The Pima County Democratic Party endorses Prop 100, but isn't happy about embracing a regressive tax hike:

The Pima County Democratic Party reluctantly endorses Proposition 100, a half-cent sales tax unfortunately necessary because of the wrong-headed policies, fiscal mismanagement and lack of courage demonstrated by the Republican-controlled Legislature and Jan Brewer.

Brewer has been at the forefront of a 20-year-war on the state’s revenue base and created the biggest budget mess in America. Brewer and fellow extremist Republicans have pushed through even more tax cuts for the rich and big corporations. As a result, Arizona's schools rank dead last in classroom

spending and Arizona is the only state without a federal SCHIP program (health care for children) — forever eliminated under the guise of fiscal necessity.

“For the sake of our kids and those hardest hit by the Bush recession, Pima Democrats agree the tax is necessary to fill the revenue gaps created by the Republican Governor and Republican Legislature,” said party chair Jeff Rogers.

“We also call on Gov. Brewer to accept Attorney General Terry Goddard’s challenge to sign a pledge promising to veto any legislative action that would redirect Prop 100 monies towards more corporate giveaways and handouts for the super-rich.”

“Jan Brewer and her GOP cronies are again asking the middle class to assume the burden that the rich and big corporations always seem to shirk in Arizona,” Rogers said. “Vote for the kids in May. And then in November, vote against the Republicans who forced us into this corner.”

BTW, it's actually a full penny per dollar, not a half-cent.