The politicians talk about jobs. But most of the time that’s all it is: talk. And too often the only job they’re concerned about is theirs.
That’s no way to run a state and an impossible way to regain our trust.
I believe that our trust in state government can be restored when the legislature starts dealing with issues the way we would deal with them.
Here’s an example. Over the past 25 years the legislature has been throwing our tax money around trying to lure big companies and their jobs to Arizona.
Remember all those credit card processing centers? They didn’t last long and we were left with more people without jobs and large empty buildings paid for with our tax dollars.
For the most part tossing money at big corporations has been a failure. Why? Because if the legislators would just start listening to the heads of major corporations they’d find out that lowering taxes is NOT what the companies need. Corporate executives have been consistent all these years in telling Arizona that they need better-educated young people.
Got that? Better schools not bigger tax breaks.
INVEST IN EDUCATION
So instead of handing out millions of dollars to corporations that don’t want or need the money, let’s invest our tax money in our public schools and colleges.
And while we’re at it, lets make sure that our returning veterans get the education and training they need to re-enter the workforce. Our children deserve a good education and our veterans have earned one.
That will be a good start that most of us can support, I believe. But there’s another problem that we can fix. How many times have you heard a politician say something like “small businesses are where most of the job creation is taking place” as if they mean it?
SMALL BUSINESS HELP
But what are they doing to help small businesses?
Not much. Tax credits the legislature occasionally hands out aren’t doing very much if you ask real small business owners. Why? Because they’re being cut out of state and local contracts that are going to out-of-state companies. Business owners I talk to are rightfully furious about that. And so am I.
Our legislators should be ashamed of themselves for allowing a system that favors out-of-state business over our local businesses to continue. They can fix this immediately and simply by giving Arizona companies preference over companies that are out-of-state or out of the United States.
The legislature has known this for years. But they don’t do anything. Why they don’t really doesn’t matter anymore. We need action, not more talk.
That’s just another reason why I want to help out the legislature back on the right track.