Proposition 204 – the so-called Quality Education and
Jobs Initiative on the November ballot is a direct assault on accountability for
the spending of public funds collected through direct taxation on millions of
Arizona citizens.
Accountability is a fancy word for answering for one’s
responsibilities and commitments. Our democracy gives us the right to elect the
governor and state legislature. They are stewards of the state’s tax money.
Voters hold them accountable for how they spend the money. If voter’s do not
like their performance they can vote them out of office.
Proposition 204 violates this basic principle of
government by the consent of the governed. It collects at least $1 billion a
year through a permanent one-cent increase in the state sales tax rate. The
money is then earmarked for spending programs and prohibits input from the
peoples’ elected representatives.
This
pet project fund makes no allowance for changing budget conditions or the
overall fiscal health of the state. It raises taxes without
representation.
Proposition 204 provides millions for education spending
from everything from K-12 to universities. Nevertheless, it adds spending for
health and human services programs as well as road building and the
environment.
Arizona
is one of 24 states that give citizens the initiative and referendum device used
to legislate outside the elected state legislature. The mandated spending
represented by Proposition 204 robs the people of control of their own money. It
should be defeated.
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