NEWS UPDATES
Pro-Light Rail Comedian Beclowns Himself in Attempt to Downplay Cost of South Phoenix Rail Project
It has been interesting to watch supporters of light rail try to explain away its exploding cost and how projects such as the South Phoenix extension have turned into reckless boondoggles for taxpayers. As has been reported by multiple news outlets, the cost for South...
Superintendent Hoffman Plays Politics with AZ Kid’s Education
It is no secret that Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman is no fan of the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program. Throughout the 2018 campaign season, Hoffman was on record taking hostile positions against the school choice...
Light Rail Economic Development Claims by Valley Metro Fall Flat
Today the Arizona Free Enterprise Club has released a study examining the speculative claims made by Valley Metro that light rail has spurred $11 Billion in economic development. Authored by transportation policy expert Randal O’Toole, “Valley Metro Light Rail...
Cost for South Phoenix Light Rail Explodes to $1.35 BILLION Dollars
Yesterday when the City of Phoenix and Valley Metro announced that they had received a grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the South Phoenix light rail extension, they did not disclose to taxpayers that the projected cost to build the line has...
Phoenix Proposition 106 Will Help Fix the Phoenix Pension Crisis
The City of Phoenix has been living beyond their means for way too long. Their fiscal irresponsibility has led to a crushing $5.7 Billion in unfunded pension debt and no real plan on how to pay it off or honor their commitments to current or future retirees. The...
Democrats Vote in Lockstep for Higher Taxes and Fees on Arizona Families
Even with a billion-dollar budget surplus and record state revenues, Democrats in the Arizona legislature were united in their cause to raise taxes and fees on hardworking families. How big was their tax hike push? Every Democrat in the State Senate and House voted...
City of Phoenix Wastes Billions on Light Rail & Neglects Shoddy Roads
For years city politicians, developers and contractors have misled voters on the waste and damage created by the multi-billion-dollar expansion of light rail. They have concealed the true cost of light rail from voters in previous transportation measures by tying...
Free Enterprise Club and Buckeye Institute Release Cost-Benefit Analysis of Electric Vehicle Subsidies in Arizona
Phoenix, AZ (June 4th)–Today the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, in collaboration with the Economic Research Center at The Buckeye Institute, released “It Ain’t Easy Being Green: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Electric Vehicles in Arizona.” The paper is a comprehensive...
Getting Conform and Reform Right
As the Club has covered for over a year, Arizona taxpayers are facing the largest income tax increase in state history if a proper federal tax conformity plan is not adopted by the legislature. The department of revenue estimates that the conformity tax increase would...
Arizona GOP Goes All-In on Job Killing Tax Hikes
The Arizona Republican Party has decided to become the party of tax hikes. Yesterday, party Chairwoman Kelli Ward announced that the GOP is officially backing an amendment to the Arizona Constitution to impose a permanent $500 Million dollar sales tax increase for...
AG Brnovich Tackling Corporate Welfare at ASU
For months now, the AZ Attorney General Mark Brnovich and the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR, the governing body for Arizona State University) have been in embroiled in a hot legal battle over taxpayer subsidies for wealthy developers. At the center of the legal...
Why are Lawmakers Pushing Billions in Tax Hikes Despite Record State Revenues?
An interesting paradox has developed at the legislature this year. Even though state policymakers are sitting on record tax revenues and a robust Arizona economy, they seem more obsessed with tax increases than ever before. So far this session there are efforts by...