Three-Card Monte Arizona Style

If the political gamesmanship over the illegal immigration situation isn't enough, there is more rotten in the State of Arizona than simply the continued negligence of the State officials over this issue.

Enter the three card monte style of western government and extortion.

Although this state has been one of the hardest hit due to the California banks and mortgage scams and the fallout from the open borders since the Reagan amnesty with continued negligence at both the state and federal levels which has lead to thousands upon thousands losing their homes and jobs, the Arizona legislature and state government isn't finished yet, it appears.

This week the citizens of Arizona are being asked to fork over another "temporary" increase in the sales taxes in order to supposedly cover budgetary gaps in education, health care and public safety.

Recently I attended the graduation of a family member at one of the public institutions of higher learning in Arizona.

During the speechifying for the masses by the faculty, there was a plea to the public for the passage of Proposition 100, in order to bulk up the universities budgets in that increased "temporary" sales tax.

An institution that was granted within the last year, along with the other two public universities, one of the highest tuition rate increases ever - and during a recession where there lies vacant thousands of Arizona homes.

And in a state which the state Constitution provides that funding for education IS a Constitutional function of the Arizona state government, one of their primary functions, although more and more revenue is earmarked for discretionary expenditures in annual budgets, with threats then instead directed to reducing public services and education funding in order to close the gap due to a balanced budget initiative that was passed by the Arizona citizens way back when in order to rein in the cost of government.

Most of these universities receive their funding by the Arizona residents through their property taxes primarily, and Arizona has had a "growth at all costs" agendas for at least the past three decades which has expanded the tax base tremendously in the process - although its now reliance on tourism, and as a retirement state for those from colder climes and then progressively forsaking its sustainable industries (cotton, cattle, copper, climate for those with respiratory diseases, and citrus) has cost this state dearly.

Foreclosures and empty homes mean that the amount of revenue has shunk within the past four years, however, little nod has been given that prior to that time the state was raking in added revenue during the boom since property taxes are tied into home valuations in the State of Arizona - and had doubled its number of citizens in less than ten years.

Also what was missing in this plea to the public during a graduation ceremony was the fact that those faculty members and administrators at the present time, including their taxpayer paid benefits, make more than most of those unemployed and homeless Arizonans - and can retire with full benefits after a mere 20 years service, and are also afforded the freedom to then work in another district or even community college while collecting their retirement benefits, thus double dipping.

As one who was affected by the increasing costs of ownership of my home due to state negligence, special interest "give mes" and rising taxation that bore no relevance to either the cost of living, or the Constitution parameters under which those state legislators were duty bound, I found using a graduation exercise in order for those university staff members to up their budgets, and increase their salaries once again at the public's expense both ill timed, and outrageous.

Interesting also is that this special election is scheduled a mere week after all three major universities have had their graduations, using the public and those graduates in order to raise their salaries, and budgets through this "special interest" proposition - since this measure did not pass the legislature when it was proposed in the last session.

The three card monty lives and breathes in Arizona, and I would not hesitate to guess, in the majority of other states across the nation.

Which sums ultimately would not be earmarked for education, health or public safety at all, since as a sales tax would merely go into the general fund for general budgetary purposes with no accountability whatsoever.

The desert isn't the only thing that is dry in Arizona.

Since it appears that unless and until the Arizona citizens' wallets are bled dry, the greedy state and local government appears insatiable.

Sort of like their Big Brother.