The Arizona chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a grassroots political group that lobbies for lower taxes, decided to spend some money to find out if there’s any public support for Gov. Jan Brewer’s call for a $1 billion temporary tax increase to help balance the state budget. It’s turn out that the people questioned don’t really want to do anything to solve the budget crisis.
In the polling survey of likely voters in Phoenix and Glendale, a majority opposed just about every idea on the table at the state Capitol. That includes tax increases, relaxing voter-mandated protection for key spending programs, and selling off state buildings and other assets such as the Grand Canyon Airport.
The only option that the poll respondents did support was allowing slot machines, blackjack and poker at the horse and dog tracks. I certainly don’t have a problem with that, but the poll question didn’t mention that changing state law to approve such gambling would immediately free the state’s Indian tribes to offer any kind of gambling they wanted with no outside limits. That’s why there’s no chance the Legislature will relax the current rules for the racing tracks.
So, voters don’t want to increase revenue or to reduce expenses to solve a deficit that makes up about one-third of the General Fund budget. I guess the only choice left is to borrow into oblivion just like the federal government is doing.
Based on the poll’s result, AFP-Arizona director Tom Jenney did have some advice for state lawmakers: Voters are going to hate them no matter what they do, so they might as do the right thing and hold their heads high. Of course, to Jenney, the right thing means cutting the budget as much as possible and under no circumstances entertain the notion of raising taxes.
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