ARGUMENTS "FOR" PROPOSITION 300

The Secretary of State did not receive arguments "for" Proposition 300.

ARGUMENTS "AGAINST" PROPOSITION 300

Conventional wisdom says working more is better and more pay is better but, with respect to legislative pay, conventional wisdom is wrong. One reason is that we shouldn't WANT our legislators to work more. We already have too many laws. Why would we want to do anything that would tend to make legislators work longer hours. We should be doing exactly the opposite and, in some ways, we have been, for example, with recent restrictions on the number of bills and length of the legislative session.

You will hear comments with respect to the pay issue like "you get what you pay for." The people making these comments are often the people who, at the same time, will talk about legislators as "public servants." Where is the public service if all we are getting is "what we pay for." There are hundreds of "public servants" on Arizona boards and commissions, some of whom donate countless hours for no pay at all. Why must we pay legislators a full time salary PLUS expenses for a part time job?

Another argument you will hear is the concern about all the people who can't afford to serve because the pay is too low. But does every one have to serve in the legislature? No! We only need 90 people out of a state whose population is over 4 million. Will higher pay produce more candidates with principles and convictions? I think not. I urge a no vote on Proposition 300.

Roy Miller, Phoenix

The original intent -- indeed the beauty -- of our Constitutional form of government here in Arizona is the establishment of a system of limited government with part-time citizen legislators.

Unfortunately, in the last few years our legislators have become long-term, professional politicians, who spend too much time and too much of our money passing laws that we probably don't need and that the legislators themselves do not understand, such as the sales tax increase for "education."

Let's not reward them for their make-work projects. Instead, let's encourage our legislators to have shorter sessions and repeal laws, rather than burden us with more.

Don't give professional politicians a raise! Give them more time off! Remember, as a famous political observer once wrote: "No man's life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session."

Vote NO on Proposition 300

Peter G. Schmerl, Chairman, Arizona Libertarian Party, Inc., Green Valley	Katherine "Kat" Gallant, Chairman, Maricopa County Committee, Arizona Libertarian Party, Inc., Phoenix
Robert J. Bushkin, Chairman, Pima County Committee, Arizona Libertarian Party, Inc., Tucson
Paid for by Arizona Libertarian Party, Inc.

There simply isn't enough legislative work in Arizona to justify a salary of $ 30,000. The legislature typically stays in session for only 100 calendar days each year.

They meet only four days a week (not Friday or Saturday or Sunday). Typically, legislators meet only 65 roll call days, with the entire rest of the year off.

There is an occasional special session, but in recent years those have averaged less than five days a year.

Legislators also get around their constitutionally set pay level by paying themselves per diem (expense) pay.

It's a scam that allows some legislators more than $20,000 extra pay. During session, legislators collect per diem seven days a week even though they're only at the capitol four days. Even legislators who live at home a few miles from the capitol collect per diem.

Pima county legislators, for example, collect $60 per day, $420 a week, income tax free, no receipts necessary. And, since the IRS allows a $124 deduction for Phoenix travel, he can claim a daily $64 loss. So many legislators pay no income tax at all.

Last election, the salary commission put on the ballot a hefty increase from $15,000 to $24,000 but provided that legislators could not pocket per diem money. They could only collect it for actual expenses. That seemed like a fair deal and voters approved the first pay raise in many years.

The state Supreme Court outrageously changed what the voters had already approved and said the commission didn't have the power to change per diem. So legislators got a big increase AND got to keep their per diem.

(Legislators later increased the nice judges pay by 8.75% to $120,500.) Now, they want $30,000... plus per diem.

Please tell them what you think.

John Kromko, Tucson

BALLOT FORMAT

RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMISSION ON SALARIES FOR ELECTIVE STATE OFFICERS AS TO LEGISLATIVE SALARIES HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND ARE HEREBY SUBMITTED TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS FOR THEIR APPROVAL OR REJECTION.

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE PROVIDES FOR AN INCREASE FROM THE PRESENT SALARY OF STATE LEGISLATORS FROM $24,000 PER ANNUM TO $30,000.

"SHALL THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMISSION ON SALARIES FOR ELECTIVE STATE OFFICERS CONCERNING LEGISLATIVE SALARIES BE ACCEPTED?"  YES  NO   RECOMMENDATIONS, IF APPROVED BY THE ELECTORS, SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITHOUT ANY OTHER AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION.   CURRENT SALARY.......................................... $24,000   PROPOSED SALARY........................................ $30,000

A "yes" vote shall have the effect of raising State Legislators' annual salaries to $30,000.			YES
A "no" vote shall have the effect of maintaining State Legislators' annual salaries at $24,000.			NO