Huntsman, Karras find plenty of agreement

PROVO — In a primary battle between two candidates who basically view the world in the same way, sometimes you have to lift the tablecloth's edges to find differences.

Friday, before the Provo-Orem Chamber of Commerce, gubernatorial candidates Nolan Karras and Jon Huntsman Jr. debated for an hour on a variety of subjects. But they clearly disagreed on only two:

• Karras would not repeal the sales tax on food, as Huntsman suggests, saying Utah faces too many funding crises over the next four years.

• Huntsman would junk the state Board of Regents, the governor-appointed body that now oversees the state's 10 colleges and universities. Karras is the current chairman of the regents.

Yes, the two Republicans say they have different styles, different experiences, each bringing different strengths to a job held by Republicans since 1985.

They may even have different top priorities but only slightly different.

Karras says education is the most important issue, with good public and higher education systems being the driving force for Utah's much-needed economic development.

Huntsman switches those items around. A revitalized state economic development program will lead to the tax revenues required to deal with 145,000 new public education students and bulging college enrollments, he says.

While state budgets will remain tight, Huntsman said that with new tax revenues coming from better collections on Internet sales, closing sales tax exemption "loopholes" and other pots, money can be found to "phase in" the reduction of state sales tax "on the most basic of (food) staples.

"We must review the burdens on the elderly and working families," said Huntsman.

But Karras says there are just too many demands now on critical state programs such as public education.

"If Jon indemnifies" — holds harmless — local governments, some of whom would see their budgets crash if they lost much of the sales tax from local grocery stores, "there will only be more pain at the state level and higher education, too, will be harmed."

Huntsman, whose mother used to serve as a regent, said more power should be given to university presidents and the appointed trustee boards that govern each institution. The larger board "should be eliminated eventually."

Karras defended the regents' actions, which he has overseen the past several years.