The Capitol Light Rail Extension is on Track – To Be Another Boondoggle 

The idea to extend light rail to the State Capitol has occupied the dusty shelves of bureaucratic transit plans for ages.  Phoenix first floated it in their 2000 “Transit 2000” plan, their 2015 Transportation 2050 initiative, and the concept has taken up space in every MAG and regional planning cycle since 2004. The idea’s longevity is not a testament to how good ideas endure; rather how bureaucrats remain unaffected regardless of light rail’s failure; unwilling to change course despite low ridership, high costs, high crime, or changing travel patterns. The world changes but a transit plan apparently never dies.  

In fact, it turns out it can’t be stopped from destroying the Capitol corridor even when lawmakers pass a law to stop it.   

In 2023, Republican legislators negotiated Proposition 479, Maricopa County’s half cent sales tax for transportation, which included a clause prohibiting the use of any public resources for light rail coming within 150 feet of the State Capitol.  The goal of the provision was to insulate lawmakers from the disruption and destruction caused by light rail.  This neat trick of making the “Capitol Line” someone else’s problem would likely backfire.   

Well, it turns out we were right, and what Phoenix has in store for the Capitol corridor is worse than anyone could have imagined.   

 The Light Rail Line no Neighborhood Wants 

Following the 2023 law change that scuttled the “single track” rail loop around the capitol on Adams and Jefferson Street, most assumed that the transit agency would move the line north to Van Buren. That option seems to be shelved for the moment, largely due to the outcries from the small mom and pop shops that would have been decimated by the construction and reduction of the roadway from four lanes to two.  

Now, bureaucrats are devising alternative alignments, all of which are just as disruptive and nonsensical as the next:  

  • One scheme would run the line north on 15th Avenue, west on Van Buren, then elevate at 17th Avenue to cross existing infrastructure. 
  • Another would push the line south on 15th, then west on Madison, then north on 19th with an elevated crossing beginning near Adams Street.   
  • Meanwhile, residents in the Woodland Historic District warn that at least one variant would require razing historic houses. 

The Capitol Line Will Be the Most Expensive Rail Yet 

If there is one thing light is good at, it’s burning through taxpayer cash. By 2023, the Capitol Line had already cost taxpayers $20 Million in just planning and consultant costs for the scuttled Washington street route. Millions more is now being set on fire to identify an alternative route that no one wants. 

But if Phoenix is successful in forcing this project to the construction phase, the real red ink will start bleeding.  

When Phoenix built its first rail line 20 years ago, the price tag at the time was $75 million per mile. In 2020, construction on the the South-Central extension began, which will end up costing $1.4 billion, more than triple the original estimate.  That’s a staggering $250 million per mile. 

But taxpayers should expect the Capitol Loop to make the South-Central line look affordable. Current estimates have the project coming in at $499 million, or $350 Million per mile! And this assumes it doesn’t go over budget, which it most certainly will. 

And when it’s finally built, don’t expect the paltry passengers to pick up the tab. Valley Metro recovery from fares for operating light rail was a dim 7.6% in FY 2024. Meaning over 90% of the significant operational costs are covered by the vast majority of people who don’t and will never ride it. Given how poorly previous Valley Metro projections have been, it’s fair to assume the Capitol Line isn’t going to be too crowded either, locking taxpayers into permanent operating subsidies on top of the enormous upfront capital bill. 

And Who Will Ride the Train? 

Which goes to the heart of the question. Who are we even building this route for?  Light rail ridership in Phoenix has been on a steady decline since peaking in 2014. By 2019, that number had already fallen below 40,000, and in the years since COVID, weekday boardings have hovered around 25,000–30,000. And since boardings only represent one person getting on and off (not round trip), actual ridership is half that amount.  

The result is we are spending billions, destroying neighborhoods and businesses, and increasing traffic congestion for a transit option that is being used by less than 1% of all commuters in the Phoenix metro area. 

