Posts
Jeff Rogers, Chair
September 17, 2009
The Pima County Democratic Party opposes Proposition 200 -- a fiscally irresponsible quarter-billion-dollar unfunded mandate that would raise taxes and slash money for kids, families, seniors and neighborhoods.
Prop 200 would cost the city $150 million over five years and Pima County $110 million at a time when revenues are collapsing. It's a spending spree and the Republicans behind it have two ways to pay for it: Force a tax hike on families; and gut every program that helps kids, cuts families a break and improves the quality of life of seniors.
When the growth lobby began crafting this initiative, the city spent just over half the city general fund on public safety. After deep cuts to other programs, public safety now accounts for nearly two thirds of general fund spending. Simply to protect current staffing levels next year, public safety would swallow nearly three quarters of available money.
And Prop 200 backers still say the city has not made public safety a priority. Despite the fact that cuts to TPD and TFD have been dramatically less than the cuts made to all other departments within the city. And the cuts that they have had to make have not been to personnel. Simply put: this council puts public safety first.
If Prop 200 is approved, the City Council would have to raise regressive sales taxes to continue paying for parks, after-school programs, transit and help for non-profits giving a hand to struggling families. The Pima County Board of Supervisors would have to raise property taxes to pay for more prosecut ors and expand a jail already teaming with petty drug offenders.
Prop 200 threatens to:
- Wipe out after school programs that keep kids safe and off the streets;
- Lay off more than 300 city employees;
- Strand the disabled in their homes with the elimination of Van Tran;
- Make permanent a temporary city moratorium on fixing neighborhood streets;
- Raise taxes on people who can least afford it.
"This is a wild spending spree we can't afford in this economy," said Pima County Democratic Party Chairman Jeff Rogers. "Tucson families understand this as they try to balance their checkbooks. The last thing they are doing is spending money they don't have."
Crime rates have fallen over the last 14 years, while class sizes have risen, the poverty rate is climbing and our neighborhood streets continue to suffer wear and tear. The Tucson City Council has made public safety the top priority but there's more work to be done.
"A city as diverse as Tucson should be able to afford more than one priority," Rogers said. "We can responsibly keep Tucson safe without slashing help for Tucson kids, families and seniors."
Speaking at a public forum earlier in the week, City Manager Mike Letcher described the impact of Prop 200 on our community as “very catastrophic.” We agree and urge voters to oppose this growth lobby gimmick.
