defeating “home
rule” in Phoenix would be much more dramatic--and as we argue below,
very beneficial.
Why the Defeat of Prop 1 will be Good for Phoenix
1. Limited government is good. The arguments for limited government
could (and do) fill volumes, so we cannot possibly enumerate them here.
For the sake of brevity, we will emphasize the argument that government
should not take tax dollars (by force) to perform functions that
individuals, families, churches, and voluntary associations should
perform.
2. The City of Phoenix can serve as a model for reform for the state and federal governments.
3. Phoenix can cut its budget by at least $870 million, while increasing
value to users of vital city services. The Arizona chapter of Americans
for Prosperity has produced a worksheet showing some of the ways
Phoenix can reduce spending:
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/files/phxprop1cuts.pdf
4. Phoenix needs to reduce compensation for city workers. As Phoenix
City Councilman Sal DiCiccio has documented, the city awards its workers
an average salary and benefit package close to $100,000 a year. That
compensation level is unsustainable, and is a slap in the face to city
taxpayers, who make an average salary and benefit package closer to
$50,000—if they still have jobs after the worst recession since the
1930s. AFP-Arizona urges Phoenix to reduce salary and benefit packages
in most departments and for most city workers by about ten
percent—roughly on par with the compensation levels city workers enjoyed
in 2008.
5. Budget cuts would allow Phoenix to reduce taxes dramatically. For
better or for worse, the failure of Prop 1 would not mean automatic tax
cuts: the city could stow the surplus revenue in a rainy day fund or use
the money to pay off capital debt. But AFP-Arizona believes that some
of the savings from a Prop 1 failure should be given back to city
taxpayers. Budget reductions would generate General Fund savings
sufficient to enact two important tax reforms:
• $127 million could be used to eliminate the city’s primary property tax
• $28 million in savings could be used to repeal the egregious Food Tax
that was enacted last year by a majority on the council with a mere 24
hours’ advanced notice and that went to pay for pay hikes for city
employees.
Voter Information
There are multiple voting dates, and early ballots are already in voter
mailboxes. General Phoenix election information can be found here:
http://phoenix.gov/ELECTION/voteidx.html
Activist Information
AFP-Arizona encourages activists to make home-made street, car and yard
signs, or to use soap to write slogans on their car windows. The
following might be a simple but effective slogan:
August 30:
Vote NO on Phx Prop 1
Stop the Spending!
End the Food Tax!
For more information and ideas on grassroots activism against Prop 1, use these contacts:
Judy Hoelscher
Arizona Grassroots Coordinator
Americans for Prosperity
judy@afphq.org
(623) 465-4767
Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity
tjenney@afphq.org
(602) 478-0146
Cordially,
Roy
Roy Miller
1529 W Virginia Ave
Phoenix AZ 85007
Home office phone: 602 254-4648
My blog http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/Roy5815
2 Comments in Response to Phoenix wants you to vote to "Raise Their Debt Ceiling"
Question: When these people vote NO like you're asking....are they going to be doing it on what resembles a old Burger King register or will they have an opportunity to early mail in their ballet so it can be tossed in the trash after its picked up from the post office?
Police and Fire take up 86% of the Phoenix budget....without stripping these socialist unions of their insane pay and pensions NOTHING will change.
Bravo, Roy and kudos to Tom Jenney!