Prop 302: First Things First Fund Sweep

I am 50.01% supportive, I barely encourage a YES vote, holding my nose the whole time.

What it does
o Moves money from the Early Childhood Health and Development Board Fund (First Things First fund) into the general fund
o Eliminates the Early Childhood Development and Health Board as of December 1
o Permanently redirects the 80 cent tax into the general fund
o Designates that money for health and human services for children.
o Prop 203 (which I opposed) won 53.2 to 46.8 in 2006.
o $345 million in this fund currently.
o Tried to take $7 million. Lawsuit prevented it.
o Brewer wanted a loan of $300 million, which was offered, but thwarted by lawmakers.

For
o The programs this serves are too narrow given our current funding crisis.
o How much do these programs really accomplish anyhow?
o Everyone else is cutting, we have to as well.
o The agency hasn’t done so well anyhow, look how much excess fundage they have even only functioning for 4 years.
o Supporters
--Republican lawmakers,
--The Arizona Tax Research Association,
--The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Against
o Ruins First Things First
o Early brain development is essential.
o Betrays voter trust and violates the will of the people. (The will of the people changes very easily. Not obligated to keep it just because had it in the past)
o The root of our budgetary crisis isn’t the existence of this tax, so why should this tax be redirected to solve a problem it didn’t create.
o Still won’t solve the deficit entirely.
o Opponents
--Arizona chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics,
-- Children's Action Alliance,
--St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center,
--Arizona Public Service Co.,
--former governors Raul Castro and Rose Mofford,
--various United Way programs around the state.

My thoughts
o This is a permanent sweep. I’d be more likely to favor a one-time sweep.
o Casinos for education. No, casinos raise revenue which then just displaces money into something else.
o If money spent on early development is so crucial, it seems we should take some from that spent on older kids and move it down the age scale.
o This is exactly why I hate ballot propositions by mere majority vote. You can barely get them in (with a new tax) and then just a bare majority can completely change it later.
o I will never again vote for a separate funding scheme!
o The legislature should have given us three options:
--As is 302: Permanent sweep of surplus and tax, end the board.
--303: One time sweep, continue as before afterward.
--304: One time sweep, end the tax and the board.