Remote work, telecommuting, and changing travel habits, especially after COVID, likely mean transit ridership in general—let alone light rail—will never come back to pre-2014 levels. Sprinkle in the crime statistics and the recent and high-profile violent murders taking place in urban America and who can expect light rail’s popularity to rise? Even despite Valley Metro’s best propaganda to convince people they hate their cars. 

Time for the Legislature to Step Up 

This project persists not because it makes sense, but because bureaucratic inertia is stronger than common sense. Lawmakers tried to sidestep the problem in 2023 by shielding their own backyard but leaving the project itself alive. That was a mistake. The Capitol Extension is a more than half-billion-dollar boondoggle in search of riders, that will destroy properties, inconvenience drivers, and suck the pocketbooks of taxpayers dry. 

The Legislature should come back and do what it should have done in the first place: ban the Capitol Extension outright. Redirect our money toward projects that actually reduce congestion and serve commuters. The alternative is to watch hundreds of millions evaporate on a short, slow train to nowhere. 

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Page Residents VS. The Road Diet

Freedom-loving, car-driving residents of Arizona have long been fighting the constricting “road diets” local government officials, city planners, and corrupt bureaucrats have pushed for years. Proponents of these diets claim that by tearing out perfectly good vehicle lanes, everyone will somehow be safer, healthier, and probably save the planet too.  

For those of us who live under the blazing Arizona sun, we recognize this as foolishness. Road diets have not been successful accomplishing any of the goals their proponents claim they will. Instead, the result is that the streets become more congested, you’re spending more time on the road, emergency vehicles have a harder time getting around, and everyone is mad.  

Luckily the U.S. Department of Transportation under the leadership of President Trump has promised to stop funding this nonsense. After all, if local city councils are dumb enough to waste money ripping up perfectly good roads, they shouldn’t be able to use everyone else’s tax money to do it. 

Of course, unsurprisingly, the residents of those very cities often don’t want their own tax money to go to ripping up the roads they rely upon. One such city is the tiny town of Page, Arizona, where in 2022, the city council approved the “Page Downtown Streetscape Master Plan” which calls for removing vehicle lanes along a 1.4 mile stretch of Lake Powell Boulevard in the heart of the downtown area. In the small northern town, residents stood up against these restrictive, dumb transportation ideas. Page is a community known for its tourism, with visitors bringing boats and heavy gear to explore Lake Powell. For locals, these roads are lifelines for tourism, commerce, and daily living, and Page residents aren’t willing to surrender any more of their precious infrastructure.  

The council claims removing two of the four lanes will magically create MORE foot traffic, which in turn will generate more revenue for businesses in that area. Councilmember David Auge has even written in his list of priorities a goal to reduce lane widths stating that Lake Powell Boulevard can only be improved if it is narrowed.  

But residents haven’t accepted that. A strong voice against the Page road diet, founder of the Page Action Committee and current Page Councilmember, Debra Roundtree, said: 

“The proposal to reduce Lake Powell Boulevard from five lanes to three narrow lanes with back-out parking threatened numerous established businesses. Some owners considered relocating off the mesa to the Navajo reservation. Despite being vital to the community for decades, many businesses felt overlooked by city council members and the Chamber of Commerce, who suggested they move their businesses because they did not belong on Main Street. Concerns voiced by business owners about the negative effects of these changes were ignored, risking further economic decline as tourists would have avoided Page’s downtown sector, choosing to patronize businesses located off the mesa.” 

This battle has been brewing for years, with residents scoring a meaningful win when the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the initiative to vote on the proposed road diet was legislative in nature, affirming that voters, not just the council, have the final say. This ensures that the people of Page will decide whether their main road is stripped of lanes, a change that would make commuting and traffic flow more frustrating. The measure is set for the November 2026 ballot, giving residents the chance to save the road the city wants to demolish. 

And now with their backs against the wall, the entrenched municipal political class has started saying the quiet part out loud: they don’t like it when voters have a say. Nancy Davidson of the AZ League of Cities and Towns went on record expressing how concerning it is that voters actually have a say in city projects. She warned that letting residents “second guess” city planning decisions will “wreak havoc” on all their perfect plans. How dare you citizens have opinions about your own streets? You are supposed to sit quietly, obey your council overlords, and let them destroy your infrastructure in peace!  

