Did You Know?

Did you know lingerie, ballrooms, public schools, the IRS, diamonds, data centers, billion-dollar “slush funds,” and taxpayers all have something in common?  They are all tied together in a net of government corruption at the very highest levels.  From the well-worn hallways of Arizona public schools to the shiny marble hallways in our nation’s Capitol, the public institutions we rely on are being attacked by increasing abuse of power.

While ordinary working people struggle to cope with $5 a gallon gasoline, Republicans have proposed spending $1 Billion taxpayer dollars to finish a ballroom - never authorized by Congress - that President Trump said would be paid for with private money.  The excuse is security needs, but requiring bullet-proof glass and the like means it will be used to complete the ballroom. 

While the Arizona public school system struggles to stretch too few dollars to educate our children, over a Billion taxpayer dollars are being doled out in vouchers.  Voucher use has lax oversight, and abuse of the system has resulted in purchases of diamonds, lingerie, and other expenditures not related to education. Although they receive our taxpayer dollars, private and home schools don’t have to meet the same stringent child safety or measurable skills outcomes as public schools.

While ordinary workers are turning to credit cards to meet the higher cost of electricity and groceries, the President is planning to settle his absurd personal $10 Billion lawsuit against the IRS for “only” $1.7 Billion – to be put in a slush fund directed by him personally.  Because the Department of Justice is controlled by the President, he is essentially settling with himself with no oversight and at great taxpayer expense.

A Billion dollars is such a big number, we can’t fathom it, but we are the people paying Billions of our hard-earned money for these corrupt schemes.  And we are the people who can stop the corruption.  We stop it by voting out corrupt politicians who only care about tax breaks and corrupt contracts for the wealthy while lining their own pockets. We stop it by voting for candidates with integrity - candidates whose policies favor equal treatment and opportunity for everyone and will vote accordingly.  We stop it by voting in Democratic candidates, at every level, who are serious about their oath to the Constitution and the people they represent.

Marian Hill