financial phobia

The perfidy of lawmakers continues to astound—particularly in tightwad Arizona.

Such is the case with proposition 105 on the Arizona ballet this November. Under the proposed amendment to the constitution, anyone who does not vote in an election concerning a raise in taxes or spending would be automatically counted as a "no" vote, the idea being: only a majority vote could pass costly legislation.

A thin rational of majority-rules mentality hardly veils the intentions behind this one: fiscal zealousness. As a native of Arizona, I recognize that my state leans heavily toward the fiscal conservative ideology. As a registered democrat, I'm fine with that.

However, I reject assumption that fiscal responsibility must espouse idiocy. Quite frankly, the majority of Arizona lawmakers seem concerned for nothing beyond the abating of taxes and spending, stinting the community of opportunity and support. In a state where degenerating schools, tanking housing market, and health care failures practically scream for funding, all these affluent lawmakers must be blind—or too removed to care in their lavish, hillside estates.

Generalizations yes, but someone needs to beat this real-world formula into our leaders heads: money + shepherding regulation = improvement
stinginess + haughty disregard = decline

Services require money, even in a state with a deficit like Arizona. And how did we get in this deficit? Lawmakers capped taxes without considering inflation, expenditure growth, or economic trouble. Stop backing us into a corner for fear of taxes! We all pay for it later (or now).