TUCSON – It’s making me nauseous, but I’m voting yes on Propositions 418 and 419, which will extend for another 20 years the half-cent sales tax in metro Tucson to continue to fund the Regional Transportation Authority and its plans to improve the region’s terrible road network while throwing money at public transit and other utopian fantasies.
For sure, the political monopoly that has run the City of Tucson and Pima County for decades will do its monopolistic thing and, once again, waste a lot of the funds from the half-cent sales tax, due to mismanagement and to a citizenry that has been conditioned to not hold their overlords accountable.
To understand Tucson, think of Mexico, where, in the tradition of the Spanish Empire, there are essentially two classes: the aristocrats and elites at the top, and the peons underneath them. Also, both Mexico and Tucson have an extractive political and social system that diminishes prosperity instead of a production one that enlarges prosperity.
So, why in heaven’s name should anyone vote yes on the propositions? Because the alternative is far worse. If the propositions fail, Tucson’s transportation network will continue to be stuck in the 1970s, and the metropolis will continue to be a sleepy, laid-back province that repels instead of attracts investment capital, high-wage companies and industries, and the best, brightest and most ambitious young talent.
Moreover, at least the propositions have some safeguards against the predatory political monopoly reneging on all of its promises and misspending all of the money. There are no safeguards if the propositions don’t pass.
Voting yes goes against my political principles, but sometimes practicality has to prevail.
Coincidentally, City Journal has just published a commentary on the history of sales taxes in America, showing how they’ve ballooned over the years and how states, counties and cities play tax games so that taxpayers are tricked into paying ever-higher rates. One sleight of hand is a separate sales tax for transportation. The commentary can be found here.
By the way, if you’re interested in how the City of Tucson compares to other locales in sales taxes, read on.
First, a qualifier: It can be difficult to pinpoint a tax rate due to exemptions, special assessments and carveouts.
Below are sales tax rates for selected locales, according to the State of Arizona. A full list can be found here.
| Taxing Authority | Combined Tax Rate State & Local |
| State of Ariz. | 5.6% |
| Average Combined State & Local | 7.76% |
| Pima County | 6.1% |
| Tucson | 8.7% |
| S. Tucson | 10.6% |
| Scottsdale | 7.95% |
| Flagstaff | 12.9% |
| Oro Valley | 8.6% |
| Yavapai Apache Nation | 16.0% |
It’s interesting that of the cities above, Scottsdale has the lowest sales tax rate but the most prosperity and the best roads, upkeep, and city amenities and services. It also has nonpartisan elections, which might have something to do with it.
Indian nations/reservations have sky-high rates, as exemplified by the Yavapai Nation’s 16% in the table above. I have no idea why that is.
In closing, allow me to comment on the whopping 36% of the Tucson metropolis that is unincorporated county. Contrary to what the county monopolists claim, if all or part of this 36% were to be incorporated, the affected residents would not necessarily see their costs increase but would almost certainly have better amenities and services.
To explain: By living in the unincorporated county, residents have to pay separately for trash pick-up and fire service. And if they make purchases in the City of Tucson, they pay its sales taxes but get no direct benefits. Also, Pima County is a 9,000 sq. mile blob without a center, soul, or unique identity. Given the immense size of the county, its government is better suited for rural areas than urban ones, and its board of supervisors, key departments, and sheriff department are far removed from constituents and thus far less responsive.
Last, the state returns less of what is called Highway User Revenue Funds to unincorporated areas than to incorporated ones. These are monies that residents pay to the state in gas taxes and license vehicle fees. In other words, unincorporated areas get less money back from the state for local roads. That’s one reason why roads are in deplorable shape in much of the unincorporated parts of metro Tucson.
I need some Pepto-Bismol.
Mr. Cantoni can be reached at [email protected].
Over a month ago I watched a worker shovel some black material (unheated) into a pot hole on El Camino del Cerro. He ignored the hole next to it and moved on to another 5 feet away. I noticed that this was a pattern for a short stretch of the road that had been “repaired.” Two weeks later, rain washed all the material out.
Last summer someone determined (wrongly) that the far end of El Camino del Cerro did not need to have any repairs done, but in their wisdom officials sent out a crew to repaint the side lines. Paint was applied over edges that had been broken away from the road and a great job was done painting the dirt and painting over dust which would be washed or blown away by the next wind or rain storm. Your tax dollars at work.
The only road improvement on the east side is the “completion” of Houghton from Broadway to Speedway. This was to be done under the last 20 year plan. Nothing for the portion from 22 street to Irvington. Did COT ever return the tax money they “inadvertently” collected when this whole boondoggle started? Voted NO!
Yes vote = Maybe the roads will be maintained, Sort of.
