* A referral to the November 2009 ballot of a temporary, 1-cent-per-dollar increase in the state sales tax.
* The implementation of a flat state-income tax at a rate of 2.8 percent, beginning in 2012.
* A permanent repeal of the state equalization property tax.
In broad terms, according to legislative sources, the budget deal calls for $600 million in spending cuts and would sweep just over $260 million for special state funds. These spending cuts delve deep into funds for the K-12 education system as well as to vital social service programs that serve children, the elderly and disabled while at the same time burdening the middle class with a huge sales tax increase at a time when families are struggling.
According to John Paul Mitchell, Independent candidate for Arizona's 2010 gubernatorial race, the deal "between Governor Brewer and key legislative leaders has averted the common practice of law," finding a loophole in the legalese of Arizona's state constitution in order to not deliver passed bills to the Governor's desk immediately. With months of Republican infighting, valuable time has been lost -- time that could have been spent practicing a republican form of government. "Now, the people of Arizona must pay the price and ultimately decide if a sales tax increase is suitable to our government, economy, families, and our lives," Mitchell says.
Although Mitchell is confident that the majority of Arizonans will vote against the temporary sales tax increase if the bill is passed, he believes such an increase is not the answer. Ultimately, he asks, "If Arizonans are already spending less and trying to save more, how will tacking an extra $615 per family onto the $6,000 already being taken from each Arizona citizen resolve anything?" Mitchell asks that government officials and citizens alike not forget that our government cannot fix its problems of overspending by taking more from the people. "In an already challenging and devastating economy, a deal such as the one struck by our legislative leaders only puts Arizona on path to certain economic destruction,"
John Paul Mitchell is an Independent candidate for Arizona's 2010 gubernatorial race. As a businessman and fiscal conservative, Mitchell believes government should be run like a business. This belief stems from the irresponsibility of politicians, from both the executive and legislative branches of our state republic, to balance a responsible budget. Additionally, Mitchell has authored a book titled "No More Taxes," a historical and spiritual book on the ethics and morality of money and taxes that lies down the fundamentals of why America was founded, why it was necessary for international bankers to start a centralized banking system, and how the 16th Amendment to the Constitution was never legally ratified. Mitchell is available for interviews and additional comments. For additional information, please visit http://www.aznextgov.org.
