AFT Highlights May 2006 Events

NEWS & ANALYSIS

Arizona Federation of Taxpayers Highlights Top Events for May

April 29, 2006

The Arizona Federation of Taxpayers released the following list of top tax-related events for the month of May:

1) May Day—25 Years of Private Retirement Accounts in Chile! On May 1, 1981 Chile began allowing its workers to exit its bankrupt pay-as-you-go Social Security system and deposit 10 percent of their paychecks into private retirement accounts. The creation of private accounts has allowed millions of Chileans to escape dependence on the government for their retirement income, and the huge boost in savings and investment has helped to fuel Chile’s spectacular economic growth. Felicitaciones to former labor minister José Piñera, who conceived and managed the transition to private accounts. For more about the Chilean story, visit http://www.josepinera.com/icpr/pag/pag_pio.htm.

2) Jenney Speaks to Pima County Republican Club—Tues, May 2 Arizona Federation of Taxpayers executive director Tom Jenney will be speaking to the Pima County Republican Club at a noon luncheon at the Sabar Shrine, 450 S. Tucson Blvd. No reservation is necessary to attend, just show up at noon with $8 for the lunch.

3) Debate: Mesa City Property Tax—Tues, May 2 On Tuesday, May 2, beginning at 6:30 p.m., there will be a debate on the proposed Mesa property tax at the Sunland Village Auditorium, 4601 E. Dolphin Avenue (near Broadway and Greenfield). Panelists in favor of the new tax will be Mayor Keno Hawker and Vice Mayor Claudia Walters. Panelists against the new tax will be Council Member Janie Thom and Council Member Tom Rawles. The debate is open to the public, and there will be time for audience members to pose questions to the panelists.

4) Valley Conservative League Monthly Meeting—Tues, May 2 VoCaL is now meeting at the George & Dragon Pub at 4230 S. 48^th Street (48th Street & Broadway), May 2nd, 7:00 PM. Contact: Dan Grimm, dnjgrimm@aol.com, (480) 570-8570.

5) Art Laffer Speaks at Goldwater Luncheon—Wed., May 10 You can still get seats at the Goldwater Institute’s special luncheon featuring economist Art Laffer, the “Father of Supply-Side Economics.” Thirty years ago, Dr. Laffer’s theory that tax cuts would stimulate economic growth and increase tax revenue was considered unrealistic by many economists (What were they thinking?). Today, the inventor of the famous “Laffer Curve” is credited with sparking a worldwide tax cut movement, including California’s Proposition 13 property tax limitation initiative. The luncheon will be from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. at the Camelback Inn, 5402 East Lincoln Drive, in Scottsdale, AZ 85253. General admission is $35, student tickets are $25, a table for eight is $250, and a premier table for eight is $1,000. To reserve your seat, call (602) 712-1144.

6) Arizona PAChyderm Coalition Meeting—Wed, May 10 PAChyderm’s monthly dinner meeting will be at 6:15 p.m., May 10 at Q's Banquet Hall, 15440 N. 35th Avenue in Phoenix. The hall is located one block north of Greenway Road. Admission is $5 if reservations are made by 6 p.m., May 5. Tickets at the door are $8. RSVP to AzPatsFan@cox.net.

7) Leadership Institute Double-Header—Fri, May 12 and Sat, May 13 Speaking of the PAChyderm Coalition… PAChyderm is bringing the Leadership Institute, the leading conservative candidate and grassroots activist school in America, to Phoenix on May 13 to conduct LI’s activism workshop. The workshop is usually presented in Virginia and costs $100.00 tuition plus travel and lodging expenses. PAChyderm is presenting this workshop in Phoenix for only $50.00. The workshop will be conducted at Martin Luther School, 1830 W. Glenrosa in Phoenix, beginning at 8 a.m. and concluding at 6 p.m. Space is limited, so sign up now for this special opportunity. To sign up, or for more information, email Rarnakis@limail.us or call PAChyderm chair Milt Wheat at (602) 265-4958.

In addition, the Leadership Institute is offering a second workshop on Friday, May 12 at no additional cost. The second workshop is the debut of LI’s new “E-Campaign Workshop.” The May 12^th workshop is free to all who sign up for the Saturday workshop. Again, space is limited, so RSVP soon. Respond to this email and I’ll send you flyers for both of the workshops.

