A Prescott City Council member claimed in her presentation last week supporting the proposed new sales tax that the opposition group No to 478 is “obstinate” and “has a website using dark money”.
She further said they have misrepresented the sales tax estimate. She was clearly uncomfortable not knowing who her opposition is. However, the No to Prop. 478 coalition says they have a good reason for anonymity, and it’s supported by our country’s Founders.
Sharing Concerns- Background
Some local businesspeople and citizens had concerns about Prop. 478, and have decided more work was needed. Even without the resources or the political power and influence to get attention, their message has gotten the attention of other voters and they’ve responded. At least two other independent local groups of voters have decided to oppose Prop. 478. The No to Prop. 478 group has stayed anonymous because in the past anyone not supporting our local political groups were vilified, belittled, and, worse, threatened for expressing an opinion. Hatred is non-partisan.
No to 478 and the Federalist Papers
No to 478 copied a page out of history and took their concerns directly to the voters. The cover of anonymity gave their concerns a spotlight without judgment. The reasons for their anonymity mirror our Founders when they argued the structure of our government in The Federalist Papers. The reasons:
- Protection from backlash
- Objectivity and detachment
- Unity and consistency of the arguments
- Emphasis on ideas not the authors
The No to Prop 478 Group Follows the Law
The Arizona Secretary of State, who regulates Political Action Committees (PAC’s) states on their website that according to Arizona law, a PAC must be formed when expenses for a campaign reach $1400. No to Prop 478 has abided by that law and will continue to do so. They also ask that the opposition respect their desire to remain anonymous, as our Founder’s did, and to support our First Amendment right to disagree. $1400 is hardly some nefarious deep pockets, dark money conspiracy.
A Simple Message
The No to Prop 478 opposition says that a sales tax is regressive. It hurts lower income seniors, veterans and families the hardest. There’s no good way to accurately estimate the impact per household since payer’s needs are different and are heavily impacted by taxes on expensive large items such as appliances. Typically, Police and Fire are funded separately which takes into account the differences in the nature of the work they do. It also takes into consideration capital improvements verses ongoing expenses. There’s time to adjust the funding mechanisms used to support our valued Fire and Police and the fear-mongering messaging must stop.
Again, the No to Prop 478 coalition supports our City Council in their efforts. They strongly advocate for law enforcement and public safety. That’s another reason to get the funding right. They thank the council for listening to their concerns and addressing some of them. They support the changes so far, but they don’t go far enough.
Visit https://noto478.com/ for more information
2 thoughts on “An Opposition Coalition of Prescott Small Business Owners and Citizens have been Unfairly Attacked in Violation of their First Amendment Rights”
Sales taxes ARE regressive. Food and necessities are most impacted by our near 10% tax and 2.5% (?) even on basic meat and vegetables. A bill was shot down in the AZ legislature that would have eliminated the sales tax on food. I believe there are 4-5 municipalities that exempt food from this tax. While that is not THE issue in Prescott it is just another view that 4-5 other towns-cities in Arizona has also dealt with. Maybe privatizing the refuse department would save millions? Prescott Valley does not have a trash collection department. Same for janitorial services. Road repair and snow removal? Bidding out rather than the burden of benefits, pensions and government salaries would be less costly.
Tough times have been brought down on all of us by the Biden-Harris administration. Everything is 20-30% higher and almost everything is taxed. That means a much higher tax to government without a rate increase. Find a solution Prescott.
Read the ordnance as written. It never goes away. It is being sold as a safety issue. It takes more than 2 years to get a new police officer. The Prescott police wanted to hire 20 officers. They got 8 applicants and no guarantee that an of them will qualify. Building new police and fire stations is not the answer. How about Yavapai College installing a police training track?
Related Articles
Tax Happy In Prescott – David Stringer, General Counsel for the Citizens Tax Committee
Private Citizens Who Support Police & Fire Unite to Encourage “NO on 478”
Recent Articles
Opinion: Why Trump Won – Ben Shapiro
New DNA evidence rewrites long-told stories of people in ancient Pompeii – Associated Press
Donald Trump’s transition starts now. Here’s how it will work – Associated Press
Trump’s return to White House sets stage for far-reaching immigration crackdown – Associated Press
Janeen Trevillyan is the 2023 Recipient of the Sharlot Hall Award
Arizona joins half a dozen states rejecting ranked choice voting – The Center Square
Back to Home Page