OPINION — Affordability has become one of the defining issues in national politics. Families are understandably concerned about the cost of housing, transportation and everyday necessities.
In Arizona, those concerns have been amplified by bad decisions and policy failures from our state leaders.
According to the nonpartisan Common Sense Institute, Arizona ranks 45th out of 50 states in affordability, putting us on par with California. But that doesn’t mean socialism is the panacea those on the far left want us to believe.
When socialist candidates began seeing success in New York, I heard from fellow Arizonans who said, “That can happen in New York, but never in Arizona.” Months later, socialism is on our doorstep.
Tempe has elected Bobby Nichols, a democratic socialist, to its City Council. Nichols has proposed taxing businesses and commercial activity more heavily to fund an expanded government agenda. He supports government-run housing, rent controls and city-owned grocery stores, among other government-driven solutions.
The private sector is not an obstacle to prosperity. It is the engine of it. Businesses create jobs, invest in communities and give people opportunities to build better lives by taking risks and responding to customer needs.
Socialism moves in the opposite direction, placing greater faith in government ownership, spending and intervention.
That may sound compassionate, but good intentions cannot repeal basic economics. When government raises the cost of doing business, those costs do not disappear. Workers and consumers pay them.
As socialism gains a foothold in Arizona, we should ask whether giving government more control over our economy will make our state more affordable — or simply make government bigger.
Vince Gil is Arizona state director of Citizens For Free Enterprise. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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