Reader comments
Will Delta get a tax break?

They take the income tax cuts off the table for Utahns because of the uncertain economy and then offer them to Delta instead.

And I here I always thought that 'conservatives' believed in free enterprise and opposed welfare handouts.

Tell you what - let's not even talk about tax incentives for Delta until their board of Directors announces that they've all taken a 50% pay cut. Let THEM show some 'pioneer spirit'.

Do we seriously have to bail these guys out every couple of years? Like a teenager, give me more give me more.

I agree with the other comments. We are taxed to death by our UTAX Legislature. We have had huge surpluses for a couple of years, but would our Legislature entertain the notion to reduce taxes, heck no, but they will entertain the notion to give our tax dollars to Delta. You are remember Delta, the airline that a few years back added more rows of seat on each plane so that we cannot possibly be comfortable while flying. You know, the airlines that has some of the lousiest discount of any airline.
Wake up Utah and let's get rid of Sen Valentine and Sen Bramble; stop putting them back in office!

they are not going to be moving anywhere, so why give them this incentive on the whim that just because they are having talks with other airlines about merging that they are going to leave utah they wont.

Delta has a hub here.
As a result, flights from SLC usually are full.
Therefore, they can "get" us with higher fares.
Now they want a tax cut.
Now they can "get" us at both ends.
Filthy thieves.

I completely agree with what has been said. So to add to this discussion, I say that we let the capitalist markets work and allown an airline that doesn't need welfare to occupy the Delta terminals. Let's find an airline that can make their financials work without a handout. I can't believe all these Republican legislators are even considering a subsidy program like this. That goes against everything we stand for.

Let Delta move. The other airlines will pick up their slack anyway. After my last trip down to Phoenix with Delta's delayed flights both ways, unfriendly flight attendants, and horrible landing, I refuse to ever fly with them or a subsidiary ever again. C'mon JetBlue and Frontier!

Mass air travel is one of those things that will pass into history when we no longer have abundant and cheap fuel. We should be looking at ways to improve intercity bus and passenger rail service, which are far more fuel efficient and, like it or not, will be the main modes of long distance travel in the future.

I travel weekly on business. Having Delta here as a hub lets me take direct flights to most major cities in the US. This saves me time and money. There are hundreds of people like me. I don't want Delta, or whoever they merge with, leave Salt Lake City. I am glad the legislature is doing something about it now before they pack up and leave.

So Greg...you're comfortable with Utah taxpayers footing the bill for that?

Delta provides a huge # of local jobs. tons of flt
destinations, interconnection with Skywest (UT Biz)
& will play key role in SLC Airport reconstruction.

You nay-sayers pull your heads out! Think! In-bound
travelers for Ski/Outdoor Rec/Conventions contribute
in a major way to our Economy!

Are you kidding? Dump Delta? You're CRAZY!!

I can't believe you guys are actually going to root for Jet Blue and Frontier Airlines, and just "Let Delta leave". Have you checked the other airlines' destinations? You can get more places out of Salt Lake on Delta. Jet Blue and Frontier have FAR fewer flights, and they fly to FAR fewer places. Consider the high price of fuel right now, and do the math. You think it's expensive to fill your SUV? Try filling a jet. Look at all the jobs they bring to Utah, give them a break. I'd rather see my tax dollars go to an airline that has fought back from bankruptcy and is going strong than have them go to some of our other programs. I'd think long and hard before I'd go spouting off about letting them leave Utah.

OK, so let�s say Delta pulls out. We have an airport which is half empty and a drain on the tax base instead of being revenue producing. Skiers stop coming to Utah because they can�t get cheap direct flights. Hundreds of thousands of travelers don�t stop in Utah to discover what a great place Utah is. Business moves out of Utah because they get where they need to go because there is no major air carrier who has a hub here. Unemployment goes up. All this erodes the tax base and the legislature has to raise your income taxes. Yes, let Delta go somewhere else.

SLC-Larry is right!

I don't think a merger between Delta and Northwest is going to threaten the SL Delta hub. Delta and Northwest have hubs in Cincinnati and Detroit respectively. A Delta-Northwest Merger would likely close one of those hubs.

However, a merger between Delta and United would threaten the Delta SL hub since United has a hub in nearby Denver. My understanding is that landing fees and other costs in Denver are much higher than SL.

Before the Legislature panics, let�s see what actually materializes. Merger talks have just begun and the outcome is yet to be determined.

My take is if Delta merges with Northwest, then Delta will keep a hub operation in Utah regardless of whether the legislature cuts Delta's taxes. And if Delta merges with United, then Delta's hub here is toast, regardless of any tax or other incentives that our legislature could provide. Let's pray that the merger is with Northwest and not with United!

Hey, great news if you work for Delta!!! But, what about those of us that work for other airlines. Do you think that perhaps the other airlines would pick up where Delta left off if they happened to pull out of SLC??? They certainly would. The airlines respond to the demand of the consumer just like every other industry. If people want to come here for entertainment, pleasure, or business, they will come. Leave the tax cuts where they belong, with the people of this state that support all of our industries.

For those who say JetBlue, Frontier, and Southwest would pick up the slack if Delta left - look at a map of their destinations. Even if they flew to every city the have service to from Salt Lake, it wouldn't even be close to what Delta currently offers. Try getting a direct flight to Atlanta, Boston, San Jose, Vancouver, Colorado Springs, etc. on another airline. If you like to fly to a hub and connect in Chicago or Denver every time you fly, then by all means be opposed to Delta. Delta is VITAL to many businesses being located here. If all you need to is fly to Disneyland, the others will do fine.

look at the skymiles we can rack up by flying to other hubs then transferring. wasting time trying to get to our destinations flying hundreds of miles out of our way to get to those hubs then to our destinations. we want to save energy then let's be conscious enough to realize that the more airmiles you rack up the more fuel you are expending. I'm tired of traveling to hubs then transferring flights taking up my valuable time waiting sometimes 4 hours for those transfers. I like Delta's direct flights.

These same republican politicians preach free enterprise* (*except when it affects me)
A real "Capitalism is wonderful, ecxept when it's practiced on me" attitude.
This is just rank selfishness.
So much for fairness. I bet they feed their yapping dogs from the table too.
Our Leaders at work!