by admin | Jun 7, 2022 | News and Updates, Tax
With Bidenflation guzzling through the pockets of all Americans, especially at the gas station, we have heard more and more politicians promoting the idea of a gas tax holiday. Regardless of how popular the idea has become or how good it sounds among Republicans and Democrats alike, it’s still nothing more than a gimmick and talking point for campaigns.
A tax holiday isn’t a new idea. Several states have permanent sales tax holidays, commonly occurring for a week or two each year around the time kids return to school and parents are busy shopping for clothes and classroom items. But these permanent recurring tax holidays don’t accomplish what they seek to accomplish. Instead, they complicate the tax code, create instability, and mislead consumers about savings.
As a temporary response to rising gas prices and increasing inflation, it’s even worse. The reality is that permanent, long-term policy decisions are driving up fuel costs. These destructive ideas are a big part of the Green New Deal platform that has been pushed by the environmental left for decades. Add on an increase in demand, historic inflation from out-of-control federal spending, and no longer being an energy independent net-exporter of oil, it’s no wonder gas prices are higher than anyone can remember.
Suspending the gas tax is a gimmicky talking point to make it look like politicians are doing something. Instead, they are simply distracting voters and taxpayers—without any real, long-term benefit to them—and painting over support for an anti-energy agenda. That’s why we see Arizona Senator Mark Kelly coming out and supporting a gas tax holiday at the national level.
Temporarily suspending an 18 cents per gallon tax for a few months will provide little relief at the pump. If anything, it will only cause a cost shift and be used for campaign talking points. A permanent reduction in the tax may provide more long-term certainty and lower prices but would be limited in impact given that the state gas tax currently makes up around 3% of the current price per gallon.
Additionally, Arizona’s gas tax is constitutionally required to fund highway and street projects, so when the revenue drops to zero, funds from other sources will be tapped to fill in the gap. This will place pressure on politicians to consider tax shifts—raising taxes elsewhere to fund the revenue reduction from the tax holiday.
Nevertheless, some Arizona lawmakers may be tempted to promote a temporary gas tax holiday in exchange for other permanent spending and other gimmicks in the budget. After all, it’s June, and the legislature still has not figured out how to corral the necessary votes on a budget deal before we hit the end of the fiscal year on June 30th.
Simply put, a temporary tax holiday should not be traded for other bad policies, like permanent spending or tax shifts. Conservatives should push for real, permanent tax relief and reform, and let the gamesmanship stay in DC.
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by admin | Jun 2, 2022 | Elections, News and Updates
Since the 2020 election, the left has been accusing conservatives of spreading the “Big Lie”—a label attached to anyone who believes that voter fraud does occur and that there are legitimate election integrity reforms that require legislative attention. Every reform that lawmakers have introduced has been labelled “Jim Crow 2.0,” and the left has rallied hundreds of organizations to prevent them from becoming law.
Yet while decrying legitimate election reforms from conservatives, liberals have been busy pushing their own election bills, such as HR1, which would have federalized our entire election process and completely changed the way we vote. It was a radical bill that fortunately stalled in the U.S. Senate due to a lack of votes.
But their defeat in Washington hasn’t stopped the left in their quest to undermine the security of our elections and chill our speech rights. A coalition of liberal organizations have decided to bring HR1 to Arizona with a new ballot measure called “Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections.” Suffice to say, there is nothing free or fair about it.
For example, their proposed initiative would raise taxes on small businesses to increase public funding for politicians running for office. While it isn’t surprising that Democrats want taxpayer dollars to subsidize their campaigns going into an election with gas prices higher than ever and families struggling to deal with record inflation, Arizonans don’t want their hard-earned dollars paying for yard signs, political mailers, and campaign advertisements.
Additionally, successful efforts were made in numerous states last year, Arizona included, to prohibit the private funding of the administration of elections. Their measure guts that safeguard, allowing billionaires and special interests to directly finance or sponsor election operations.
Next, while poll after poll shows that an overwhelming majority of voters support common-sense reforms like voter ID, their initiative completely guts existing voter ID requirements for in-person voters and forbids the state from requiring voter ID for mail-in ballots, which the popular Arizonans for Voter ID Act would do.
Recently, the Governor signed HB2492 which strengthens proof of citizenship requirements for registering to vote, ensuring only eligible citizens are registered and voting in our elections. Their proposed initiative would undo this reform, allowing individuals who do not provide proof of citizenship to vote in all federal elections and making it easier for illegals to vote.
And as voters are becoming alarmed at potentially massive ballot harvesting operations in several states in 2020 and actual grand jury ballot trafficking indictments in Arizona, their 25-page election overhaul would expose voters to ballot trafficking by operatives and campaigns who can go door to door collecting ballots directly from voters, even when the voter has not asked for help casting their ballot.
Contrary to the liberals HR1 wish list of election reforms, Arizonans want an election system where it is easy to vote and hard to cheat. But measures like this make it easy to cheat and hard to catch. Most of the nearly 60 provisions of the initiative ranging from tax hikes to gutting wildly popular reforms like voter ID are not what Arizona voters want—Republicans and Democrats alike.
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.
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