Did You Know?

Do you know the definition of insanity? I’ll tell you at the end of this article.

Many people, especially young people, have given up on the American Dream. You know the Dream – a home of your own, a spouse, a couple of kids, a dog, maybe a cat, near a good school in a safe neighborhood. That dream doesn’t exist for so many people today, because even if they work hard, it’s still out of reach.

In Arizona, approximately two out of every thousand households owns wealth over $30 million, which is regarded as “extreme wealth.” While the top five percent of households “earn” nearly $500,000 per year, the median middle class household earns about $81,000 per year, and working class households exist on less than $20,000 per year. (Arizona Center for Economic Progress) That’s quite a gap. That gap in wealth and income is growing in Arizona, and it’s not good for individuals or the long-run health of the economy.

As the rich get richer and the middle and working class struggle just to maintain, restaurants and other small businesses in our neighborhoods also struggle to stay open. That’s only one example of how the wealth gap hurts Arizonans.

The Republican-controlled Arizona legislature passed a flat state income tax law that significantly lowers taxes for those with extreme wealth but has little positive effect on the working and middle class households. That increased the gap in wealth, allowing rich people to keep more money and avoid paying their fair share. If the graduated tax was put back in place, it would provide money to restore funding to schools, healthcare, and other services that help Arizonans who are in need.

So what is the definition of insanity? It’s doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different outcome. If we want some different outcomes – outcomes that will help ordinary working families and retirees – we must stop the insanity. We need to elect legislators who will pass worthwhile laws, not for the extremely wealthy but for the rest of us. Please vote to re-elect Kevin Volk, State Representative; elect Holly Lyon, candidate for the second State Representative seat; and elect Edgar Soto candidate for State Senator.

Marian Hill