On February 19, the Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee passed SCR 1001 on a party-line vote, with all Republicans voting “yes” and all Democrats voting “no.”. The measure would place a ballot measure on the November 2016 ballot, asking voters if they wish to divert all funding from the public funding of campaigns and instead give that approximately $10,000,000 per year to the State Education Department. The same measure is in the House, as HCR 2004. Thanks to the Center for Competitive Politics for the news.
I’d rather just eliminate the money and give the rest back to the tax payers. You don’t need the government to simply give money to the candidate of your choice.
The current Arizona program doesn’t depend on tax money. It comes from surcharges on traffic tickets and other types of criminal fines.
Reminder, Richard, of what YOU said…”money is fungible.”
If the surcharges and fines were applied to other public expenditures, taxes could be reduced by like amount, or $10 million could be applied to some endeavor other than funding campaigns, like, oh, I don’t know…education?
According to the state legislature’s Finance Advisory Committee, Arizona ended the last fiscal year with a $520 million deficit, and be saddled with a $1 billion shortfall by the end of the 2016 fiscal year.
That’s because the miserable bigoted old white Republicans dominate the elections are selfish scum who hate to pay taxes. They don’t want Arizona to turn into California, which has a balanced budget.
Luckily, most of these elderly enemies of progress will be dead soon. Arizona’s younger citizens are predominately liberal, nonwhite, and patriotic enough to understand that taxes are the price we pay for civilization.
When all the old white Republicans die, they won’t be replaced, and Arizona will finally become a civilized state.
Mr. Grayson –
Best post to this site in recent memory.
Thank you.
Public financing of all candidates is the only way to take the “back room” and the “party bosses” out of politics.