Letter: No Salt Lake County tax hike, no sympathy for short-sighted government

Some Salt Lake County leaders believe they need to impose a 17.5 percent property tax hike on the citizens they are supposedly serving. They say there is no more government fat to be trimmed and cutting programs or laying off government employees is unacceptable — so raising taxes is their only option.

Well, I have something to say to them: First, taxes are high enough. If you need more revenue, then find ways to help your citizens become more prosperous and their tax payments can increase.

Second, balance your budget. No accounting gimmicks allowed — if you can't afford it, don't spend it.

Third, if you need something new, then cut something old. Otherwise government will just continue to grow until it crushes its citizens.

Fourth, save for a rainy day. Don't expand government programs in good years to levels that are unsustainable in lean ones.

I'm truly sorry for the personal difficulties some will experience if programs or employees must be cut. But I am not at all sympathetic to the reckless and short-sighted government who put them in that position or the requests for the already-struggling citizens to bail them out.

Dave Argyle

Riverton