PCDP and Arizona Democratic Party STRONGLY support Proposition 208 –Invest in Ed. We urge you to do the same.
The Arizona legislature has HISTORICALLY underfunded education, resulting in crisis-level teacher shortages. When the legislature fails to act, initiatives are our only recourse. (Over 400,000) NEARLY HALF A MILLION Arizonans signed petitions to get this initiative on the ballot.
Why?
- Average class sizes in AZ are at record highs.
- Our counselor to student ratio is the worst in the country.
- AZ’s per-pupil funding is one of the lowest in the nation and remains lower than it was before the 2008 recession. AZ spends $800 million less on education than it did a decade ago.
- There were more than 1,800 unfilled teaching positions at the start of the 2019-2020 school year. Teaching in AZ is simply not a career many people can afford.
Prop 208, if passed, is expected to raise $827 million in revenue in the first full year of implementation.
It will impose a 3.5% income tax surcharge on taxable individual income over:
- $250,000 for a single person or a married person filing separately.
- $500,000 for a married couple or a single person who is head of a household.
If you and your spouse earn between $1 and $500,000 in combined (personal) TAXABLE income, you will pay no extra taxes. If you and your spouse earn $501,000 in combined (personal) TAXABLE income, your additional tax burden will be $35 (3.5% of $1,000).
(Note: taxable income is not gross or adjusted gross income. It’s what you are taxed on in AZ after all exemptions and deductions and is often 2/3 or 1/2 of gross, especially if you’re wealthy with lots of write offs.)