Tucson Weekly: No on Prop 100, 102, 103 & 300

Prop 100: No

This is one of a number of propositions that the Arizona Legislature put on this year's ballot to target illegal immigrants. This one would amend the Arizona Constitution to deny bail to any illegal immigrant accused of a "serious felony" if the evidence suggests the accused is guilty. Given that the definition of "serious felony" is left up to the Legislature to decide at a future date, this one is just too vague--and we're comfortable leaving the question of bail in the hands of a judge, rather than a one-size-fits-all constitutional amendment. Vote no.

Prop 101: No

Those ever-rising property taxes are a problem, all right--but one reason they keep creeping up is because the state keeps pushing responsibilities onto cities and counties. This particular proposition would limit how much counties and cities could increase property taxes. Without getting into the arcane structure of property taxes--we want you to stay awake through the rest of this piece--we'll just say this would hamstring local governments that haven't cranked their taxes to the limit, while ignoring those that have. Vote no.

Prop 102: No

Another measure that goes after illegal immigrants, and addresses something that's not a problem, Prop 102 would amend the Arizona Constitution to block people who are in the country illegally from collecting punitive damages in civil lawsuits. Vote no.

Prop 103: No

Proposition 103 would amend the Arizona Constitution to make English the official language of the state. Hey, we want everyone speaking English--but we also want them to understand government regulations and what they're voting on. (Though, given the legalese that these props are written in, it probably doesn't make much sense in Spanish, either.) We don't see the need to clutter the Arizona Constitution with this garbage. Vote no.

Prop 300: No

Prop 300 would extend the current ban on welfare services for illegal immigrants created by 2004's Prop 200. Also off-limits if it passes: subsidized child care, adult education programs and in-state college tuition.

Here's the problem: The proposition turns day care staffers and adult-ed teachers into an arm of the Immigration and Naturalization Service by making them responsible for determining citizenship, as if their jobs weren't tough enough already.

And when you get right down to it, don't we want people in this country to speak English and have an education? Don't we want children to be in a safe place during the day while their parents work? The entire question is misguided. Vote no.