Of course, Page is not alone in the road diet fight. Some cities aren’t as forthcoming as Page has been about removing vehicle lanes. Many have attempted to sneak these road diets into hefty general and transportation plans that often go unnoticed by most citizens. Also known as “Complete Streets” (ironic), municipalities such as Tucson, Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, and most likely the city you live in, have already introduced or implemented measures to accommodate bicycles and public transit over cars. 

Road diets are often repackaged with buzzwords like “traffic calming,” “lane narrowing,” or “Vision Zero,” but no matter how city planners and bureaucrats dress them up, they’re still the same failed experiment. In 2022, even in the extremely blue city of Philadelphia, residents expressed concerns of losing 2 of 5 traffic lanes on Washington Avenue. Their concerns regarded how that would affect emergency vehicles and add to congestion. This ultimately led to the plan being abandoned altogether. San Antonio, TX, Culver City, CA, and others have similarly had road diet plans introduced and then rejected or reversed due to the problematic nature of these plans. Arizona’s very own Scottsdale residents have fought city council in attempts to eliminate lanes along Thomas Road. 

Arizona residents can learn from our northern tourist city of Page. Citizens do indeed have a say in their local road projects despite councils and bureaucrats trying to gaslight them otherwise. So, when these anti-car, virtue-signaling, road-diet-loving activists and city councils inevitably propose plans to remove vehicle lanes, and it is inevitable, take a page out of Page’s book. And let them know you like your car, you need your car, and you don’t want to bike or take a bus to get around.  

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We’re Not Backing Down: ASU and PBS Must Answer for Colluding Against Kari Lake 

Taxpayer-funded resources should not be used to tilt the scales of any election. This isn’t a difficult concept to understand. So, when Arizona State University (ASU) and PBS were exposed for colluding to help Katie Hobbs in the 2022 governor’s race against Kari Lake, we demanded accountability. We called on Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to launch a full investigation. After all, Arizona law is clear that universities must remain impartial and neutral in election-related activities.  

In a ridiculous decision, both Mayes and Mitchell refused to take action on our complaint. But this battle is far from over. 

The Illegal Use of Public Funds 

This all began back in 2022 when Katie Hobbs was ducking just about everyone during her campaign for governor, most especially Kari Lake. It culminated in Hobbs’ refusal to debate Lake on Arizona PBS. From there, the process should’ve been simple. According to long-standing Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission (AZCCEC) rules, Kari Lake should have been provided with airtime, and the AZCCEC planned to do just that. But hours before Lake’s interview was scheduled to take place, the AZCCEC learned that Arizona PBS went behind their back to schedule an exclusive interview with Katie Hobbs—moving them to postpone Lake’s interview.   

Then, last month, a series of emails came to light revealing that ASU leaders including President Michael Crow, former Arizona Republic publisher Mi-Ai Parrish, and Arizona PBS leaders allegedly colluded to jettison the debate rules to help Hobbs. This was a blatant and illegal use of taxpayer funds, and that’s why we filed a Hatch Act complaint with Mayes and Mitchell against ASU. But in a shocking and shameful decision, both decided against taking action. 

Mayes and Mitchell Abdicate Their Responsibility to Taxpayers 

In her response to our complaint Arizona AG Kris Mayes claimed to have a conflict of interest because she supposedly represents ASU. But that’s laughable. Mayes has never seemed to have a problem attacking the Department of Water Resources or going after the Department of Education over Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA). Did you notice that? She only seems to claim a conflict of interest when it suits her political appetite. Additionally, Mayes was employed by ASU as a professor. Could it be that she has a financial interest in protecting the guy who signed the front of her checks? Hmmm… 

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell was also a big disappointment, stating that her office simply “isn’t interested” in our complaint.  

