"A $300 million cut is a paltry sum," said Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, chairman of the conservative group of legislators. "We should be well over $400 million in tax cuts." That amount would allow for eliminating the basic property tax levy, reductions in state personal income taxes — as the governor wants — and maybe even more reductions in other taxes, as well.

Such talk makes no sense, said Becker.

"We are 51st in the nation in per-pupil spending. Our class sizes are growing. We're averaging tuition increases of 15 percent a year at our public colleges and universities. We're closing the door of higher education to many Utahns," he said. "And we're not providing basic needs of our most desperate citizens — not taking care of their dental and vision needs, we're not reducing the waiting list for disabled peopling needing state aid."

But a property-tax cut has an allure for many GOP legislators. "It reduces taxes for both individuals and businesses," said Curtis, so is more fair than just a personal income tax cut. And since the property tax is one of the most hated taxes, citizens remember such a tax cut and appreciate it more.

"You buy far more (good will from citizens) if you reduce that," said freshman Rep. Kay McIff, R-Richfield.

The reform issue

While legislative ethics and government reform are top items in Congress and a number of other states this year, the annual attempts by a few Utah lawmakers to correct perceived ethical problems in Utah will likely go unfulfilled once again.

Last year, the Senate killed two bills that would have lowered the reporting threshold for the naming of legislators who take gifts from lobbyists.

Democrats have for several sessions run bills that would ban lobbyists gifts, stop the current practice of legislators using their own campaign funds for personal items, adopt a nonpartisan commission to redistrict legislative and congressional boundaries every 10 years, stop legislators from becoming lobbyists for two years after leaving office, and some other so-called "reform" issues.

Becker said he has heard no encouraging comments about such government reform bills from GOP leaders this year. "And that doesn't bode well for ethics reform."

But if Congress and other state legislatures are discussing and passing such bills in 2007, what's wrong with Utah? he asks.