The company that Mayor Dewey Bartlett wants to hire to collect Tulsa's city sales tax seems to receive generally good marks in at least two states where it does business, although some taxpayers complain that it is too aggressive and others don't like the idea of a private company having access to businesses' financial records.


"Nothing we've seen looked like they've done anything wrong or unprofessional in any way," said Jeff Kros, legislative director of the Arizona League of Cities and Towns, about Revenue Discovery Systems of Birmingham, Ala.

One thing is clear: the picture today would look worse if last summer's bankruptcy had sent the Coyotes to Canada.


Glendale could have lost out on $12 million in back fees owed by the team and eventually paid by the National Hockey League if the Coyotes had moved. The city's debt payments on Jobing.com Arena wouldn't have stopped. Service cuts to residents might have been deeper; city layoffs could have escalated.

Not long ago, a government job meant almost rock-solid job security, generous benefits, and spending an entire career with one agency, city or school district.


In the post-recession job market, that's not guaranteed. In Arizona, government workers at almost every level, from park rangers to office workers to street-repair crews, face a different reality.

The La Paz County Supervisors met July 26 with representatives from the Arizona Tax Research Association to discuss the county’s financial state and the fiscal year 2011-12 budget. ATRA Vice President Jennifer Stielow and tax analyst Ben Nowicki had questions regarding some aspects of the budget.

It is, we are told, a "balanced regional approach." A "rare opportunity."


I don't know about you, but whenever the power set tells me I have a "rare opportunity" I reach for my wallet - mostly to see if it's still there.


It seems our leaders approach the public pocketbook as a starving man approaches an all-you-can-eat buffet.


Actually, I understand that cravings for cash gnaw at the stomach of every self-respecting politician. But I wonder if we will ever satisfy their appetite for our money.

Congratulations to U.S. Sen. John McCain, who was presented with the Watchdog Award this week by the Arizona Tax Research Association.


Arizona Republic columnist Robert Robb presented the award in recognition of McCain's "no-holds-barred fight against pork and wasteful spending."

McCain said, "Fighting wasteful spending in Washington is often a very lonely battle, so your recognition and support mean a great deal to me."

ATRA President Kevin McCarthy cited McCain's "diligent opposition to the wasteful and frivolous spending of taxpayers' dollars."

More than 200,000 teachers and university, state and local employees are going to see their latest pay hikes wiped out with a 50 percent hike in what they have to pay into the mandatory state retirement system next year.


Rich Stephenson, deputy director of the Arizona State Retirement System, said workers will have to contribute 7.75 percent of their pay beginning July 1 to keep the fund financially sound, up from 5.2 percent. He said that is because of a poor stock market performance as well as legislatively mandated benefit increases, particularly for long-term employees.

Two lawmakers told a gathering of business representatives and legislators that the best opportunity for the state to reduce corporate taxes is now, and they plan to introduce legislation that would attract more businesses and high-paying jobs to the state.


“In the next two to three years, you will see some of the largest tax relief packages ever passed out of the Legislature,” Sen. Dean Martin, R-6, told the attendees of the Arizona Tax Research Association’s Outlook Conference on Nov. 19. Mr. Martin is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Doug Virgil is raking in awards, and well he should. As assistant superintendent in the Phoenix-area Alhambra Elementary School District, Virgil launched an energy conservation program that has reaped sizable savings.


The program has saved the district more than $250,000 over the past 18 months and is expected to save taxpayers more than $290,000 a year, the Arizona Tax Research Association says.

The association gave Virgil its Good Government Award last week. The Governor's Office and the Arizona Department of Commerce also honored Vigil and his district.

There’s a flip side to the decision by the two top taxwriting lawmakers to focus their attention on reducing business property taxes: Other tax cuts become less important.


And that’s bad news for some of the state’s largest employers who have been hoping for a major change in the corporate income tax structure.

Rep. Steve Huffman, R-Tucson, and Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix, said there will be multiple tax-cut proposals introduced this year. They may even sign on as sponsors.