Isn’t interested? We have evidence of taxpayer-funded organizations allegedly colluding to help one gubernatorial candidate over another. And her office won’t even bother to look at it? This is outrageous! Either Mitchell’s office is afraid of ASU, or she is ok with the illegal use of taxpayer resources because it targeted a politician that her office didn’t like. In both scenarios, she appears to be giving the green light for any political subdivision to break the law and engage in electioneering since apparently her office has no interest in investigating these cases.  

So while both have decided not to investigate, we believed a response to their failure to act was appropriate, so we sent a letter to both offices outlining why their decision to roll over for ASU was wrong on both the facts and the law. 

We’re Not Giving up The Fight 

While Kris Mayes and Rachel Mitchell may be content to abandon their responsibilities to Arizona taxpayers, we won’t give up the fight. That’s why we have referred our complaint to Mohave, Yuma, and Pinal County. We believe all three counties retain jurisdiction over this matter and we are hopeful their offices will take the issue much more seriously.  

The people of Arizona deserve to know that our public universities and media will be prohibited from any more collusion in future elections. That begins with accountability for both ASU and PBS. And we are hopeful that these county attorneys will be much more interested in upholding the law than Mayes and Mitchell have shown. 

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Underappreciated Wins of the 2025 Legislative Session  

Entering year three of divided government, our expectations for the 2025 legislative session were admittedly not high. With Katie Hobbs occupying the governor’s office and demonstrating that her only skill set is setting new veto records of good public policy, it can be difficult to muster a lot of optimism.  

Yet even in politics there is room to be pleasantly surprised and in fact there are several, though likely underappreciated, wins to be celebrated from the first session of the 57th legislature. 

Freedom to Move is on the Ballot 

After three sessions of introducing a ballot referral to protect every Arizonan’s freedom to move, finally, 2026 voters will have the chance to vote on SCR1004. The timing couldn’t be better as several states are moving forward with the imposition of their own tax per vehicle mile. Most ironically, in Massachusetts lawmakers have introduced legislation which in a masterclass in Double Speak they are calling “The Freedom to Move Act” as well. Every objection The Club has put on the record to VMT targets and taxes is being heralded by the radical liberals in Massachusetts as the benefits to passing the legislation. They proudly claim VMT taxes as a method to achieving their Net Zero goals, forcing people to “choose” other modes of travel like biking and public transit, and though they say there are no “prohibitions” in the bill, they give themselves away when they admit that the state may “facilitate reductions in vehicle miles travelled” in other words driving rations. With the passage of SCR1004, Arizona could be the first state in the country to cut this freedom-crushing policy off at the pass. 

Closing the Revolving Door at the Corporation Commission 

In an event that was probably rarer than a blue moon or maybe a solar eclipse (whichever is rarer), Governor Hobbs actually signed a bill that The Club supported and advocated for all session long. You knew HB2518 was unique legislation when The Club, the Republican Liberty Caucus and the Sierra Club (yikes) supported the bill, but sometimes the right and left can agree on issues, especially when it comes to reining in regulatory capture by monopoly-controlled utilities. And that’s exactly what HB 2518 accomplished, putting forth a prohibition on any person elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission from getting a job with the very utilities they are supposed to regulate. We won’t nominate ourselves for the Nobel Peace Prize yet, though it was a stunning moment of political harmony, save the disgruntled feelings of a couple dissatisfied Commissioners…  

Stopping Katie Hobbs and the Swamp 

Sure, it is always great to score points by getting common sense legislation through, but equally important is stopping the rolling trash pile of bad legislation that inevitably accumulates every session. And with a Democrat Governor, many of the bad bills that had to be stopped were swampy ideas adopted as part of the Hobbs agenda. 

  • HB2660 Swampy Subsidies 

Top of that pile was the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program that was set to sunset at the end of the year barring legislative renewal. This was especially astounding because once bad ideas take root, they are much harder to repeal, which is why a special interest lobbyist will always be happier to get a small appropriation and short sunset window to just get something on the books. Being an existing program paired with it being a top priority of the Govenor’s office and Senate Democratic leadership and still procuring a Republican sponsor for it, the fact that it went away is a rather significant victory. A program that is already ethically challenged given its susceptibility to fraud, waste, and abuse, its demise was helped along by the fact that Katie Hobbs’ Director of the Department of Housing wired $2M to fraudsters due to lack of systems that would prevent such an embarrassing blunder from taking place. Though no doubt there will be an aggressive push to revive this dead (good riddance) program, for now we will enjoy the taxpayers’ victory! 

