Guests - Ava Chen, Tara Oster, Joel Strabala

Election Results: Tucson Voters Decisively Reject Proposition 414 Sales Tax Increase

Victory for Fiscal Responsibility as Tucson Voters Reject Sales Tax Increase

In a resounding victory for fiscal responsibility, Tucson voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 414, a proposed sales tax increase that would have made Tucson the highest-taxed city in Arizona. With election results showing over 70% of voters against the measure, the outcome represents a clear mandate for the Mayor and City Council to manage the existing $2.4 billion budget more effectively.

"We were hoping for good results and we are so encouraged by what we saw yesterday," said Kathleen Winn, host of Win Tucson. "People of Tucson listened. They went out and they voted."

The election, designed as an off-year special election that many believed was intentionally scheduled to minimize turnout, instead saw impressive voter participation across party lines. The final vote totals aren't complete, as ballots dropped off on Election Day still need signature verification, with those results not expected until Friday or possibly Monday.

Despite the pending ballots, the results are decisive enough that the outcome won't change. "As we know, it won't matter. It's not close," Winn noted. "Over 70% of Tucsonans voted against the City of Tucson increase in sales tax."

A Bipartisan Mandate for Better City Management

This election transcended typical partisan divides, bringing together Republicans, Democrats, and independents in opposition to what many viewed as an unnecessary tax burden. The rejection of Proposition 414 sends a clear message that Tucson residents expect better management of existing resources.

"This was a common sense election," Winn explained. "If you looked at what this was about and what it was going for, it was clear it was not in the best interest of the people of Tucson."

The city had positioned the tax increase as necessary for funding police services and infrastructure improvements, particularly road repairs. However, voters were unconvinced that additional taxes were required to address these needs, especially given the city's substantial existing budget.

"This is a mandate to this Mayor and Council to go back and honor the city charter," Winn stated. "Do what you need to do to fix your potholes, to fix your roads, to make your roads be good. Besides police coverage, that's the number one complaint I have and that I hear."

A Win for Tucson Businesses and Consumers

The election outcome represents a significant victory for local business owners, who would have shouldered much of the burden from the increased sales tax.

"This is a victory for so many, but mostly for our business owners," Winn emphasized. "I am so happy that people that run businesses in the city of Tucson do not have to take on this additional burden."

Josh Jacobson from Tucson Crime Free, who worked to defeat the proposition, noted that voters were sending a clear message about priorities and accountability.

"People are paying a lot of attention to the taxes they're paying and the services they're receiving, and they're saying that it just doesn't pencil out," Jacobson said. "People are believing that they're not getting what they're paying for."

Looking Ahead: City Council Elections and Budget Priorities

With three City Council seats (Wards 3, 5, and 6) up for election this year, and at least two without incumbents running, the rejection of Proposition 414 could signal an opportunity for new leadership in Tucson.

"This is good, that the city, we need new leadership," Winn said. "We need people that are fiscally responsible, that we need people who want to make tough decisions."

Tara Oster, who worked to organize opposition to the tax increase, sees this as a launching point for continued citizen engagement.

"We need to be at those city council meetings at call to the public and speaking about what is important to us," Oster advised. "If we're there in large numbers they're going to have to listen, especially after this vote."

Oster emphasized the need to stay focused on core city services: "We need to use this momentum to keep the conversation going and keep the voters engaged and holding their feet to the fire to do what is necessary to bring Tucson back."

Police Funding Remains a Priority

Despite rejecting the tax increase, voters and organizers made clear that proper funding for police remains a priority. The issue isn't whether police need more resources, but how the city allocates its existing budget.

"Now you can sit down and have a real negotiation on what you need," Winn said, addressing Nate Foster who works with the police union.

Comparisons to other Arizona cities highlighted potential improvements in budget allocation. "Mesa spends 54% on their police department," Jacobson noted, "and we're at 30%."

This significant difference in police funding priorities was highlighted throughout the campaign as evidence that Tucson could improve public safety without raising taxes by simply reallocating existing resources.

China Watch Wednesday: CCP Influence in America

In the second segment of Win Tucson, Ava Chen from the New Federal State of China discussed growing concerns about Chinese Communist Party influence in American politics, with particular focus on California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Chen detailed how the CCP has systematically infiltrated Chinese community organizations in cities across America, using them as a platform for espionage and influence operations.

"If you really wanted to understand the Chinese intelligence network, you have to understand Chinatown, and particularly the Chinese restaurant and Uber driver with a special identity," Chen said, quoting intelligence from Miles Guo.

Chen highlighted how the CCP has established secret police stations in American cities, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and smaller cities in Nebraska and Minnesota.

"These people, they're operating, they're enforcing the CCP's law on U.S. soil and to crush those real Chinese dissidents," Chen explained. "They'll stop, threatening and harassing us. And they even resort to kidnapping. People disappearing. This is real."

Chen emphasized the importance of distinguishing between the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese people: "The solution is not to say every Chinese are CCP because they want you to do this because that's going to create a secondary crisis. What you really need to do is separate, to make a distinction between the CCP and the Chinese people."

The segment concluded with discussion of Missouri's recent $24 billion judgment against China for hoarding protective supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic, which Chen described as a landmark case that properly distinguished between the Chinese state and the Chinese Communist Party.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has stated his intention to collect on the judgment by seizing Chinese-owned assets, including farmland in Missouri.