Salt Lake Chamber makes the issue its top legislative priority for '08

Transient room taxes are being allocated for a Real Salt Lake stadium in Sandy, although Beattie said that the chamber approves of the deal.

Of the state's $10 billion budget that the Legislature has the task of balancing, about $500 million will be surplus. Many legislators want to slash taxes and return the surplus to Utahns.

"If there are moderate tax reductions, we would support it," Beattie said.

But most of it needs to be reinvested in the state, he added.

The surplus could be used for what the chamber calls the "gap" in transportation funding. Roads in Utah need to be built and upgraded. Property needs to be purchased for future roads. The gap by 2015 is estimated at $6.8 billion to $16.5 billion.

The chamber advocates a plan for an increased $3 billion in transportation funding: $190 million a year for the next 10 years from the Legislature, $900 million approved at the ballot, $1 billion of bonds authorized by the Utah Legislature. The chamber supports increasing the gas tax by 2 cents a gallon each year over the next five years.

Specific projects the chamber supports are construction of the Mountain View Corridor, a highway from western Salt Lake County to Utah County, new TRAX lines and commuter rail from Provo to Salt Lake City.

The chamber also wants the federal government to develop an immigration policy, rather than lawmakers setting policy at the state level. State policies will only be tolerated by the chamber if they do not impede the immigration system.

Regarding public education, the chamber supports proposals to attract and retain teachers, including $9 million to hire guidance counselors. The chamber has voiced support for efforts to curb Utah's teacher shortage by increasing salaries, which are 86 percent of the national average, and offering differential pay for desperately needed math, science and special education teachers, said Lisa Vehrenkamp, a member of the chamber's board.

The chamber also supports more scholarships for college and technical training centers to increase the number of students continuing their education after high school.

"More and more jobs need post-secondary education," Vehrenkamp said.

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com