One vote everyone seems to be lobbying right now is Pam Gorman. This video has been making the rounds and is pretty well done.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Legislature okay property tax repeal and Gorman lobbying
So we knew this was going to happen since Speaker Adams pretty much said so. Both houses approved the property tax repeal that actually went into effect on Monday. As a last ditch effort, Speaker Adams threw the Governor a bone and didn't technically fully approve the bill. He didn't say "and transmit the bill to the Senate." Both chambers adjourned until Thursday so tomorrow evidently will be spent looking for votes.
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The video is well-done from a cinematography standpoint, but completely inaccurate from a substantive standpoint. Gorman (with SERIOUS reservations) voted for ALL the budget bills EVERY time. Others did not. Gorman opposed the $3 billion sales tax increase referral from the start and has continuously. And she was also the most vocal and proactive about doing so. That doesn't sit too kindly with the "good ole boys network" who don't like anyone -- much less a WOMAN -- standing up for what they believe and what they ran on. That referral is NOT part of the "budget". This effort and video being distributed by Constantin Querard further errors in suggesting that Gorman opposed the $250 million property tax cut. In fact, last week Gorman refused to vote for the remaining budget bills UNTIL that tax cut was put back in a budget bill where it could pass and go back to the Governor. The more these bush league tactics have been employed against an obviously deeply-principled woman, the more firm Gorman has gotten in her position. Heck, could you imagine being a woman married to one of these testosterone-infused, women-are-to-be-seen-not-heard neanderthals? Wow, not fun. Even if Gorman were going to change her vote (which she never would absent acceptance of her effort to immediately begin a complete phaseout of the personal income tax), the approach taken makes it politically imprudent for someone in her position TO change positions. It would appear that she would concede her beliefs after being bullied and beaten up and lied about. Anyone who knows anything about her or has watched the Legislature in any serious fashion know that is exactly the opposite of Gorman. She is standing firm in what she believes to be best for Arizona and her district. Whether you agree or disagree with her conservative anti-tax politics, you have to admire the profile in courage. This effort to slander and tarnish her is more of a PR effort and a "political campaign" effort and not any kind of lobbying effort to be taken seriously. In fact, it demonstrates a complete naivete about how to successfully lobby a legislator (and be able to work with them constructively in the future). It's amazing the level of ignorance demonstrated by the players here.
I think that the most under-reported aspect of all of this is that GOP Party Chairman Randy Pullen supported this $3 billion tax increase before ANY members of the Legislature and ANYONE in the public even knew about it.
It was strange. To have the Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, speaking on behalf of all Republicans across Arizona basically say "We, as Republicans, want to pass the largest tax increase in Arizona history on Arizona working families."
And then he endorsed it on party letterhead. And tried to defend himself with voice from all across the country who said "Randy, what are you doing? We're gaining ground by FIGHTING higher taxes, not fighting for higher taxes!"
Arizona used to be a conservative state. I think it obviously is moving left with the rest of the west. You have the Randy Pullens and Chuck Coughlins and Jan Brewers and Bob Burns of the world trying to change Arizona into California.
I think its incumbent upon us as Republicans (many of us conservatives) to stand with the Ron Goulds and the Sam Crumps and Pamela Gormans and Andy Biggs of Arizona and say "NO!" We don't want to go that way. We don't need higher taxes. And if we get them, the last thing we need is our Party Chairman smiling and saying "Yes, raise taxes on Arizona families by $3 billion for this TEMPORARY tax." When's the last time a "temporary" tax was really temporary? They never are. And do you trust RANDY PULLEN when he says it will be temporary? I don't. Last thing I remember was before the election telling the state that the Republican Party was for LOWER TAXES and LESS SPENDING and SMALLER GOVERNMENT.
Time to send a message to Randy Pullen and Bob Burns and all their tax hiking friends and tell them that's not OUR Republican Party.
Candyman, say what you will about whether the tax is needed, but your argument on the Temporary Tax is a losing one. The law will have an expiration date written into it. With it ending in an off year, it would take an entirely new election and a new tax.
Temporary taxes very often (usually) become permanent. It can be done very easily with a three word amendment. The Republican legislature, as Russell Pearce and others have pointed out, doesn't have enough conservatives like Gorman and Gould to make the REAL cuts necessary to confront the fiscal mess. The fiscal mess (regardless of referral to ballot and passage or not) will be worse, not better in the next budget. Even this budget (which has PASSED and is on the Governor's desk) will have to be reworked when revenues end up falling short of expectations.
I respect your opinion and can disagree without being disagreeable. I just wish the proponents of the tax increase referral could be respectful of someone (actually several Republicans) who disagree on conservative PRINCIPLES. I just believe that Gould, Waring, Gorman, Crump and Biggs got it right. If this IS to pass, Democrats should be forced to put up some votes (knowing those who vote for it will pay a HUGE political price in moderate/conservative districts).
Good writing. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed my Google News Reader..
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I think most people would do the same when they are headed with the situation.
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