Initiative and Referendum

Arizona -Proposition 200

Would require all Arizonian seeking public benefits to prove they are legal citizens. Seeks to combat voter fraud and cut social services for undocumented immigrants.

ATR IS AGAINST PROPOSITION 200: In addition to privacy concerns, the impact of the initiative will be to increase the cost of state government requiring future tax hikes. A state government analysis found that $20 million per year is needed to cover the basic costs of verifying the immigration papers of individuals seeking public benefits. The potential costs to taxpayers include almost $11 million for the Department of Envioronmental Quality to verify citizenship at car emission statios and another $8 million for the Department of Public Safety to conduct background checks for traffic accident investigations and arrests.

Articles

Advocacy Groups

No on 200: Arizonans for Real Immigration Reform
P.O. Box 36574
Phoenix , AZ 85067-6574
Phone: (602) 443-4787
Website: http://www.noon200.com/

California -Proposition 63

Prop. 63 will create a surcharge on state personal income taxes for taxpayers with annual taxable incomes of more than $1 million to finance an expansion of county mental health programs.

Jeff Griffin, executive Director of The Citizens commission on Human rights of Los Angeles, following a thorough study of the measure stated, “This initiative is so cleverly written that it obfuscates the truth about what it actually is… For example, it may seem that it is a tax on the rich only. Actually it is going to set in motion probable taxes for all of us in the next two years, and this in a time when balancing the budget without tax increases is on the minds of everyone." This is a volatile tax driven by economic cycles and will most certainly increase the tax burden of the middle class.

Articles

Advocacy Groups

Citizens for a Healthy California
400 Capitol Mall, Suite 1560
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 491-1726
Email: chcinfo@matsonian.com
Website: http://www.matsonian.com/chc/

California -Proposition 67

The measure will increase the telephone tax 400% with less than 1% of the revenue directed towards the 911 system. Without provisions to dedicate the 60% that private hospitals receive to rescuing emergency rooms, the for-profit hospitals will not be required to improve emergency care.

ATR IS AGAINST PROPOSITION 67: According to the analysis of “The 911 Emergency and Trauma Care Act”, Legislative Analyst’s Office Report, only .75% of the increased phone tax would actually be used for the 911 system. In comparison, 3.75% would go to the Firefighter’s Union, 5% would go to Community Clinics, and the remaining 90.5% would be added to the coffers of hospitals and doctors.

Articles

Advocacy Groups

No on 67-Californians to Stop the Phone Tax
1606 Stockton Street, #302
San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: (916) 930-0688
Website: http://www.stopthephonetax.com

California -Proposition 72

The measure will uphold a California law requiring employers to provide health insurance to workers or pay into a state fund that would provide it. Employers would be forced to pay an estimated $5.7 billion in new taxes.

ATR IS AGAINST PROPOSITION 72: In a June 2004 economic study, the “[Health Insurance Act] is a very costly multi-billion dollar program for California businesses and employees. Overall, considering uninsured coverage, low-income worker coverage, and presumed tax savings, [health insurance act] bottom-line cost when fully implemented in 2007 will be $7 billion. Businesses will pay the lion’s share: $5.3 billion. Employees will pay an additional $1.7 billion.”

Articles

Advocacy Groups

Californians Against Government Run Health Care
1215 K Street, Suite 2100, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 443.3354
Email: info@noprop72.org
Website: www.stopthehealthtax.org

Florida - Amendment #5

This amendment will determine whether the state will increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 per hour. This proposed increase would present a minimum wage almost 20 percent in excess of what is required under federal law.

ATR IS AGAINST AMENDMENT #5: According to a study conducted by Dr. David Macpherson of Florida State University, a large fraction of workers affected by higher minimum wages are 24 or younger and are less likely to be supporting a family than the typical Florida worker. Macpherson’s study concludes that “an important effect of the minimum wage increase is that some workers will lose their jobs because it will no longer be profitable for firms to employ them.”

Articles

Advocacy Groups

Florida Restaurant Association
230 South Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: (850) 224-2250 or Toll-Free 888.372.9119
Fax: (850) 224.9213
Email: info@flra.com

Nevada - Ballot Question #6

Ballot Question #6 on Nevada’s November ballot will determine whether the state will increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 per hour. This proposed increase would present a minimum wage almost 20 percent in excess of what is required under federal law.

ATR IS AGAINST BALLOT QUESTION #6: Thomas McCurdy and Frank McIntyre of Stanford University ascertained in a 2000 study that “…three in four of the poorest workers lose from shouldering the costs of higher prices resulting from the wage increase. When these benefits and costs are considered, the minimum wage is ineffective as an anti-poverty policy.”

Articles

Advocacy Groups

Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce
3720 Howard Hughes Parkway
Las Vegas, NV USA 89109-0937
Phone: (702) 735-1616
Fax: (702) 735-2011
Website: http://www.lvchamber.com/government/ballot_questions_2004.htm

Oklahoma - Question 713

The measure will increase the current 23-cent cigarette tax by a net of 55 cents per pack. This will place Oklahoma significantly closer to the national average of 79.2 cents per pack.

ATR IS AGAINST QUESTION 713 : Excise tax increases are regressive in nature impacting the lower-income citizens of the state. An increase in the tobacco tax draws money out of state and local private economies, forcing reductions in the retail sector’s workforce. Most importantly, governments on the state and local level will be forced to raise the sales tax on staple items such as food and clothing in order to make up for lost revenue. One tax increase will inevitably lead to another in the future.

Articles

Advocacy Groups

Vote No on State Question 713 Committee
Contact: Chris Lowther

Washington - Initiative 884

Initiative 884 or I-884 will increase the state sales tax by 15 percent, raising the rate from 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent. In a number of cities, the total sales tax rate could become as high as 10 percent when combined with local sales taxes.

ATR IS AGAINST Initiative 884 : An economic model was developed by the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University in conjunction with the Washington Policy Center which showed that approximately 10,000 would be lost in the state. In addition, the retail sector would face huge decline and disposable income would be decreased by an average of $115 per resident. Furthermore, Washington residents with the lowest incomes will be forced to pay an additional 0.8% of their income in taxes.

Articles

Advocacy Groups

League of Freedom Voters
P.O. Box 8030
Lacey, WA 98509
Phone: (360) 456-1634
Contact: Jamie Daniels
Website: www.freedomvoter.com

If you have any questions concerning the content of this page or ATR's position on a particular ballot measure, please contact us at friends@atr.org.