From Deseret News archives:
Issue of day: cutting taxes or raising teacher pay
There is still time to settle the matter before lawmakers adjourn March 5, and there is little doubt that accommodations will be made. But both sides are looking at their re-elections this year and neither wants to be cast as a villain for not providing affordable heath care or raising teachers' salaries.
House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, told the Deseret Morning News that the tax revenue projections released Monday showed less cash will be coming into state coffers than previous estimated and some tough choices must be made.
House Republicans voted in caucus for a $100 million tax cut this year after December's rosy tax projections. Senate Republicans said they wanted a tax cut, also, and said they preferred an as-yet-unspecified property tax cut.
But Curtis now says lawmakers may well adjourn with only $18 million in tax cuts and those going to self-employed Utahns via their income taxes. A $13 million property tax reduction is also possible, but likely not both.
Huntsman spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley said Huntsman also realizes the new tax revenue estimates may mean a different approach. But, she added, "The governor is committed to both health care reform and teacher pay hikes. He is willing to work with legislative leadership on these issues."
Already, the GOP House caucus was presented with a $1,500 teacher-pay alternative on Tuesday.
"If we give a 7 percent WPU (weighted pupil unit) increase in public education, we'll have $3 million left in the Education Fund" for the 2008-2009 fiscal year, Curtis said. That $3 million clearly can't fund the $13 million property tax cut that has already passed the House or an $18 million tax break to let self-employed Utahns pay their health insurance premiums from pre-taxed dollars, which would put them on equal footing tax-wise as workers employed by a company. The self-employed health-insurance tax break, which is part of a health reform insurance bill supported by Huntsman, would come out of the education budget that is funded by income tax revenues.
Recent comments
How much do districts spend per child? Last I heard the total per...
bhparkman | Feb. 24, 2008 at 11:25 p.m.
You could have had vouchers....
Told 'Ya | Feb. 24, 2008 at 9:43 a.m.
Wow, a challenge like that, to get those types of results, should...
re:bhparkman | 3:59 p.m. Feb. 22 | Feb. 23, 2008 at 11:25 p.m.
- Today on TV 12:49 a.m.
- Wanted: Bank robber with bad breath 12:40 a.m.
- Philippine police clash with clan 12:28 a.m.
- Officer responding to call killed 12:28 a.m.
- Editorial: Fine-tune state workweek 12:18 a.m.
- Let's keep energy money in the U.S. 12:18 a.m.
- How to pay for the war 12:17 a.m.
- Feast of Guadalupe nourishes soul 12:17 a.m.
- Obama's strategy is a road map 12:17 a.m.
- Letters: 'Political priestcraft' 12:17 a.m.
- BYU and Utah's bowl games
- Y., U. to learn bowl destinations
- BYU professor remembered
- The forgotten ship: USS Utah
- Branch president without a congregation
- Utahns want health care reform bills
- Kurt Bestor: Joy for the world
- BYU basketball: Cougars crush Dons
- Jazz upset by Wolves
- Urn of baby rests with sailors
- Letters: Liberal because LDS
257 - Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
214 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
189 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
179 - N.Y. Senate rejects gay marriage
130 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
113 - TCU to play Boise in Fiesta Bowl
110 - Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan
105 - Ed Smart 'appalled' at testimony
97 - Harpring's NBA career is over
95
Trolley Square's annual Holiday Open House will feature visits with...
That does it — I'm having an affair! Thanks to Tiger Woods, David...
First, a big thank you to all who posted questions here for me to ask...
Sorry earlier I meant to say that tracks seems to travel at 35 miles an hour...
'Peter Frumhoff, the director of science and policy at the Union of...
The Non-BCS crowd ought to create their own title game...their own brand, and...
That's the whole of your defense of GOP resistance to badly-needed ethics...
Your criticism should hardly be focused on Bennett alone. What about all the...
'Wired's Threat Level blog reported on November 20 that Gavin Schmidt, a...
The reality of climate change is supported by multiple lines of evidence and...
I had the priviledge of staying in the LeBaron home on severl occasions as I...
So the unemployment rate has dropped to "just" 10%, huh? I wonder what that...
Ahh for the love of money...what money can buy!!!


