Jeff Flake: “I rise today to support the tax limitation amendment. I come from the great State of Arizona where we have had similar…”

“I rise today to support the tax limitation amendment. I come from the great State of Arizona where we have had similar legislation as the law for the past 10 years. What we did not do that we should have is cut off the initiative route as we did, because when we want to raise taxes in Arizona, instead of going to the legislature, now it is done by initiative, that not withstanding this year, for the first year, because there is a lack of revenue. Finally, this is holding government spending in check. You see the trepidation on the part of the legislature to actually spend too much, because they would be forced to come back and raise taxes and realize they cannot do it because now it would require a two-thirds majority. It is great legislation. I am amused continually when we talk about how easy it is to cut taxes and how difficult it is to raise taxes, when history suggests otherwise. Over the past couple of decades, we have had numerous tax increases and just a couple of significant incidences of tax relief. Whenever we can do anything to actually put a lid on taxes, to actually cut taxes and make it more difficult to raise taxes, then we ought to do it. For the record, it was mentioned that if we are doing this, then we also ought to put a limitation on spending by making it more difficult to spend. I am in favor of that.”