On Tuesday, February 13, Arizona representatives Isela Blanc and Daniel Hernandez voted against a bill, HB2277, that merely establishes capitalism as Arizona’s political economic system. The Arizona House Committee On Federalism, Property Rights And Public Policy passed HB2277 along party lines.
The legislative intent of HB2277, sponsored by Rep. Bob Thorpe, is included in the bill:
| House Standing Committee Details – HB2277 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLANC | N | CAMPBELL | Y | GRANTHAM | Y | ||
| HERNANDEZ | N | NAVARRETE | AB | PAYNE | Y | ||
| STRINGER | AB | FINCHEM | Y | THORPE | Y | ||
A. The legislature intends that taxpayer dollars not be used to promote or to provide material support for any political-economic system that opposes the principles of free-market capitalism, including socialism, communism and fascism.
B. Polling has demonstrated an alarmingly high percentage of individuals under forty years of age who appear to not understand either:
1. The history and positive national and international impacts of the American political-economic system of free-market capitalism or how America’s public policies have helped to promote individual freedoms, home ownership, private property rights, innovation, economic activity, an abundance of food, an enhanced quality of life and prosperity.
2. The history, negative impacts and loss of freedom suffered by individuals living under non-American political-economic systems, including socialism, communism and fascism.
Despite the fact that Thorpe cited polling, Blanc implied that Thorpe’s bill was ageist in nature. According to Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation polling, “Given the choice, most Americans would opt for a capitalist country. However, one third would prefer to live in a socialist nation. Millennials are the leading force behind this preference with more than four in ten opting for socialism.”
The Foundation’s polling also showed that “7 in 10 Americans either don’t know the definition of communism or misidentify it.”