Freedom Works Supports House Speaker Adams’ and Senate President Burns’ Stand Against Taxes in Arizona

FreedomWorks salutes Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams (R-Mesa) and Senate President Bob Burns (R-Peoria) for taking the lead in fighting proposed tax hikes in Arizona.

During the boom years, politicians could not resist expanding the size of Arizona’s government. Over last five years the state budget nearly doubled from $6.5 billion in 2004 to a projected $10.2 budget in 2009.  This growth in the budget has proven unsustainable as today Arizona faces a $3 billion budget deficit. 

Regrettably, many legislators are embracing new tax hikes to fill the budget gap.   As the Beacon Hill Institute found, the proposed tax hikes would cost 14,400 private sector jobs and would add $300 to the average household’s tax burden.   In short, these taxes would bailout big government on the back of working families and entrepreneurs.

House Speaker Adams and Senate President Burns have the right idea: cut the size of government. 

FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe commented: 

“Its easy for a legislature to spend money, but the job is not as much fun when you have to do the hard work and set priorities.   In hard economic times, Arizonans are forced to live within a smaller budget, government should do the same and adjust to economic realities.  It is ludicrous to think the government will continue to grow while the private sector shrinks.”

“FreedomWorks applauds House Speaker Adams and Senate President Burns for doing the hard work of setting budget priorities and cutting government.  Raising taxes will harm the state in the long run as business and individuals flee to lower tax locals.     House Speaker Adams and Senate President Burns understand the economy, have a long term vision, and are not looking for the easy way out of the budget mess through higher taxes.”