  • HB2873 New Unconstitutional Taxes 

Next on the list is an unconstitutional tax (or assessment as the proponents prefer to call it), sponsored by Representative Wilmeth as HB2873. HB2873 is the reengineered bad bill of 2021 (because bad ideas never die) which would have allowed a host of private hoteliers form a quasi-private, quasi-governmental association, compel membership of minority hotels and then tax them in order to direct and pad their marketing budgets. Unfortunately, none of the changes to the original concept made HB2623 any more constitutional this go around, so its early defeat in session saved us on legal bills in the future. 

  • SB1129 Funding Mayor Gallegos Political Aspirations 

HB2623 which became SB1129 would have allowed candidates in local nonpartisan races, such as for school board and city council, to amass campaign funds to be used later in their climb for higher, partisan office. Letting non-descript candidates accumulate funding from developers and zoning attorneys to take their almost assuredly liberal ideas to the legislature is bad policy. And just because a voter thinks you might be good at filling the city’s potholes, doesn’t mean they agree with you on your positions on a whole host of issues that would never show up on the docket at town hall. This bill just wouldn’t die and kept moving in its resurrected state until the middle of June before the Senate shoved it in a drawer.  

  • HB2939 Liberal AND Swampy 

And because we take special pride in our role in thwarting Katie Hobbs’ agenda, it was very gratifying to see Hobbs’ top priority bill that would have provided handouts to corporations to subsidize more welfare never get a hearing.  

Don’t Take the Victory Lap Yet 

These were all great wins to be celebrated (thanks to conservative grassroots!) in what was a long and fairly contentious 2025 legislative session. And although we shouldn’t spare the hand clapping and back pats, there is no reason to lower our defenses. Despite Hobbs continued dysfunction this session (and the two before that), we should never underestimate her, or the Republicans ability to self-implode. For now, we will slow-walk the victory lap with a prudent eye on the 2026 legislative session. 

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More of Former USDOT Sec. Buttigieg’s Radical Failures Exposed 

Seven months into Trump’s return to office, the wreckage of the Biden administration continues to surface—especially in America’s transportation infrastructure. Previously, we highlighted the troubling impact of Pete Buttigieg’s tenure as Secretary of Transportation. His legacy of failure is becoming increasingly clear and public as new coverage reveals how his ideological grant programs, neglect of core responsibilities, and blatant mismanagement have damaged our economy, harmed communities, and sabotaged our personal freedoms. 

As covered by the New York Post, Buttigieg, who was charged for four years to oversee the world’s most significant infrastructure network, instead made it his mission to “reimagine” the entire system, framing it as irredeemably racist and in need of dismantling as he famously told Al Sharpton in his “roads are racist” interview. Buttigieg funded his radical agenda through a series of state and local grants. Programs like “Reconnecting Communities” funded the removal of functional highways based on the claim they were originally designed to displace minority neighborhoods, even though those highways are used today by people of all races.  

These weren’t transportation programs—they were anti-transportation programs. They prioritized “road diets,” bike lanes, and leveling roads in the name of equity while Americans sat in traffic and airports collapsed under system failures. 

The AZ Free Enterprise Club was one of the only organizations sounding the alarm about the ideological hijacking of the USDOT which even despite mainstream knowledge of the corrosive teachings of critical race theory in k-12 education brought to light after COVID, seemed far-fetched to many. We documented how seemingly harmless programs like Vision Zero and the Safe Systems Approach—heavily funded through federal transportation grants—were actually vehicles for social engineering.  

Now it is clear how thoroughly he indoctrinated the administration. While Buttigieg ignored the need to replace out of date air traffic control systems, he had plenty of time to spend appointing an equity advisory board. Buttigieg couldn’t be bothered with addressing the personnel staffing shortage at the Federal Aviation Administration, but had no problem finding the time to approve 400 DEI grants totaling over $80 Billion dollars. 

