T.I.M.E. bullying with lawsuit on true tax raise stat

APS lobbyist Marty Shultz is helping push the unfair, unbalanced transportation sales tax increase plan

PHOENIX -- Big money promoters of a plan to increase the state sales tax by 17.8% are suing the Arizona Legislature over a true statement. This is an absurd bully tactic, and their bogus lawsuit should be dismissed.

I strongly support improvements to Arizona's transportation infrastructure, but I cannot support this plan, as proposed. The Sierra Club also does not support it because it is much too heavy on big roads, and too light on long-overdue needed investment in mass transit.

I also cannot support increasing the sales tax on working people during this tough economy. Sales taxes are already approaching 10% in some Arizona communities, which is too high. Raising sales taxes to pay for transportation projects, especially when a deal was cut with developers to let them off the hook for needed impact fees, is unfair.

Sales taxes are unfair, harming lower income people more. Sales taxes are also very volatile, cutting revenue when the economy goes down and people spend less.

Growth should pay for itself, most Arizonans agree, and the so-called T.I.M.E. plan is more of the same old 'free pass' for developers, while you and I get the bill. No thanks.

I stand for improving Arizona's transportation system, with more emphasis on transit and less on giant roads, and paying for it in a fair way.

MORE PERSPECTIVE: AZ Republic