In November of 2006, we the voters approved a $0.40 tax on cigarettes to provide funding and create the "Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Initiative." Yes, I voted to approve this tax as I feel we need to be vested in our children and Yes, I am a smoker.
Four years later, the Arizona Legislation is now trying, as usual, to take this tax and dump it into the general fund where there will be no end to how fast they can waste it. They claim that the money will be used to fund "health and human services for children" but if you have been in Arizona longer that a minute, you know that they will WASTE the money like they waste everything else. The money is currently being used to help children and is managed by the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board. Giving this kind of money to our legislators is just ASKING for a waste of money AND children not being helped. Arizona is not know for being budget responsible and taking $345,000,000 from children is a perfect example of why we need to STOP our current so called elected heros and in one voice tell them NO, YOU CAN NOT TAKE MONEY FROM OUR CHILDREN!
FIRST THINGS FIRST RESULTS TO DATE
* Expansion of public preschools: $10 million annually
* Helping 30,000 children receive safe and affordable childcare: $40 Million
* Home visiting programs to support at risk families: $20 Million
* Food donated to children & Families: 2.5 million pounds
Total health services and early education grants: More than $284 million - impacting the lives of almost 330,000 children statewide.
No comments:
Post a Comment