Our organization flagged the anti-vehicle woke agenda that had seeped into every aspect of USDOT’s operations. It was clear that Buttigieg wasn’t about making travel easier for Americans – but a radical social and environmental paradigm that would have people limiting where and how much they travel. 

The New York Post uncovered communications in which Buttigieg explicitly rejected modernizing air traffic control systems. His reasoning? Updating the systems would “just allow them to fly more planes,” and, as he told industry executives, “why would that be in [his] interest?”  

In fact, Buttigieg’s radical agenda at USDOT influenced several transportation reforms spearheaded by our organization, including:  

  • Legislation to Protect the freedom to move in Arizona, which would prohibit the taxing, tracking, and rationing of our vehicle miles traveled if passed by voters in 2026.   

Thankfully, Pete Buttigieg is now far – though still not far enough – away from the important work being done at the US Department of Transportation. Under Secretary Sean Duffy, the agency has refreshingly abandoned nearly every endeavor championed by the previous administration. America’s infrastructure, and the freedom of mobility it protects, is finally back on track.

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Arizonans Could See Over $400 Million in Tax Hikes Without Conformity to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill

This year, the tax cuts from the Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 were set to expire. Failing to extend the cuts would have resulted in a 22% tax hike for the average taxpayer. For Arizonans, it would have meant an average tax increase of $2,824. And there would have been an even larger tax increase for Arizona small businesses. Thankfully, earlier this summer Congress finally passed Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), not only extending the personal income tax cuts from 2017 but making them permanent.

The OBBB also included several new tax provisions as well, such as no tax on tips and overtime, an increase in the standard deduction, full expensing and special depreciation for business, just to name a few. This assortment of changes to federal tax law now leaves states like Arizona with a big decision to make: provide partial conformity tax relief, full tax relief, or do nothing and provide no conformity tax relief at all.

This should be an easy choice, as choosing the non-conformity option would leave Arizona taxpayers with one big ugly tax bill to pay.

How big of a tax bill? According to nonpartisan budget analysts for the legislature, $425 million. That’s why the legislature and Governor Hobbs need to commit to full conformity tax relief as the starting point for the budget next session.

What does full conformity tax relief look like? At least $425 million in tax relief for Arizona taxpayers. Anything less is a tax increase on Arizona families and taxpayers.

Conforming to the tax relief provided by the OBBB doesn’t mean lawmakers need to align exactly to every provision of the OBBB. For example, the OBBB included a special new tax deduction designed to help seniors lower their social security tax bill, but Arizonans already are exempt from paying state taxes on social security.

As an alternative, Arizona lawmakers could instead adopt a reform introduced by Senator Mesnard last session that would allow for seniors to subtract their other retirement income (401ks and IRAs) from their taxable income up to the current standard deduction. It would even protect younger workers looking to save by extending this deduction to Roth accounts as well. Arizona should take full advantage of the opportunity provided by the OBBB and look to get out of the business of taxing our retirement savings.

Other provisions in the OBBB are critical for Arizona to adopt as well. The increased standard deduction, ending taxes on tips and rolling back taxes on overtime are just a few of the provisions that must be included in the conformity package. It makes little sense to provide this tax relief to hardworking taxpayers on the federal tax form, only to see it yanked away and taxed by the state.

The truth is that Arizonans have been overtaxed for decades, and the numbers prove it. Though 2021 brought a landmark, across the board tax cut for Arizonans with the adoption of the lowest flat tax rate in the country, no major tax cuts have been adopted since, and revenues are still nearly double what they were less than 10 years ago (as is spending).

Total General Fund Revenue

President Trump and Congress delivered, preventing the potentially largest tax hike in generations by permanently cementing the 2017 tax cuts into law, and going even further. Now, Arizona lawmakers must deliver too, ensuring Arizonans get to enjoy the full benefits of the OBBB by fully conforming in an amount of at least $425 million, lest Arizona taxpayers foot the bill to fill the state coffers.

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