Thursday, December 3, 2009

Az Gov Race: Trouble Brewing

Posted by Jim Nintzel on Thu, Dec 3, 2009 at 3:04 PM

Gov. Jan Brewer's fellow Republicans are hammering away at her this week.

Yesterday, Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker filed the paperwork for a political committee to oppose a sales-tax hike. (Kudos to Howie for noting the Clean Elections wrinkle that Parker's committee raises.)

Parker's move here strikes us as a bit of a stunt, since Brewer hasn't even been able to persuade lawmakers to put the question of a temporary sales-tax hike on the ballot. But it does nicely illustrate the political dynamics that will emerge if voters are asked to approve such an increase at the ballot in November. Every candidate will have to be for it or against it and it will cast a heavy shadow over many of the races.

It's little wonder that Brewer wanted a special election well before November 2010. Of course, it would help to have some revenue to pay the bills, too.

Today, Attorney John Munger blasted Brewer because she didn't speak out against the payday-loan sharks who have now hired some of her best friends to come up with a plan to keep the industry alive in Arizona.

Munger's statement:

Last year, Arizona voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot initiative that would have allowed the so-called payday loan industry to continue operating in our state after 2010 — and for good reason. These mostly out-of-state companies prey on our most vulnerable citizens with tempting offers of fast cash barbed with crippling triple-digit interest rates.

Apparently, these legalized loan sharks didn’t get the message. This is not a partisan issue. It’s a moral issue. I call on the Governor to show real leadership and reject this underhanded attempt to subvert the will of the people from last election and to stand up against government-condoned loan sharking in Arizona.

BTW: Should it worry us that Munger's team misspelled "Tucson" in the press release?


PAID FOR BY MUNGER FOR GOVERNOR
333 N. Wilmot Road, Suite 340
Tuscon, AZ 85711

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Curiosity:
Is sales tax normally "sales-tax", with a hyphen? No dig intended, it's just that my newsroom always uses it with no hyphen. I'm mixed on the idea but have never seen it in popular media with a hyphen before.
What's your style and how did you arrive at that preference? I can see benefits and negatives to both styles.

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Posted by IPH on 12/07/2009 at 12:11 AM

In this case, it's a compound modifier of "hike." Otherwise, I wouldn't use the hyphen. Editors, feel free to weigh in.

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Posted by Nintz on 12/07/2009 at 9:12 AM

A "bit of a stunt?" That is quite the understatement. It is about as naked, crass, and ultimately shallow as a "stunt" can get.

At least you acknowledged the phoniness of the thing. The capitol press corps in Phoenix will probably praise this as a "bold political move," and ignore the complete meaninglessness of the gesture.

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Posted by Tom Prezelski on 12/07/2009 at 11:38 AM

Red Star sez Tucson Weekly Number Second-ranked Top Commenter Jim Nintzel is on fairly safe ground in claiming "sales-tax" as a compound modifier in his application (above). Consider:

Wild-goose chase (not "wild goose chase", a goose chase that was wild)

Now, when will Tucson enact a seasonal sales tax?

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Posted by Red Star on 12/07/2009 at 3:16 PM
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