Free Republic

The Buck Should, Quite Literally, Stop Here : Only the Governor can prevent a tax increase Byron Schlomach, Goldwater Institute Daily Email, April 10, 2008 On Tuesday, the Senate barely passed a bill that would permanently repeal the County Equalization Tax (CET) on property. Unfortunately, a gubernatorial veto is very likely. In 2006, when the state was swimming in surplus funds, the tax was suspended for three years. The CET was one of the finance streams that flowed to schools. Since then, other state money has made up the difference to schools. Today, analysts for the legislature estimate the CET...

When a Latte’s a Lot: Venti or Grande, a Tax is a Tax Byron Schlomach, Goldwater Institute Daily Email, March 13, 2008 When engineers need to know the precise strength of a structure, they test it by adding tiny amounts of weight to an actual example or a model. Eventually, the structure fails. That last gram of weight--the one that makes the difference between an intact structure and a pile of rubble--is pretty significant, at least to the structure. Thus, it’s always with some amusement when I read of how “little” government programs and taxes cost us. One of the...

Taxazona?: Legislature should permanently repeal County Equalization Tax Byron Schlomach, Goldwater Institute Daily Email, January 28, 2008 Arizona's Senate Finance Committee could prevent a record property tax hike next year by making permanent the repeal of the County Equalization Tax (CET). That tax, if it goes back into effect, will cost Arizonans $225 million in new property taxes. Every Arizonan will pay, including homeowners, business owners, and renters through their rent payments. Twenty-three states, including all of Arizona's neighbors, have lower property tax burdens than Arizona when taxes are compared to personal income. Still, some may think another $10 per...