8) Arizona FairTax Volunteer Training Event—Sat, May 13 The Arizona FairTax team will be holding a special FairTax volunteer training and networking event on Scottsdale on May 13. Presenters and trainers from the FairTax office in Houston are flying in to show the latest FairTax campaign presentations, provide activists with new material, and report national progress. Greg Dutton and district directors will also be there to give an overview of their strategy and plans for Arizona. The workshop is being held at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort 7200 North Scottsdale Road, Phoenix, AZ. 85253. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.; the workshop starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m.

The training is free, but FairTax will accept donations to help cover the cost of break-time refreshments, a meal, all materials and conference room expenses. A contribution of $25 is suggested.

If you would like to be a part of this exciting opportunity please R.S.V.P. by e-mailing Megan at RSVPPAZ@fairtax.org or by calling 1-800-FAIRTAX ext. 9614. Don't forget to tell FairTax that you’re attending the Phoenix/Scottsdale workshop, and include your full name, telephone number, and e-mail address. A free meal will be provided so when you R.S.V.P. please tell them if you have any special dietary needs such as diabetic, vegetarian, or kosher.

9) Mesans—Vote NO on Tax Increases!—Tues, May 16 If you live in Mesa, this is your best chance in years to strike a blow for freedom and fiscal responsibility. Please get out there and vote against the proposed creation of a city property tax and against a hike in the city’s sales tax.

10) Scottsdale Voters—Vote NO on Prop 402—Tues, May 16 The City of Scottsdale is trying to figure out ways to avoid rebating millions of dollars of surplus tax money to the people who earned that money. Often, the city seeks to give handouts to developers. This time, the city is pushing Prop. 402, which would adjust the city’s spending limit so as to allow $79 million of the surplus to be spent. The City of Scottsdale has plenty of money—and wastes a lot of it. Please vote NO on May 16.

11) Tax AND Regulatory Freedom Day—Sat, May 20 It turns out that April 20^th was Arizona’s Tax Freedom Day for 2006, the day that the average Arizonan finally stopped working to pay taxes and started working to pay for his or her own life. However, Americans also work a great deal to pay for the burden of federal, state and local regulations. By some estimates, regulations cost America as much as 10 percent of GDP. Using rough estimates, the average Arizonan finishes working to pay for taxes AND regulations sometime around May 20… For more about Tax Freedom Day, visit the Tax Foundation website: http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxfreedomday/

12) Sen. Jon Kyl to be Honored at ATRA Luncheon—Wed, May 31 The Arizona Tax Research Association will be holding its Taxpayer Watchdog Luncheon, honoring U.S. Senator Jon Kyl, on Wednesday, May 31, beginning at 11:30 a.m., at the Phoenix Country Club. Individual seats are $150, and tables are available. For more information, contact ATRA at (602) 253-9121.

13) Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity--Fri, June 2 That will be the subject of John Stossel’s talk at the June 2^nd Goldwater Institute luncheon at the Ritz Carlton. Here’s Goldwater’s pitch for the event:

Known for taking a skeptical look at a wide variety of issues, John Stossel’s ABC News reports often evoke strong reactions from empathizers and critics alike. In a recent 20/20 Special Report, “Stupid in America,” Stossel asks: Is the government monopoly over public education in America cheating children out of a quality education?

Please join us as media maverick and award-winning ABC News correspondent and anchor, John Stossel, discusses findings from his new book Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity: Get out the Shovel-Why Everything You Know is Wrong. In his luncheon address, Stossel will focus on common misperceptions of American public education, while using an investigative “shovel” to reveal truth behind the myths.

Called “one of the most tenacious, insightful reporters of all time,” John Stossel has received 19 Emmy Awards and has been recognized for excellence in consumer reporting five times by the National Press Club. Previously a consumer editor at Good Morning America, Stossel is a graduate of Princeton University.

Cost: $25 student, $35 general, $325 table of ten, $1,000 premiere table of ten.

To register: email rsvp@goldwaterinstitute.org, call (602) 712-1144, or visit www.goldwaterinstitute.org. Media please call Starlee Rhoades at (602) 462-5000

14) RSVP for the Arizona Economic Forum—Thurs, June 22 to Sat, June 24 If you’re a policy wonk or a political junkie, one of the best gigs of the year is the Arizona Economic Forum, held at the Little America hotel in Flagstaff. It’s also a great way to escape the heat for a couple of days, while stimulating the old noggin (their slogan is “Hot Topics, Cool Pines”). This year’s forum will feature panels on immigration policy, eminent domain, and forest conservation. To register, or to learn more, visit www.ArizonaEconomicForum.org or call (602) 943-4333.