Gov. Doug Ducey's stacked Arizona Supreme Court comes through for the rich again
Opinion: Voters trying to stop a huge tax break for the rich collected more than 215,000 signatures. Gov. Doug Ducey only needed a few Arizona Supreme Court justices to beat them.
EJ Montini
Gov. Doug Ducey has known for quite some time that his efforts to destroy public education and provide whopping tax breaks for his wealthiest pals didn’t go over well with most Arizona voters.
So he found a way to bypass them.
That is to say – bypass you.
He simply stacked the Arizona Supreme Court, expanding it to seven judges and, over time, appointing six of them, a friendly little flock of judicial sheep for him to shepherd.
When the Republican-controlled Legislature decided to pass a sham of a flat tax, a boondoggle worth billions in savings for Arizona’s wealthiest individuals, while most of the rest of the states taxpayers get chump change, citizens revolted.
When fewer than 7 defeats 215,000
This plan, like the other attacks on working people and educators staged by Ducey and the GOP cabal, didn’t go over very will with ordinary folks.
As a result, citizens got together and collected petition signatures that would put the tax giveaway on the ballot. More than 215,000 signatures were collected.
It didn’t matter.
All it took to defeat those 215,000 voters was a majority of the state Supreme Court’s seven judges.
Which, from the start, was in the bag.
Ducey’s lil’ lambs on the court ruled on Thursday that voters would NOT get a chance to decide the flat tax issue, saying the decision by the Legislature couldn’t be challenged because it was for the “support and maintenance” of state government.
Do the rich really need protecting?
Then again, there may not be much state government left after the flat tax kicks in.
According to estimates, Arizonans making about $62,000 a year will see tax savings of $42. Taxpayers earning less may save as little as $11.
Meantime, those with incomes of $500,000 will save $10,000.
Make a million? Save $45,000.
The state is set to lose billions.
You see how it works.
That’s why the Children’s Action Alliance and The Arizona Center for Economic Progress, who were part of the coalition to put the issue on the ballot, issued a statement on Thursday saying, “Today’s Supreme Court decision makes one thing crystal clear: Arizona’s highest court is stripping the rights of everyday Arizonans, in an attempt to protect the rich.”
Yeah, and they’re doing a damn good job.
Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.
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