Arizona Governor Jane Hull doesn’t think the average voter is quite up to real decision-making. So she’s pushing efforts to thwart citizen initiatives by doubling the number of petition signatures voters must collect to get a vote on an issue. Her view is simple: the legislature and the governor are pros who can do all this better than us.
Politicians are so smart that we just can’t live without them. But then oops! … we get a little peek at their handiwork, and up in a puff of smoke goes that particular fatal conceit. Governor Hull is blaming the legislature for one of the biggest, stupidest blunders SHE ever signed into law. See, these geniuses offered to pay make the taxpayers pay half the cost of a new car if the vehicle is rigged to run on both regular gas and propane or natural gas. No requirement that the car use the alternative fuel. And Arizona taxpayers must also subsidize luxury items like leather seats and CD players. So, the program costs a whopping $420 million a full seven percent of the state’s budget and is having zero impact on smog, according to environmentalists.
Don’t worry, Governor Hull, help is on the way. Arizona’s term limits law will now bring fresh faces and real world experience into state government to replace that insufferable know-it-all attitude. Term limits were brought by citizen initiative. Blowing over $420 million was the work of experienced politicians, working overtime.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
1 reply on “Oops in Arizona”
Given the plunge in oil prices to start 2015, I have to believe that alternative fuels (bio, e85, hybrids, battery, solar, etc) are all dropping off the radar in terms of focus and funding. Oil won’t stay cheap forever, but if prices stay low for awhile, like a year or so, R&D on alt fuels and battery technology will be limited unfortunately.