Utahns have always hated the sales tax on unprepared food. And even though another round of food tax cuts was proposed this year, that bill has already been amended to remove the tax cut. Still, 80 percent of Utahns want the food tax further reduced (it is now 3 percent statewide).

Huntsman, who like all House members and half of the Senate is running for re-election this year, says should he win a second term, he will again push to remove all of the sales tax from food. He believes he can get that accomplished by the end of a second term in 2012.

Republicans hold two-thirds majorities in the Utah House and Senate, and Jones found that 78 percent of Republicans favor a tax cut of some kind. And 87 percent of Republicans like the pretax credit for those who are self-employed or otherwise don't qualify for the current employer discount. So a GOP vote in favor of either Clark's or Dunnigan's bills is an easy call.

"The governor believes the tax credit part (of general health care reform) is a great step forward in providing an affordable option in health care," said Huntsman spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley. Huntsman supports either measure.

Most Utahns don't smoke or chew tobacco — practices banned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members make up more than 60 percent of the populace.

Jones found that 72 percent of Utahns favor raising the per-pack cigarette tax by 50 cents per pack — the money being used to battle smoking cessation programs and anti-teen smoking programs. But a bill to do that has run into trouble in the House, with a number of representatives saying that with hundreds of millions of dollars in tax surpluses, this is not the year to raise any taxes.

And don't even talk about raising the state's per-gallon gasoline tax.

Jones found that 77 percent of Utahns oppose a bill that would raise the gasoline tax automatically every two years by tying it to the cost-of-living/inflation increases in the general economy.

Utah has not raised its gasoline tax in a decade. And as newer cars and trucks come online, which get better gas mileage, the state gasoline tax take does not keep up with inflation in the road construction and repair sector.

The Utah Department of Transportation is about to embark on a new round of major reconstruction of I-15, this time in Utah County, which will cost billions of dollars the state does not now have.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com