AFTA: Stop the special interests from stealing your tax relief! (SB1433--House Commerce Cmte)

If you visit our blog page, you can meet Jim Iannuzo:

http://www.americansforprosperity.org/index.php?page=blog&state=az

Jim owns a Sign-A-Rama sign and print shop in Phoenix. He is working hard, providing jobs, and trying to improve his business with the application of new technologies. The state government is not planning to give him a tax break next year.

And the government is not planning to give you a tax break, either.

But the House Commerce Committee is meeting today to discuss a bill that would award a lot of tax breaks to various special interests (the kind that employ high-powered lobbyists). Senate Bill 1433, the Big Boondoggle Bill of 2008, includes special tax breaks for entertainment districts, ballparks, solar companies, and other politically-favored businesses, all in the name of “job creation” and “economic stimulus.”

Every dollar given to a favored industry in a tax credit is a dollar that cannot be cut from the taxes of ordinary individuals, families, and businesses. Thanks to a tax code that looks like Swiss cheese, Arizona businesses, including Jim’s, already labor under some of the highest sales taxes, corporate income taxes, and business property taxes in the country.

We may be able to stop the Big Boondoggle Bill of 2008 in the Commerce Committee today. Several of the committee members are very skeptical about the bill. The emails for the members of the Committee are listed here:

Rep. Michele Reagan, mreagan@azleg.gov

Rep. Rich Crandall, rcrandall@azleg.gov

Rep. Kirk Adams, kadams@azleg.gov

Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford, ocajerobedford@azleg.gov

Rep. Mark DeSimone, mdesimone@azleg.gov

Rep. Adam Driggs, adriggs@azleg.gov

Rep. Bill Konopnicki, bkonopnicki@azleg.gov

Rep. Robert Meza, rmeza@azleg.gov

Rep. Ben Miranda , bmiranda@azleg.gov

Rep. Jonathan Paton, jpaton@azleg.gov

(We know, it’s a rotten bill, but please use more honey than vinegar when you write…)

Worse, you and Jim may actually see your property taxes go up next year, especially if the Legislature fails to pass HCR 2072, a bill to refer the repeal of the state’s equalization property tax to the voters:

http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/hcr2072p.htm

And, you may see your state sales taxes go up by 18 percent, if a majority of voters is duped into approving the TIME Coalition’s proposed tax increase to support projects such as light rail.

To read the Big Boondoggle Bill, click here:

http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=SB1433

To read a recent news update on what is included in the Big Boondoggle Bill of 2008, see this story by Mary Jo Pitzl from Saturday’s Republic:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0621jobsbill0621.html

Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity
(Arizona Federation of Taxpayers)
www.aztaxpayers.org
tjenney@afphq.org
(602) 478-0146