The only thing Rep. Kavanagh is right about in his crusade on the state’s working class is that Arizona universities provide an excellent education at a reasonable cost. Yet even at its current rate, higher education is still unattainable to many in this great state.
What the representative fails to understand is that in Arizona’s tax system is regressive, with sales and excise taxes 42 percent higher than the national average. This means lower income earners pay more state and local taxes than the wealthiest in our state. We all know public universities are partially funded by the state, which is why tuition is lower for in-state students. What this bill will mean is that the state will turn away low-income students who cannot afford the new $2,000 education tax, while still forcing their parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, cousins and friends to continue to pay high state and local taxes that support higher education for wealthy families who can already afford an education.
Many companies in Arizona, including Intel and Honeywell, all hire workers from overseas because there are not enough educated people in our state. HB2675, or the Education Tax, would further slow an already struggling Arizona economy by forcing businesses to go elsewhere for skilled workers and would be a huge transfer of wealth from poor citizens to subsidize the education for the rich. That is just plain bad for Arizona.
Please call Representative John Kavanagh at (602) 926-5170, who represents one of the wealthiest districts in the state, and tell him to focus on jobs instead of his pet project to steal from the working class and give his rich friends a free ride.
Daniel Hatch
Political science senior
Former USGW President
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