Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I have previously written here about the Grover Norquist "no tax" pledge that "[Lawmakers] have violated their oath of office by pledging their undying allegiance and loyalty to a corrupt K Street lobbyist, which for them takes precedence over their oath of office, and any accountability to the constituents who elected them. Anyone who signed this pledge is unfit to serve in public office."
Today the Arizona Daily Star joins us with its editorial opinion Are no-new-tax state lawmakers merely puppets?:
Our View: Legislators beholden to Norquist pledge don't deserve their jobs
What's wrong with this picture? State legislators elected to represent the people of Arizona are receiving direction from Washington-based, uber-conservative, anti-tax gadfly Grover Norquist.
Let us pause here to note that, to our knowledge, Norquist has no skin in Arizona's game. He is not an Arizona taxpayer. He is not registered to vote in Arizona. His children do not attend Arizona public schools.
But he's a player, nevertheless.
As Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services reported on Saturday, Norquist "gave his permission" Friday for Arizona lawmakers who signed his "no tax" pledge to vote to send a measure to the ballot asking Arizona voters to temporarily raise the state sales tax.
Patrick Gleason, state affairs manager for Norquist's group, Americans for Tax Reform, said Norquist would not consider such a vote a violation of the Arizona lawmakers' pledge.
Budget negotiations in Phoenix were at a standoff last week because the GOP could not lasso enough votes to approve Gov. Jan Brewer's proposal to ask voters for a sales-tax increase.
Thirty-eight of Arizona's 90 lawmakers and Brewer herself signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge vowing to "oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes." No Democrats signed.
Sen. Al Melvin, R-Tucson, is a signatory. So are GOP Reps. Frank Antenori and David Gowan of Tucson.
The pledge has been an albatross on the back of policy-making throughout this legislative session. Lawmakers who signed it have essentially refused to consider revenue-raising measures to help close the state's gaping deficit and to avoid deep cuts in basic services.
But there's more.
Norquist made his approval of the sales-tax vote contingent on lawmakers voting for the tax cuts that are in the stalled budget deal.
The deal includes a 30 percent cut in corporate income taxes and a 6.6 percent cut in individual income-tax rates, both effective in 2011; it also repeals the now-suspended state property tax, which would raise $250 million a year.
Rep. Carl Seel, R-Phoenix, told Fischer he decided to go along with the sales-tax referral after speaking "at length" to someone at Americans for Tax Reform.
"They made it abundantly clear to me that, based on the structure of that bill, it's a net positive and would, in no way, shape or form violate the pledge," Seel said.
Way to represent your constituents' needs, Rep. Seel.
Gleason said Norquist believes the tax cuts compensate for any tax increase voters may approve.
If voters approve the sales-tax increase, it would raise $2.5 billion, but eliminating the property tax would save $1.25 billion over five years and the 2011 income tax cuts would save another $1.6 billion.
"We'll take that," Gleason said.
Americans for Tax Reform may be willing to take that. But what about the citizens of Arizona?
Norquist has a hard-line agenda that he is applying to Arizona without regard to the nuances of our state's tax structure, economy or residents' needs and preferences.
This is from the Americans for Tax Reform Web site (www.atr.org): "Americans for Tax Reform opposes all tax increases as a matter of principle. We believe in a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax. We believe that power should be minimized."
We believe there's more to taxation than control, much more.
The government's ability to improve our lives — and remember, we are the government — also derives from its ability to tax.
Taxes pay for police and fire protection. They pay for our schools and universities. They provide health care for the poor and elderly.
So we disagree with Americans for Tax Reform. But even if we agreed, we would object to high-handed, ideologically rigid dictation of Arizona policy from afar.
Here is what Gleason told Capitol Media: Lawmakers must vote on the cuts and the referral to the voters on the same day, and both must be in the "same budget package."
Our complaint is that many pledge signers in Arizona appear more dedicated to adhering to their pledge than to serving their constituents.
At some point during seven months of tortuous budget negotiations in Phoenix, a lawmaker who is truly committed to his constitutents would have said, "Look, I took the pledge in good faith, but it cannot work for Arizona at this time. To take care of our problems in Arizona, we need new sources of revenue, perhaps even a new tax."
Policy for Arizonans should be made by elected officials who should study the state's needs and problems and listen to all views before making up their own minds.
Arizona lawmakers who allow an ideologue more than 2,000 miles away to guide their work in shaping a budget for Arizonans are failing their constituents and their state.
Voters, take note. The Republicans who signed the no-tax pledge and who cleave to it despite this state's budgetary crisis are not putting Arizona's needs first.
Remember that come election time.
Here is a handy dandy list from The Arizona Republic of Lawmakers who signed Americans for Tax Reform pledge:
Senate:
Sylvia Allen, Snowflake
Bob Burns, Peoria
Pamela Gorman, Anthem
Ron Gould, Lake Havasu City
Chuck Gray, Mesa
Linda Gray, Glendale
Jack Harper, Surprise
John Huppenthal, Chandler
Barbara Leff, Paradise Valley
Al Melvin, Tucson
Russell Pearce, Mesa
Steve Pierce, Prescott
Jay Tibshraeny, Chandler
Thayer Verschoor, Gilbert
House of Representatives:
Kirk Adams, Mesa
Frank Antenori, Tucson
Ray Barnes, Phoenix
Nancy Barto, Phoenix
Andy Biggs, Gilbert
Tom Boone, Peoria
Judy Burges, Skull Valley
Sam Crump, Anthem
Adam Driggs, Phoenix
David Gowan, Tucson
Laurin Hendrix, Gilbert
John Kavanagh, Fountain Hills
Bill Konopnicki, Safford
Debbie Lesko, Glendale
Steve Montenegro, Litchfield Park
Rick Murphy, Peoria
Warde Nichols, Gilbert
Doug Quelland, Phoenix
Carl Seel, Phoenix
David Stevens, Sierra Vista
Andy Tobin, Paulden
Jerry Weiers, Glendale
Jim Weiers, Phoenix
Steve Yarbrough, Gilbert
