Opinion: It’s time for Republican legislators to put the Proposition 400 transportation tax extension where it belongs — in the hands of the voters who will pay for it.” – Laurie Roberts, Arizona Republic, June 10, 2023
We agree 100% with Ms. Roberts. We should let the voters, who will pay for Proposition 400, decide its fate. In fact, we go further. We agree 110% because we think that the voters should decide on what components of the transportation plan they favor, instead of the all-or-nothing approach favored by Laurie Roberts, the Maricopa Association of Government (MAG), Hobbs, and others of their ilk.
The reason why there is a disagreement between the Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans want real choices for voters, while Democrats want to limit those choices.
In the past, voters have faced a very tough choice. Either they approve a plan with major flaws, or they reject it and forego the good components therein. This allowed MAG and their accomplices to use the approved transportation plan as a slush fund with little if any regard for what makes sense or the intentions of the voters who approved it.
Whatever plan is adopted for presentation to the Maricopa County voters, it should provide real choices and include two components, common sense and fairness.
Common sense. Does it make sense to spend the lion’s share of transportation money to fund a miniscule fraction of usage? Let the voters decide.
Fairness. Is it fair that street and freeway users pay their fair share via fuel and other taxes, while light rail users get a nearly free ride at the expense of tax payers? Let the voters decide.
We expect action on this issue when the legislators return to the capitol on Monday. Therefore, we encourage citizens to contact legislators and request that whatever plan is sent to the voters for approval include real choices. This means being able to vote on each component separately instead of being forced to vote on an all-or-nothing plan.
Contacting legislators via email is very easy. Just go to the website at https://azpeopleslobbyist.com/