MARTIN SHULTZ
In an example of mind-boggling micro-management, the folks behind the proposed statewide 1-cent sales tax hike for transportation turned away more than 18,200 petition signatures and a check for $27,000 from central Arizona homebuilders association, Capitol Media Services reported Monday.
The TIME coalition apparently is trying to hold the homebuilders to the original deal they struck with Gov. Janet Napolitano to provide the campaign $100,000 in cash, in exchange for the initiative not including any new impact fees or special taxes on building construction.
The homebuilder association apparently thought the TIME Coalition could use help gathering more signatures, since the campaign only started May 8 and has to deliver at least 153,365 valid signatures by Thursday’s deadline. (And a general rule of thumb is a initiative campaign should collect at least 25 percent more signatures than the minimum required to safely qualify for the ballot.)
But the TIME Coalition wants all of the money, not help with signatures.
“We’re still waiting,” coalition treasurer and APS uber-lobbyist Martin Shultz told Capitol Media Services.
It’s a clear reflection of how Napolitano wants complete control of her proposals, regardless of who else might be involved. Does that mean she’ll take the blame if the TIME coalition doesn’t manage to make the November ballot? Somehow, I doubt it.
Update:
The TIME campaign says Wednesday it has submitted more than 250,000 signatures to put this initiative on the November ballot. Those signatures still need to be verified. But it looks like the coalition didn’t need any help from the homebuilders after all.
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