Ballot Issues Test Anti-Tax Mood

From USAToday.com:

The nation's fervor against taxing and spending will be tested beginning Tuesday in a series of state and local ballot measures seeking major tax hikes to preserve government services.

The ballot issues are making for odd alliances and potential election surprises. Some places friendly to the anti-tax "Tea Party" movement appear ready to raise taxes while opposition to public employee labor contracts is gaining strength in traditional union strongholds.

On May 18, Arizona will decide the biggest and most important measure: a 1-cent sales tax hike for three years that will lift the state's rate to 6.6% and the rate for Phoenix to 9.3%, one of the nation's highest.

The tax increase has no significant organized opposition and is leading in polls. The pro-tax sentiment comes in a state known for conservative politics, including a tough new crackdown on illegal immigration.

On Tackling Debt: Some Say 'Just Do It’

There is certainly no easy fix to the government’s massive debt. However, some Senators are saying that Congress is not making any progress in fixing the problem, and that “business as usual” is not working. Senator Evan Bayh (D-Indiana) has proposed that a special commission be created to force Congress to fix the budget deficit.

"Congress is not willing to take short-term pain for long-term pain," Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) told a Senate Budget Committee hearing Tuesday.

"Pain" in this context is defined as Congress enacting spending cuts and tax increases across the board to rein in the nation's massive debt load.

And the country's long-term debt load is massive: The interest on it alone could total $4.8 trillion between 2010 and 2019.

The proposed solution: "Institutional insurrection," as Sen. Bayh put it. "Business as usual in Washington is not going to solve the problem."

Specifically, Bayh and others are proposing the creation of a bipartisan commission that would come up with ways to cut the deficit and then propose legislation on which lawmakers would vote "yes" or "no." Period.

Continue reading at CNN.com…

Burns: Don't Let Voters Decide On Tax Hike

From MSNBC.com:

The top Senate Republican is shying away from putting two measures on a special ballot this spring, at least in part because he fears voters will not decide the issues the way he wants.

Senate President Bob Burns, R-Peoria, said Monday he has a "gut feeling" that a proposal for a temporary tax hike would turn into a one-sided campaign, with his personal position against the increase on the losing side. Burns said he believes that every group that hopes to get money from the taxes would pull out all the stops - and spend whatever it takes - to get it approved.

Burns also is balking at putting any plan to let lawmakers tinker with measures previously approved by voters on the same ballot, for the same reason: It might actually fail, which he does not want.

That position makes it murky, at best, whether lawmakers will agree to the calls made last week by Gov. Jan Brewer for a special election on both issues as a way to deal with the fact that state tax collections continue to run far below expenses.

Brewer also asked lawmakers to cut $1 billion in spending next year - with no specifics on which programs should be pared or eliminated - and said the state should expect another $1 billion in federal stimulus aid.

But the governor said that won't be enough to deal with an anticipated $3 billion deficit. So she asked lawmakers to raise an extra $1 billion a year for up to three years in new taxes.

The governor said lawmakers are free to do that themselves. But Burns said there isn't the necessary two-thirds margin in the House and Senate to do that.

Putting it on the ballot takes only a simple majority.