Education Funding Initiative Trying to Tax Arizona’s Wealthy

Organizers of a ballot measure to generate $690-million a year for education are defending their plan to have all of that new money paid for by what essentially would be the top 1-percent of Arizona wage earners. According to the organizers of the measure, “the Invest in Education Act gives Arizona voters the chance to fix our teacher shortage and class size crisis and to ensure a dedicated funding source the politicians can’t touch.”

Dana Naimark, President of the Children’s Action Alliance, acknowledged that the plan for an income tax surcharge would affect only individuals making more than $250,000 a year and couples with earnings above $500,000.

In fact, the proposed new tax rates would be even higher for single filers in the $500,000-plus range and married couples with incomes exceeding $1-million a year.

Reverend Stephanie Hamilton of St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Tucson had a simpler explanation and why she sees nothing wrong with the proposal. She said, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

Organizers of the ballot measure have been collecting signatures across the state at various functions. A representative of Arizona’s #RedforEd movement was collecting signatures of registered voters at the first Graham Blues Festival, celebrated on June 2nd.

Organizers said that they need approximately 150,642 Arizona signatures to get the measure on this year’s mid-term ballot.

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