From a story in yesterday’s Republic:

Arizona grocery prices inched up in the second quarter for the second straight quarter, following more than a year of declines.

The Arizona Farm Bureau Federation’s non-scientific Market Basket Survey found that Arizona consumers paid $2.88, or 6 percent, more for a hypothetical basket of groceries in the second quarter of this year than they did in the first.

The increase in Arizona was more than the $1.66, or 4 percent, increase seen nationwide.

What did the state legislature do, with a big assist from Jan Brewer and the voters themselves?

Increase the state sales tax by one percentage point.

… bringing the total hit for a working poor family to seven percent.

Since working people spend just about all their money—and these, days, in fact, are going into debt—that translates to seven percent less food for their kids….or seven percent more debt.


Update: Dylan Smith of the Tucson Sentinel writes in to say that Arizona doesn’t charge sales tax on food. I was confused at first—I specifically recalled discussions on food sales taxes.

Turns out I was remembering articles about the city of Phoenix, which recently instituted a two percent food sales tax. I was wrong about Arizona, and shouldn’t have used food as an example.

The large point stands, however: Since working folks spend most of their earnings, they will be buying their kids six percent less food—and, thanks to Brewer & Co., seven one percent less clothes, toys and entertainment.