U.S. Supreme Court to Hear First Amendment Challenge to Arizona Campaign Finance Law ‘Matching Funds’ Provision

Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett

 

SEIU, Obama Administration, Public Citizen and Rep. Alan Grayson (Ret.) filed briefs opposing AZ Free Enterprise Club’s free speech position in case.


Phoenix, AZ – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday March 28, 2011 will hold oral arguments in an important first amendment case that implicates public campaign financing schemes in jurisdictions across the country. Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett concerns the “matching funds” provision in Arizona’s “Clean Elections” law.

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Filming in the Red

Arizona has a $2 billion budget deficit.  Needless to say, tax dollars are at a premium.   So why did the Senate just vote to subsidize movie producers?  No idea.  How many jobs did the old film tax credit produce in 2008 – 2009?  Forty-one (41).  And according to the Dept. of Commerce, those jobs ceased to exist after just one year.    So far, the state has spent $10 million on movie-makers.  What a program.

The House needs to kill the needless, senseless, (jobless) program.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_dXe5rRqMg]

Democrats and Republicans Join Forces for Corporate Welfare

“The Legislature has passed a bill giving an unelected individual the right to give away $25 million of your tax dollars to corporations.”

This was Senate Minority Leader David Schapira on the Deal Closing Fund he voted against.

I suppose because he’s elected, he has no problem giving away millions of tax dollars to movie corporations.  That could be the only justification for voting for SB1159, a tax subsidy program for filmmakers that would last the next 30 years if it passes the House and is signed by the governor.

The bill passed the Senate with 10 Republicans joining all nine Democrats.  These same Democrats blast corporate income rate cuts as “tax giveaways,” and then turn right around and give tax money to people who make movies.

Read more about it here.