Arizona Backs Sales Tax Increase

[tomm2thumbs]

Source: NY Times

The one-cent increase in the sales tax, to 6.6 cents per dollar for the next three years, is expected to raise nearly more than $900 million in the first year. Ms. Brewer, the former secretary of state who took office last year after Janet Napolitano became Homeland Security secretary, has found herself struggling to close a gaping hole in the budget wrought by a 30 percent decline in revenue in a state among the hardest hit by foreclosures.

<snip>

The vote and support by Ms. Brewer, who is seeking a full term in a crowded, competitive primary this summer, may have seemed out of sync with the state’s conservative reputation. But a broad coalition used advertising and went knocking on doors to sell their point that the state’s schools, which would have borne the brunt of the cuts, would be jeopardized without the increase.

<snip>

Ms. Brewer’s support of the tax increase left conservatives, her political base, angry with her and in the eyes of analysts contributed to her decision to sign a tough immigration enforcement bill that has dominated public discourse here.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/us/20arizona.html?hp

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It's those Tax & Spend Republicans I tell you!!! The GOP Bushies never met a tax hike they didn't like!

tsk tsk tsk You aren't going to raise much money on a new sales tax when everyone is planning on boycotting your state for the immigration law. I bet she'll look to property tax hikes next because they are gonna want to spend more money than they raise.

[ixion]

1. Wow. AZ just gets more appealing by the day...

not.

[Chipper Chat]

2. read.....my.....lips

no...new...taxes.
(and don't worry Hispanics as we have declared a moritorium on the new 'papers-please' law while shopping at Walmart! Feel free to spend away and you won't be harrassed. We (white gubmint folks) guarantee it.)

[SocialistLez]

3. Another regressive tax for the poor.

They need to raise in the income tax on high income owners.

In any case, this is a bad time for MANY states, GOP or DEM lead.

[customerserviceguy]

5. The voters weren't offered the choice

Instead, they did the only thing they had an option to do to save vital public services. I would hope that gets people here to see Arizonans in a new light, but I doubt it.

I know that New Yorkers would not have voted for a tax increase right now, no matter where the money was going.

[SocialistLez]

6. I understand they were not offered the choice.

It sucks they weren't.

[customerserviceguy]

9. I admire their courage

Some months ago, it was lauded that Oregon voters approved higher taxes on the rich, it's easy to vote for taxes on someone else.

[SocialistLez]

11. Agreed. I wouldn't mind paying higher taxes

for more services.

What I hate is my tax dollars going towards useless wars and bailouts.

[CBGLuthier]

4. "a gaping hole." Rather apt language for the entire state.

[Doctor_J]

7. Goddamn commie tax-hiking big-government tax-raising treasury-looting

tax-loving left-wing tax & spend liberal Brewer.

Luckily for her her racism will shore up her conservative cred so she can overcome this little faux pas.

[Mosby]

8. The real story with the sales tax referendum

is that the gutless republican legislature in AZ did not want to raise income or property tax for re-election reasons so they passed the buck to the public though a sales tax referendum and then used scare tactics to get it passed. Our local media didn't have a clue.

[davidinalameda]

10. have they blamed the illegals for this yet?

:shrug:

[Zorra]

12. The republican legislature in AZ has totally mismanaged everything in the state,

not just the finances.

AZ is a freakin' disaster.

[Zorra]

13. dupe delete