No vote = Sorry, but you guys voted down the RTA, and now we don’t have any money to fix roads.
Me thinks they have us by the shorthairs………..
They will build more bike paths that are empty in the summer and hardly used at other times. Just like always. More soccer fields for illegals. If people only knew what goes on in the old ranches we taxpayers have bought in Bueman canyon, you would puke.
“For sure, the political monopoly that has run the City of Tucson and Pima County for decades will do its monopolistic thing and, once again, waste a lot of the funds from the half-cent sales tax, due to mismanagement and to a citizenry that has been conditioned to not hold their overlords accountable.”
So when do we start to hold our overlords accounatble? NOW! Vote no!
At some point in your life, you need to ‘vote the bums out’. Continuing to approve the lesser of two evils simply sustains the leftist craziness.
got tje ballots in mail yesterday, read thru the thing and it is totally confusing. Anyhow, DID NOT see anything saying tucson roads, streets anywhere. Seems as I recall about 20 years ago they pulled the same stunt for 22d from 6th ave west. Then after they got the vote the county said no way and backed out of the deal. I can see the same thing happening here. So we will vote NO. As noted in comments road around tucson are in shambles. Supposed construction on many with not real work being seen. Park ave N from 36th is one example, grant rd, ajo from benson hwy east bound etc. Signs out along roads are truthful, say road work ahead and nothing is following! No workers, no signs of anything occuring. As to not getting any industry or jobs, even if they fix roads NOTHING will come as the democrap politicians DO NOT want improvment in this area as it is against their ideals. You want improvements need to vote ALL current pols out and never elect democraps again, but that wont happen as they have convinced dumb voters to look for the D behind the name and to vote party not individuals.
so sorry but I have nothing left after the TUSD school district override
it is costing us directly over $300 PER YEAR on our already high property taxes
$100 per $100k assessed
sure hope the rest of the TAX TAX TAXING districts hold their increases to 15% like last year
pretty soon we won’t be able to pay the govt rent each year
and now you want more taxes via sales tax – next you’re gonna say we should tax food
absolute NO on all tax increases
“Because the alternative is far worse … so that taxpayers are tricked into paying ever-higher rates.”
Firstly, I don’t live in Tucson or Pima Cty, but if I did I would vote against extending the sales tax. To be sure, whichever way it goes, nothing will get better because the politicians feel safe in their seats and therefore care not one wit for the ‘will of the people’ (can it really be described as ‘will’ if ‘the people’ don’t hold them accountable?).
One thing is true abt all addictions, including addiction to failed political ideologies, one usually has to hit rock bottom before having that epiphany that ends the addiction. Tucson’s city clowncil will have to screw things up so badly that even the ideologues will say enough (maybe when the homeless start squatting in their garages?), and the only way to force their hand is to stop assuming the responsibility of cleaning up their mess with tax dollars. Then again, there’s Detroit. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Like I said not my circus not my clowns, but I wish you all the best with the realization that it will have to get worse before it gets better.
Illuminet Dominus faciem suam super te et misereatur tui.
My problem is with specialty taxes in general. Public improvements are paid with tax dollars. What they’re telling us with specialty taxes is that they have no intention to fund various projects unless they get extra tax money. Secondly, as has been pointed out by the other responders to this article is, they don’t spend the money where they say they would. Those kind of broken promises seem like fraud to me.
I’m voting no simply because the Tucson City Clowncil will move those funds to something else instead of what it’s intended for. They always do and when they do fix the roads they leave traffic backed up for month with lane closures no one is actually working on and it’s only good until the next major storm then the potholes are back
If the propositions fail, Tucson’s transportation network will continue to be stuck in the 1970s, and the metropolis will continue to be a sleepy, laid-back province that repels instead of attracts investment capital, high-wage companies and industries, and the best, brightest and most ambitious young talent.
MORE GOOD MONEY OVER BAD MANAGEMENT ” NYET “!!!!!!!!! The road construction around Tucson is blind stupid! Only because they never spent the last money on the expenses they were supposed to spend them on.. try 6th west of Craycroft EAST & many others. The COPO sucks.. COT takership sucks. Not another nickel till what we are already taxed for does something it was intended to do. NO NO NO & NO.. can you heear me now?
Bob Walkup (mayor at the inception of the 1st RTA) repeatedly talked on the radio how he/they were going to “front load” the Houghton Rd corridor. 20 years later and it’s still not done…so much for promises from a lying Politician and that’s just one example of the waste and fraud. If anyone thinks that RTA Next will be vastly different they are gravely mistaken and/or naive!
Finally, a $375k salary for the ex City Manager (Ortega) to run the thing is absurd!