Reader comments
Governor unveils $11.7 billion budget

You have a RINO as your governor. He was raised in the lap of luxury and doesn't have a problem spending YOUR hard-earned money for higher taxes with the resultant governmental control of almost all aspects of your lives. Wake up and smell the roses,Utah or you will end up living in Nazi-chusetts like I do.

Utah has virtually the lowest home property taxes in the nation already, as well as education funding! Yes, there was a spike since our property values went up, but it would be a huge mistake to lower revenue from that source in school budgets. Costs of building are going up for them more rapidly than revenues.

Changes may need to be done for the way in which valuations are done, but the taxes should NOT be cut. We can't afford the consequences of that.

Government employees (teachers and others) are some of the most underpaid professionals in the marketplace. Yes, Utah, wake up and smell the roses - there is no free lunch. Utah quality of life is among the best in the nation largely because of good governance, not in spite of it.

I love when someone from out of state tells us how to run our state.

We're doing fine thank you.

Glad to see the governor is targeting teacher pay again. My only problem with the article is it says 7% increase on the WPU. That NEVER translates into a 7% raise for the teachers. They will be lucky to get 2%.

The only way teachers get the raises the legislature intends for them is to get it directly like last year.

When they announce a WPU increase it creates hostility. THe teachers then expect that should be their raise. The legislators say we gave you a 7% raise what more do you want. But the money never gets to them.

Last year was the way to do it. Take it straight to the teachers.

You are exactly right! Most people don't realize that a 7% increase in the WPU does not mean anything. The only thing teachers will be guaranteed is a small, if any pay increase. We will get the choice of a 3-4% increase with a reduction in insurance or 2-3% with no reduction of insurance. Either way that does not even keep up with inflation.

I really believe that is why the general population is so disturbed about the teachers whining. The legislator increases the WPU every year but that does not mean it goes to increasing teacher�s salaries.

They need to do just what they did last year. It was the first year in a long time I actually could see a significant increase in my take home.

Sounds like the PTA ought to turn its focus towards the school districts who are sucking up these increases in administrative positions. C'mon, do we really need new administrative positions that take our best teachers out of the classrooms? Give the $$$ directly to the teachers. Even better, use it as an incentive for good teachers.

John Huntsman: "Utahns, he said, need to remember the values of their homes have increased about 13 percent over the past year"

Unless you are going to sale your home this does you NO good. It only raises your taxes.

"Democrats, though, liked what they heard in Huntsman's no-tax-cut budget."

Then he should have run as a democrat. He's a very libral govenor, elected by conservatives. Shame on him.
How did you like his commercial on global warming?
:(
Very libral govenor.

I think it's just politics to propose items that make you look good, knowing that they do not have a real chance of passing in the legislature. Deflecting blame, while looking good. The name of the game.

The "raise" the teachers received last year was a one time deal. They will lose the $2500 after this
year. A 7% raise will not even get them equal to
this years salary. The news media does not recognize
this, but the public will think the teachers are
getting a great deal.

We should have a large tax cut this year, but our liberal governer doesn't think we should have one? He somehow thinks that the state is entitle to a percentage of its citizen's assets?

He continues to pour money into public education, an over funded under performing mess. He has stood by while the major universities have increased tuition beyond the rate of inflation. He has done nothing to improve transportation in this state. His program for improving air quality is for more monitoring.

We need to vote this bum out of office and find someone that can actually do something besides look pretty for the cameras and stroke his own ego.

Most Utah republicans are RINOs. Every single tax increase I ever see on a ballot gets overwhelmingly passed. Even if it's something you would think a typical Republican would scream at, like the ZAP tax. Anyone who decries Huntsman's priorities should seriously rethink what is best for the society as a whole, and not themselves.

We teachers in Granite School District aren't even getting the $2500 this year. After the district's expense of taxes and who knows what else, we are getting $972.00 gross on our December paycheck. I don't exactly understand what happened to the other $1528.

Just because your assessment increased 13% does not mean your government's budget increased 13%. The only way for a government's (city, county, service district, school district, et al) total budget to increase (above any new growth/building in it's jurisdiction) is to hold a Truth in Taxation Public Hearing. Without the hearing, their gross revenue much stay the same.
What this means is as assessed values go up, the tax RATE must go down. If YOUR taxes went up, then someone else's in the jurisdiction went DOWN. This happens when YOUR property is reassessed at a higher value and THEIRS is not reassessed in the current year. The NET effect for the city/county/district is zero. This is often misunderstood. When you add the complexity of all the different entities that levy property tax, it can be quite confusing.

I AM SELF EMPILOYED and YOU KNOW IN 2007 with the price of water, gas, electricty, prop taxes all going up and all the other stuff we cant live without there was three months i didnt get a pay check. If i were a government employee i would appreciate getting a pay check every time it was due and, It would be nice to have all the benefits to IE:Health Ins, Retirment, ETC,ETC,ETC! AND YES I AGREE TEACHERS AND POLICE AND FIREMAN AND ALL OF YOU WHO WORK FOR THE GOVENOR SHOULD MAKE MORE. Maybe you would if the people running things had ever had to make payroll!!!!!!!AND LIVED IN REALITY.

The facts are if you are a govermment employee, the amount of money can make will always be limited.

If teacher want to make more money or "real money" then education must be privatized.

I lived in Utah my entire adult life until 4 1/2 years ago when we moved to the most liberal state in the nation, Massachusetts. I will be 50 on Saturday. I do know of what I speak. It is a slippery slope into socialism and when you wake up it is too late. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others, IF he is humble enough.

For what it is worth I agree with you totally. The only way to describe John Huntsman Jr. is as a socialist. It really bothers me that he calls himself a republican. He is very out of touch with reality.

I am an accountant for the state of Utah - my choice. My family qualifies for the federal food stamp program. When will there ever be a merit raise for the employees of this state? If not last year and the year before and perhaps this year, then when? Record surpluses and state employees have no raise. My choice may next be in the private sector.