Tax Payer Bill of Rights (TABOR) (Congress: income, income tax, moving)

[Hschlick84]

Could a semi-libertarian initiative that limits government spending be passed in a state like Arizona?

Basically what that bill does is the state and local governments cannot raise tax rates without voter approval and cannot spend revenues collected under existing tax rates without voter approval if revenues grow faster than the rate of inflation and population growth. Only one state in the country has an amendment to their constitution, and would this be a good idea for Arizona?

When there is extra revenue by TABOR, which is also known as "TABOR surplus", it will be refunded to taxpayers, unless voters approve a revenue change as an offset in a referendum.

Thoughts?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxpayer_Bill_of_Rights

[Hschlick84]

Anybody think Doug Ducey could get something like this to pass? How many signatures in AZ does it take for a bill to get on a ballot?

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Anybody think Doug Ducey could get something like this to pass? How many signatures in AZ does it take for a bill to get on a ballot?

It sounds appealing, and I'd probably be willing to support something like this, but it wouldn't go far enough. For instance: some of the proposed "taxpayer rights" legislation on a national Congressional level included giving taxpayers more of a voice when dealing with the IRS. The main problem is the mere existence of the IRS. If I and many other Libertarians had our way, we would eliminate the IRS completely, which would automatically provide relief to taxpayers ... and that would pretty much eliminate the need for a bill of rights.

Also, don't count on Ducey to support something like this. He's calling for increasing education spending at a time when we should be cutting public funding & turning many government functions over to the private sector. Some of the bozos in the Legislature care more about passing more gun bills than cutting spending. I'm a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, but Arizona already has some of the most lenient gun laws in the nation. We don't need to keep making firearms more of a political issue than what it already has become.

[observer53]

Governors don't push ballot initiatives (they may support them once someone else does the work). Some citizen's group is going to have to be the one pushing something like this, and raising the money and paying the bills.


Here's info on the process. https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governi...ess_in_Arizona

[Valley Native]

If anything, Arizona should be pushing to eliminate the state income tax. That alone would be a draw for more businesses to locate here. States like Washington, Nevada, and Texas have no income tax, and many business opportunities have bypassed Arizona & gone to those states. I'm sure there are other reasons for this, but taxes are still a huge factor.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

If anything, Arizona should be pushing to eliminate the state income tax. That alone would be a draw for more businesses to locate here. States like Washington, Nevada, and Texas have no income tax, and many business opportunities have bypassed Arizona & gone to those states. I'm sure there are other reasons for this, but taxes are still a huge factor.

I like that idea, similar to what Texas and Nevada have. The TABOR idea from Colorado should be the 2nd priority if removing state income taxes doesn't go through (I'm sure it could get passed).

[JGMotorsport64]

A 2/3 vote is already required for most State tax increases. They're being cut already, I don't think we'll ever need TABOR.

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

If anything, Arizona should be pushing to eliminate the state income tax. That alone would be a draw for more businesses to locate here. States like Washington, Nevada, and Texas have no income tax, and many business opportunities have bypassed Arizona & gone to those states. I'm sure there are other reasons for this, but taxes are still a huge factor.

I agree.

[locolobo13]

Didn't we already pass some such initiative back in the late 90s or early 00s? Didn't stop the state legislature from moving funds from one place to another a few years ago.

Or am I wrong?

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by locolobo13

Didn't we already pass some such initiative back in the late 90s or early 00s? Didn't stop the state legislature from moving funds from one place to another a few years ago.

Or am I wrong?

I'm doing more research to see if AZ has a TABOR amendment, I don't think it does.