“The Arizona transaction privilege tax is commonly referred to as a sales tax; however, the tax is on the privilege of doing business in Arizona and is not a true sales tax. Although the transaction privilege tax is usually passed on to the consumer, it is actually a tax on the vendor.”

Funny how you can find something that agrees with your incorrectness and then chop off the rest of the sentence.

Seriously, you are a joke.

“The Arizona transaction privilege tax is commonly referred to as a sales tax”

The state portion is 5.6%. A TIFF district allows some or all of that 5.6% to go toward the district instead of to the state general fund. It is too bad all of those millions were wasted on Rio Nuevo because the schools could really use the money about now.

If you watch the video where Gould and Leff tore Shelko a new one I don’t think that the senators who voted for the TIF agree that its only purpose was to secure votes for a basketball stadium in Phoenis.

Dead Head, the real distinctions between Rio Nuevo and other TIFs are the funding source (see above) and the legislated life span of the project. Funds did not accrue until 2003 even though the bill passed in 1999.

BTW, the intent of the district, Head, was not to increase to sales tax, it was to secure votes in S. AZ for a baseball stadium in Phoenix.

And don’t forget the clear distinction between Rio Nuevo and other TIF districts in this state is that the other TIF districts did what they said they would do with the money, completed the job, and, in the intent of a TIF distict, increased the sales tax revenue from the district. The folks mismanaging the Rio Nuevo district for the last ten years seemed to forget the actual intent of a TIF district was to increase the tax revenue of the district.

Even Gabby benefitted from RN because of the property that the city leased from her company. Remember the grocery store that was going to be a part of Rio Nuevo but wasn’t in the district boundary–oops. So while the city continues to lease the Giffords property at, from what I’ve read, $160K/year ad infinitum, for an empty lot. The city did get their market in Rio Nuevo however. It’s called Maynards Market. Oh, and the city is paying THEIR lease too! Taa Daaaaa!

It’s called Tucsonomics. It doesn’t trickle down or trickle up. It trickles like water torture of Tucson taxpayers. No wonder the business community is getting restless. Steve K has his hands full smacking down the incompetence of his fellow council members who have picked up this week where they left off mismanaging the city.

Jon Justice was reading an article today that ranked Tucson in the bottom 10 places to do business in the country. A fine testimonial.

Persons who worked to secure Rio Nuevo funding also benefited from the legislation in their private lives.

Ryan, to compare the two is to display how truly ignorant you are on policy.