Vote NO On Proposition 208

Legislative Council reports that Proposition 208 will impose a 3.5 percent surcharge on taxable income over $250,000 for a single person or a married person filing jointly, on anyone earning $500,000 as a married couple or single person who is the head of a household. This will be added to the current 4.5 percent tax rate to come up with an 8 percent tax rate. Fifty percent of the tax revenue generated would go to education for youths and classroom support personnel hiring and base salary increases, 25 percent goes to education grants, 10 percent to grants for mentoring and retaining new classroom teachers and 12 percent to train high school students for career training. Also, an Arizona Teachers Academy would get 3 percent to incentivize college students to commit to teaching school in Arizona.Among the risks of voters passing Prop 208 are these:

• It would be the largest permanent tax increase in Arizona history and move the state up to fifth nationally for highest tax rate;
• It would unfairly punish small businesses;
• It will not inject additional funds into Arizona classrooms'
• There will be no accountability;
• There will be no education reform;
• It will reverse the state's economic progress and will not help K-12 education in the long run;
• It is largely funded by out-of-state interest groups;
• It doubles the income tax on tens of thousands of Arizona families;
• It is opposed by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Manufacturers Council;
• It does not provide funding for colleges and community colleges;
• The revenues generated will go almost entirely to salaries;
• Education funding should be shared by all Arizonans, not unfairly on only some citizens who are being punished for job and wealth creation;
• 208 is favored by the radical National Education Association, which is more concerned about politics than educating our children;
• It is an ill-advised and poorly written proposition full of loop-holes on the money will be handled;
• It makes future pay raises for teachers unlikely;
• It will discourage economic growth in Arizona;
• It is neither sustainable nor a wise path for Arizona. Imposing an uncompetitive personal income tax on higher wage-earners and hamper the innovative spirit of the state's economic dynamism and hurt Arizona's potential for attracting employers and job creators, who will simply take their business to states with a more friendly business climate. In other words, Prop 208 will make Arizona more like Califronia--a state losing businesses due to excessive taxes.