Posted: 11 Mar 2008 03:27 PM CDT
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with other business interests are calling for the repeal of the State Equalization Rate and by doing so are focusing only on a piece of the puzzle. It is looking more like single-entry bookkeeping. Remember Enron? Taxes are but one side of the ledger. For more news and facts about the State Equalization Rate, click here.
Taxes are the dues we pay for living in a civilized, prosperous society. They are our collective investment in our future and the future of our children. Taxes should not be too high. They should not be too low. They should be just right. They should be fair and equitable to create the kind of future to which all of us in Arizona aspire.
Arizona
’s system of revenue generation has been dwindling for several decades and, now, is an inequitable system taxing the poorest Arizonans at the highest rates.
For example, when we add up all the taxes people in Arizona pay (e.g., property, income, sales, cigarette, and gas), the poorest people in Arizona pay about $12.50 out of every $100 of their income in state and local taxes. The same figure for the richest people, those making on the average more than $800,000 a year, is less than $4.90. Such an inequitable system of taxation is harmful to our future economic success. We must wake up and take another look at our tax structure.
We must also wake up to the new economic reality. We live now in a knowledge-based global economy. Low taxes no longer guarantee economic prosperity. Evidence shows that the top 10 “most-business-tax-friendly” states (low taxes) grew exactly at the same rate as the bottom 10 “least-business-tax-friendly” states (high taxes)—exactly at 4.2%. Business leaders consistently say they want a high-quality workforce, infrastructure, and public services. An inequitable, dwindling system of taxation undermines what business leaders say they want.
Furthermore, in the new economy, dollar for dollar, investment in public education grows the economy more than tax cuts and tax subsidies given in the name of economic development. Unfortunately, public education in Arizona is grossly underfunded. It will take an additional investment of $2 billion to make up the current funding deficiency.
Keeping public education underfunded is bad for Arizona’s economy. On the contrary, additional investment in public education is good for Arizona’s economy. For example, the additional investment of approximately $200 million in public education that will occur in 2009, when the suspended state assistance property tax expires, will create at least 11,000 new jobs and add $337 million to the personal income of the people of Arizona.
The bottom line is that there are two visions for Arizona. In one, the state economy takes off, served by the kind of high-quality services, including great public schools and universities, quality transportation, and health care needed in the 21st century knowledge-based economy, and funded by a sound and equitable system of taxation. In the other, we fall farther and farther behind our development goals, dragged down by deteriorating services and poor amenities funded by a revenue system that is characterized by inequitable taxes and structural deficits extending far into the future. Unfortunately, Arizona’s conservative legislature and those that support their campaigns want more of the latter.
The commentator is John Wright, President of the Arizona Education Association.
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Save Tucson’s Schools. Cut the Sports Programs.
Posted: 11 Mar 2008 04:29 PM CDT (Printed in Blog for Arizons)EDUCATION
by David Safier
Today, I’m not wearing my Tax-And-Spend Liberal hat. Rather than saying we should fund every worthwhile educational program in our schools, I’m going to play the pragmatist and deal with things as they are, not as I wish them to be.
As things are today, Tucson Unified only has so much money. The District is in debt. It needs to find a way to save money while doing as little damage as possible.
So. Before TUSD considers closing schools or cutting librarians and counselors, it should eliminate all those costly sports programs where school teams play against each other in highly organized, almost-professional leagues for city and state championships.
Do away with all the coaches. Stop buying all those uniforms. Stop paying athletic trainers. Get rid of the administrative position of Athletic Director. Eliminate the costly bus transportation to and from games. Stop paying grounds crews to manicure our playing fields. Turn off the lights that we use for night games.
I don’t know how much this would save, but as an old high school teacher, I can tell you, a lot of time and money goes into the sports program.
We’ll keep P.E., of course. P.E. is an important part of the school curriculum. But as for that costly, non-essential, non-academic, after school athletic activity – it should be the first thing to go, before the District cuts a penny elsewhere.
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